he food we eat, or the food we don’t eat is what I am looking at this month… Here in the UK the majority of households throw away somewhere in the region of 14bn pounds worth of food each year. Edible food that is – It is estimated that over 7million tons of food that could have been eaten is binned, with 4million tons of it being recognised as general waste such as peelings, stalks, cores, egg shells, banana skins, etc. But enough of statistics, we now need to look at the reasons why we throw so much edible food away and how we can avoid literally throwing our hard-earned money in the waste-bin. If you find that you are throwing food away unnecessarily try taking a £10 or £20 note out of your purse and throwing it in the bin… Gutted? Well that is exactly what you are doing every time you bin edible food. So, if you are binning your money on a weekly basis here are just a few ways to save – 1. Never overbuy. You may save if you buy two items at a lower price, but if you throw one away then the one you ate was very expensive. 2. Don’t overbuy fruit, vegetables and salad items if you don’t plan to eat your five a day. 3. Don’t be fooled by the ‘sell by date’ because the look, feel and the smell of your food will tell you if it’s edible or not. 4. If you have food that looks as though it will not get eaten, almost 90pc of it can be frozen. 5. Keep bread, rolls, cake, meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, etc. in the freezer and only get food out if you plan to cook it or eat it that or the next day… Most items can be put back in the freezer if it’s not used quickly. Raw meat must never be re-frozen but you can cook it and freeze it once it has cooled down. Only you know your own family so don’t give them more than they can eat and don’t let them eat masses of sugary snacks before dinner otherwise your dinner or take-a-way will end up in the bin. Encourage your children and grandchildren to eat all of their food as it will help sustain the planet, for their future is at stake not ours.
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