In the EU, around 88 million tonnes of food waste are generated annually with associated costs estimated at 143 billion euros. Wasting food is not only an ethical and economic issue but it also depletes the environment of limited natural resources. By reducing food losses and waste, we can also:
- Support the fight against climate change (food waste alone generates about 8% of Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions)
- Save nutritious food for redistribution to those in need, helping to eradicate hunger and malnutrition (some 33 million people in the EU cannot afford a quality meal every second day)
- Save money for farmers, companies and households
At Neriku, our kitchens are used to seeing huge crates of food coming in. This means we need chefs who know how to make the best and most use of ingredients. For us, the key to a happy kitchen is wasting as little as possible. So here are some fun ideas that will help you make the most out of your pantry AND reduce food waste.
1) Smoothies
Any and all fruit and veg can be combined into various flavours of smoothie. Ripe bananas, wilting kale and spinach, soft apples, throwing these away is such a shame! Pop them into a processor and blitz them all together. You could even throw a fruit mix into lollipop moulds and pop them in the freezer if you have kids.
2) Soups
Need we say more? Literally anything in your fridge can be turned into a soup which you can make once and then portion out so you can get out of cooking for the millionth time this month.
3) Fritters
I see those old potatoes, the browning broccoli, sad carrots and yellow cauliflower. Just cut them all up into tiny pieces, add some onion and garlic, spices of your choice. Then all you need is an egg and some flour and shallow fry them to your heart’s content. A perfect naughty treat.
4) Dessert
Everyone’s making banana bread right now, so we’ll steer clear of that one. So another idea would be banana pancakes. You can also convert your berries into jams to add to toast and yogurt.
5) Milk
Have a cartoon of milk soon about to expiry why don't treat yoursef to a hot chocolate? You can also fill up your time by making white sauce from scratch which you can make use for your lasagna!
Editor: Cassi Camilleri
