The Canada ‘stop wasting food’ guide
Rob Carrick
September 17, 2020
The Canada ‘stop wasting food’ guide
Rob Carrick
September 17, 2020
Household food waste is a huge problem, but my purpose here is not to nag. Digest this and then let’s move on to some practical solutions.
Earlier this week, I spoke to Sherri Vanderleeuw, director of Sysco@Home, which allows individuals to benefit from similar bulk-buying opportunities as the institutional customers of Sysco, a giant food supply company. Ms. Vanderleeuw offered a bunch of food management tips for helping to cut food waste:
Respect your leftovers: “Leftovers are king in our house,” Ms. Vanderleeuw said. “I always make more for leftovers for the next day.” Also, some things, like a curry, a stew or a sauce, taste better a day later.
Get some good containers: Containers, even jam jars, seal better than plastic wrap and can easily be labelled so you know how long leftovers have been around; a Sharpie and a roll of masking tape are all you need for labelling.
Slow cookers rule: “I call them kitchen cleaners because you can go into your fridge and use so many ingredients.”
Do a fridge and freezer inventory: What do you have, and what do you need to use up before it spoils? Push the older stuff to the front so you use it up before it’s no longer edible.
Make a meal plan: Based on your fridge/freezer inventory, what meals will you make for the week ahead?
Make a grocery list: What do you need to buy to put your meal plan in action?
What to buy in bulk: “We always have salmon in the freezer, steak in the freezer, battered haddock or halibut in the freezer. It’s great for last-minute meals.”