Eighty-nine percent of New Zealanders believe that wasting food is wrong. Despite this, more than $100 million of leftovers are thrown away each year in New Zealand.
What could you do with your leftovers?
Love Food Hate Waste is urging Kiwis to love their leftovers in November in order to reduce how much food, time and money is going to waste.
Research shows some of the main reasons for leftovers ending up in the bin is because 55 per cent of people forget about them and 49 per cent of people often don’t want to eat the same thing twice.
Auckland Council are supporting community-led Love Food Hate Waste events throughout November. To find an event near your just search 'Love Food Hate Waste' on the events page.
Here are Love Food Hate Waste’s 10 top leftover tips:
1. Get them into the fridge within two hours. This is the most important thing when it comes to leftovers to ensure they are safe to eat. Make sure the leftovers have cooled then cover them and get them into the fridge within two hours of cooking.
2. Eat them within two days. Either eat them cold or heat them until they are piping hot.
3. Freeze your leftovers. If you know you’re not going to eat your leftovers within two days, freeze them. Not only will freezing your leftovers ensure you don’t waste them, it will also build a supply of meals for when you need something fast for dinner. Try using sandwich-sized snaplock bags for things like soups and stews – they stack well in the freezer and are quick to defrost.
4. Label your leftovers. Label them with what it is and when it was cooked so you don’t end up with a freezer full of UFO’s (unidentified frozen objects).
5. Eat me first. Have a way of identifying what leftovers need to be eaten first. This is especially important if you live in a house with children or flatmates. Use an “Eat Me First” sticker or have a designated area for free-for-all items. This will also stop hungry teenagers snacking on the food you plan to use for dinner.
6. Take them for lunch. Eating your leftovers for lunch is a great way to save time and money. If you have lunch plans, eat them for breakfast!
7. Mix and match. If your leftovers have a habit of accumulating in the fridge, try set aside a regular night each week when you raid the fridge for your dinner. Your meal may end up being a random assortment of food, but you’ll get a night off cooking. Make sure you have staples such as wraps or eggs to bulk out the meal if necessary.
8. A little bit can go a long way. If you’ve only got a little bit left, try turning your leftovers into a pie, putting them on a pizza or pad them out with extra vegetables, beans or bread on the side.
9. Upskill. Master a couple of simple techniques to help you transform your leftovers into a new meal, so you’re not eating the same meal twice. Try a frittata, soup or pie.
10. Be smart about servings. If you have a family to feed, let everyone serve themselves. This will allow them to only take as much as they think they will eat. Rather than scraping leftovers from people’s plate into the bin, you can store what’s left in the serving dish for another day.
For more information visit lovefoodhatewaste.co.nz
