Love Food Hate Waste

 LFHW app

NEW!  Download the new app for your iphone or android phone to help plan, shop, cook and make the most of your leftovers.  Just click on the image on the left.

Below you will find lots of tips on reducing food waste and saving money.  For further tips and advice please visit www.norfolk.gov.uk or http://england.lovefoodhatewaste.com/content/about-food-waste

Planning
Planning what you're going to eat may seem like one more chore to deal with, but if you try it you may well find that it's less hassle than panicking about what you're going to cook that evening, or facing a supermarket with no idea what you need to get. Why not put together a weekly meal planner with your household? By doing this and then shopping accordingly using a list, you can save yourself time and money, as well as the hassle of not knowing what to cook. It will also save food items being bought that will only end up going to waste when they are not needed or the use by date has passed.

Fridge & Freezer
Do you use your fridge and freezer to their full potential? You'd be surprised at the number of things that can be stored in your fridge, or frozen for use in a few week's time. Apples can be stored in the fridge to keep them fresh and crispy for longer, and there is a wealth of food items that can be frozen, for later use in cooked dishes and sauces such as tomatoes and even grated cheese. Things can be stored in Tupperware containers or reusable freezer bags.

Use Your Leftovers
You're not always going to be able to avoid having food left over at the end of a meal, but many people end up throwing any surplus away, believing there is no use for it. But leftovers, whether an extra portion of a lasagne or stew, or some unused potatoes or cold meat, can always be used again. Leftover portions can be frozen, or taken to work or school for lunch the following day. Leftover ingredients can be used to make other meals; cold meat can be added to stews and curries, potatoes and other vegetables are great in soups. Click here to see some of our recipe cards produced with the help of Norfolk suppliers.

Store Cupboard Essentials
Part of the secret of making fantastic leftover recipes is having a well-stocked store cupboard, full of supplementary ingredients, herbs and spices. Always having things like pasta and rice to hand, as well as a good variety of herbs and seasoning will help give your meals substance and flavour, even if the leftovers you have are quite basic. Things like sauces and pesto are also great for enhancing foods, and can be frozen in individual portions in ice-cube trays to last longer.

Perfect Portions
One of the main reasons we end up throwing so much food away is because we don't know how to properly measure portion sizes. It is very easy to cook too much for your family, especially when it comes to carbohydrates like potatoes, rice and pasta. You can use any excess up in leftover dishes, or reheat them the following day, however in many cases it is much simpler - and more economical - not to cook too much in the first place. Portions can be measured using kitchen scales, but many can also be measured using other simple kitchen equipment such as spoons or mugs. For example half a mug of uncooked rice is enough for two adult portions.