Happy World Food day foodies, World Food Day 2019 is celebrated on October 16th, the theme for this year is World hunger, Food wastage is a global problem, which requires all our attention, we must be extra careful with the food that we use daily, The amount of food waste produced globally each year is more than enough to feed the nearly 1 billion hungry people in the world. We must act now, a few small steps from our side can make a huge difference, This World Food day, let us take a look at some of the simple things that we can do to prevent wastage of food.
Shop Smart
Try avoiding buying more food than you need, start making more frequent trips to the grocery store every few days rather than doing a bulk shopping trip once a week. Make sure to use up all the food you purchased during the last trip to the market before buying more groceries.
Storing food correctly
Storing the food properly is very important, as improper storage can lead to a lot of food waste, many people are not aware of how to store fruits and vegetables, which can lead to premature ripening and, eventually, rotten produce. For instance, potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, cucumbers, and onions should never be refrigerated. These items should be kept at room temperature.
Save and eat Leftovers
Saving leftovers can lead to food wastage reduction, many people save excess food from large meals but often forget about then in the fridge. Storing leftovers in a clear glass container, rather than in an opaque container, helps ensure you don’t forget the food. Eat the leftovers as snacks or you can re-cook them and make something new.
Food Donation
Never going to eat that food? Donate it to a food kitchen or to someone who you know will use it before it expires so it can be consumed by someone who needs it. You can easily donate the waste too, many farmers happily accept food scraps for feeding pigs and other animals
Split the dish.
If eating out, you can always split a dish with a friend so you don’t waste half of the giant portion sizes found at many restaurants, you can always order more if you want.
Check the expiration dates
The expiration dates don’t always have to do with food safety; rather, they’re usually manufacturers’ suggestions for peak quality. If stored properly, most foods should stay fresh several days past the “use-by” date. If a portion of food looks, smells and tastes okay, it should be fine.
Freezing Food
Freezing food is one of the easiest and best ways to preserve it, freezing your food helps it to last longer, avoiding food wastage. Few foods can be made in bulk and kept in the fridge for months.
