Top 10 Tips for National Leftovers Day
For many people, Christmas is a time of plenty. With a little planning and some food saving tips under your belt, that plenty need not include waste.
The following are DoSomething’s top ten tips to save food this festive season:
- Plan your Christmas meals | Reduce stress and waste by simply planning ahead. The FoodWise Meal Planner helps you find recipes that use up the food you already have. It can also provide you with a customised shopping list to make shopping easier and help you avoid panic buys.
- Be sure to reuse your Christmas staples | Turkey, ham, chicken, seafood and vegetables can all be used up in sandwiches, quiches, stirfries and casseroles to be eaten over the Christmas period. Find your favourite celebrity chef leftover recipes on the FoodWise website.
- Be realistic | We all love to be generous during the festive season but remember to keep your portions in mind when planning your Christmas lunches or dinners.
- Containers are your friends | Store your leftovers in clear airtight plastic containers to keep them fresh and extended their lifetime.
- Freeze as you intend to defrost | Freeze your leftovers in the portion size you’ll defrost them in. That way you won’t end up defrosting more than you need.
- Fridge location | Store your leftovers at the top of your fridge. This keeps them in your eye line and helps you to remember what needs using up.
- Shop with the seasons | Summertime in Australia is rich in fresh fruit, vegetables and produce. To maximise on flavour and reduce the distance your food needs to travel to reach your plate, make a plan for Christmas with a focus on seasonal food.
- Slap on a label | They’re not flash, but labels are heroes when it comes to saving food. Slap one on your container when you freeze your leftovers so you remember what it is, when you cooked it and how many serves you have.
- Know the basics | Polish your skills in the kitchen with DoSomething’s video series on cutting food waste in your household. These tips won’t just be handy at Christmas but all year round.
- Get creative with your ingredients | Get ideas on on how best to buy, store and cook commonly wasted foods with the DoSomething Ingredient Guide.
