Love Food Hate Waste

What would you do with an extra £600 every year? You certainly wouldn't put it in the bin and throw it away.

But each month, the average family throws away £50 worth of good food that was bought but not eaten. That adds up to a shocking 8.3 million tonnes of good food and drink which is thrown out every year by households in the UK.

We’ve signed up to the national Love Food Hate Waste campaign to help us all save time and money and cut down on food waste.

Did you know?

• We throw food out for two main reasons: we cook or prepare too much; we let food go off.

   

• The cost to UK households of wasting avoidable food and drink is £12 billion per year. To the average household that means £480 per year, and for households with children the cost increases to £680 a year. UK households, by reducing food and drink waste, can save approximately £50 per month

Top tips

It pays to plan

Planning your meals is one of the most cost effective ways to cut your food bills and reduce the amount of food that’s thrown away. Before going shopping check what you have in the fridge, freezer and store cupboard.

Get familiar with your fridge and friendly with your freezer

Check what you have in the fridge and see what dates are on your food – making sure you use up what has the shortest shelf life first. The freezer is great for storing a wide range of foods.

Top tip – You don’t have to freeze things on the day of purchase – you can freeze items up until the use by date if your plans change. 

Store cupboard savvy

Stock up your store cupboard and freezer with a variety of tinned, dried and frozen goods that your family will love. 

Carb control

Getting your portion size correct could save you pounds in the long run.

Top Tip – a mug of rice will serve four adults.

Lovely leftovers

Make the most of your leftovers by turning them into a whole new meal. Left over meat from a roast makes a great filling for a pie or sandwiches!

For more information about this campaign and for great leftover recipe ideas visit the Love Food Hate Waste website.