Save money and help the planet: how to stop throwing food away
'18.04.2021'
Source: Air force
Each year, about 1,3 billion tons of food is thrown out, most of all this is dumped. This not only damages the environment, but also negatively affects climate change.
Such thoughtless waste is becoming one of the main problems facing humanity, according to New York chef Max La Manna. He even wrote a book on the topic, More Plants, Less Waste. " Writes about it Air force.
Max La Manna told the BBC what each of us can do to help deal with this problem.
Food has been an important part of my life since childhood, because my father was a chef. My parents taught me not to throw away food.
Now almost 9 billion people live on our planet, more than 820 million of them are undernourished.
Waste of food is one of the major problems facing humanity. About a third of all food is either simply rotted in the fields or thrown into the trash.
Moreover, not only food is wasted. Money, water, energy, land and transport are wasted.
If you throw away food, it can also affect climate change, since a significant percentage simply goes to the landfill, where the food rots, releasing methane.
If food were an independent country, then it would be the third source of greenhouse gases after the United States and China.
But you can fight it.
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Shopping right
We often buy too much food, more than we need.
Before going to the store, you should make a list of what you really need, and not buy too much.
Moreover, use all the food you bought before going to the store again.
Store food properly
Food spoils if stored improperly.
Many do not know which products should be stored in the refrigerator, and which are not. This leads to the fact that vegetables and fruits can begin to rot and as a result end up in a landfill.
Potatoes, onions, tomatoes, garlic, and cucumbers should not be kept in the refrigerator - they should be kept at room temperature.
Greens can be stored in a bowl of water.
If you realize that you have formed excess bread, put it in the freezer.
In a supermarket or other store, choose not the most beautiful-looking fruits and vegetables. They are no less edible and tasty, but since many do not want to buy them, they often end up in the trash.
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And if you have the opportunity, buy fresh produce from the farmer or at the farmer's market.
Half-eaten food - in the refrigerator
Leftovers are a useful thing.
If you often cook, and you always have something left to be eaten, take one day a week when you get all these leftovers from the refrigerator and reheat or cook something else.
This food will not go to the trash. In addition, you will save time and money.
Do not forget about the freezer
It is easiest to store food in a freezer.
For example, if you still have vegetables that are too soft for the salad, you can freeze them and then make them smoothies or something else.
If you have too many herbs, put them in an ice mold, fill them with water and send them to the freezer. Later they will come in handy for passages or other recipes.
In the freezer, you can put food that you haven’t eaten, even soups. Then you will always have ready-made and tasty food that you just need to warm up.
To work with your lunch
It's nice to leave the office for lunch with your coworkers, especially to your favorite restaurant, but it costs money and leads to wasted food.
It is best to bring food from home. If in the morning there is not enough time to cook food, get what lies in the freezer and wait in the wings.
Cook broths
From the remnants of food, you can make a broth.
Quickly fry or reheat the remaining vegetables and everything that has not been used. Put it all in a pan, add olive or butter, your favorite spices, pour water and cook over low heat.
And then enjoy the work of your own hands.
Make compost
Compost is a valuable fertilizer, it is a good way to get rid of food waste without harming the environment and, moreover, helping wildlife.
Not everyone has a garden where this is easiest to do, but there are many recipes for home composting in an ordinary city apartment.
Such compost will perfectly help the growth of your indoor plants.
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Step by step
There are many ways to reduce food waste, and each of us can do it.
If you think about how much food your family throws away every day, you can make a difference and make your contribution to the conservation of such valuable natural resources.
Even the smallest changes in how you buy food, how you cook and consume food will help protect the environment. It doesn't have to be complicated at all.
Having spent very little effort, you can significantly reduce the amount of food in the trash, save money, time and just help nature.
