Seven tips to save £70 a month

How being savvy with your food could save you money

The cost of food is creeping up and households are feeling the pinch but with a few simple changes you could reduce how much food you're wasting and save the pennies.

Did you know 4.5 million tonnes of edible food is wasted in the UK each year? We're supporting Food Waste Action Week from 6 to 12 March, a national campaign which aims to halve food waste by 2030.

Could you reduce your food waste? Here are our seven top tips which could help:

  1. Plan a store cupboard meal. When you plan your meals include a store cupboard meal, with items that won't go off quickly like a pasta bake. Then if your plans change you can keep this meal for another time, without it going to waste.
  2. Avoid buying in bulk. It's easy to 'buy 3 for 2' at supermarkets, but often you only need one and the others will go to waste.
  3. Don't guess your portions. Find your perfect portion by following packaging guidelines or measure using cups and scales in the kitchen. The Love Food Hate Waste portion calculator can help you work out how much you should buy each week depending on what meals you're cooking.
  4. Fridge temperature. The ideal fridge temperature is between 0 to 5°C. Adjusting the temperature of your fridge could help to keep your food fresh for three days longer than usual.
  5. Freezer surprise. Almost any food can be frozen including hard cheese, milk, mashed potatoes and eggs.
  6. Stock up on store cupboard essentials. Being well stocked with items such as pasta, herbs and spices, tinned tomatoes and canned food can often help you turn leftovers into a meal without going to the shops.
  7. Help revive some foods by giving a helping hand. Many foods can be used even past their best. For example you can soak wilted greens in cold water for 30 minutes to revive them for a salad or a day old loaf of bread can be freshened up by being sprinkled with water and baked in an oven.

The Surrey Environment Partnership website has lots of information and tips on how to keep your food fresher for longer and recipes to use up your leftovers.

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