Don't Throw Food Away Challenge

Cheapskate

I saw that item, GQ, found myself shouting at the tv screen! There was an article in the Daily Fail today, by a writer I have a lot of respect for, well worth a read.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2470912/Dont-lecture-shoppers-wasting-food-Tesco--supermarkets-blame.html

All these "experts" (above-mentioned writer excepted) are so good at lecturing us about what we're doing wrong, not just with wasting food, but other areas of life (to white, Davey-boy telling peeps to put on a jumper when it's cold if they can't afford the heating!), yet can't even begin to put their own houses in order!

A xo

roobers_2

Me too - I wanted to raid her bin and get it all out again! She only looked at dates and threw stuff away without checking whether it was still ok, and sounded appalled that there was something in her fridge (sweetcorn I think) dated not last week but the week before.

GreyQueen

Joanna Blythman talks great good sense. Her books are excellent.

As a singleton, BOGOFs are mostly a nuisance to me; I'd rather have one item at half price than a BOGOF. A lot of things on these deals aren't freezable, and even for things that are, freezer space is limited, particularly if you have a tabletop freezer like mine.

Given the large percentage of singleton households, you'd think that they would have more options other than BOGOF-ing so often.

I'm just about to eat a wrinkly apple. Based on past experience, it'll do me absolutely no harm.

jenster

never understood why instead of BOGOF you couldnt buy it a half price

also why cant shops just sell foods in much smaller quantities like 1 or 2 fruit pies rather then 6 2 oranges rather then a pack of 6 that sort of thing 1 or 2 of things like Egss to those that only want one or 2 , And is it me or do eggs seem to come in 10's or more now rather then 1/2 dozens

any supermarket who is willing and jumps on the less is more bandwagon and not charge an absolute premium will do them selfs no halm get on board someone like the hairy bikers who proved how to run a successful meals on wheels again cutting right through red tape with these so called "dates on food " and lots would be put right in a heatbeat

VJsmum

Inspired by this thread I had an omelette for lunch which got through some salad
I am using some odds and ends of veg with tea - I may stir fry to get a bit of zizz back in it
and I turned a load of fruit into fruit salad.

I am usually quite good with not throwing stuff away but buying got out of hand as I have been too busy to keep track

Half term next week and OH and DS are away for a good chunk so DD and I will be eating through the freezer for a few days.

Molly41

I really need to tackle our food waste. We used to be very good but this past year it has got very bad as I have not had the energy to cook leftovers. The salad bags rang true with me though and made me determined to go back to growing my own x

Pandora_2

Hurrah for my corner shop!! They reduce the prices on anything past their best before dates and have a special section for them. If you find something in the shop that is on or past it's use by date but are still happy to buy it, then they reduce it massively. They have no food waste at their shop as anything they can't sell they just take home and eat themselves
At home the only food waste I have isn't really waste as it's just things that can't be used up completely like teabags, stalks/peel/ends etc from fruit and veg, and bones on the rare occasion I get a chicken. All leftovers are either frozen or eaten the next day, although occasionally I will let the cat have them!
Just can't understand how people can waste food when it's so expensive and so many have to go without. Drives me crazy!!

dreaming

GreyQueen wrote: »

As a singleton, BOGOFs are mostly a nuisance to me; I'd rather have one item at half price than a BOGOF. A lot of things on these deals aren't freezable, and even for things that are, freezer space is limited, particularly if you have a tabletop freezer like mine.
Given the large percentage of singleton households, you'd think that they would have more options other than BOGOF-ing so often.

jenster wrote: »

never understood why instead of BOGOF you couldnt buy it a half price
also why cant shops just sell foods in much smaller quantities like 1 or 2 fruit pies rather then 6 2 oranges rather then a pack of 6 that sort of thing 1 or 2 of things like Egss to those that only want one or 2 , And is it me or do eggs seem to come in 10's or more now rather then 1/2 dozens

I too am single, although often have family/friends at weekends to cook for, and also feel it is sometimes hard to buy small packs of items. Fruit and veg. aren't too bad as I tend to buy loose and just buy what I want, but it is difficult not to feel that if they can BOGOF items then they must be overpriced to start with. I know that's not true as I understand the idea of "loss leaders" and that they are hopefully to tempt you to buy other stuff as well, and then, of course, the farmers/suppliers are being squeezed down to the bone to allow for this.
I'm not sure I can take Tesco-ethics (and all of the other supermarkets who will no doubt jump on the bandwagon) in all of this too seriously. After years of promoting BOGOF and encouraging everyone to buy more and more to suddenly realise that this just leads to waste seems a bit hypocritical. I'm sure that this is all about increasing their own profits than any concern for customers or the planet.

meritaten

its simplicity itself Jackie

Red Pepper soup
one onion chopped
Red peppers chopped you need about 3 to one medium onion
either chicken or vegetable stock.
salt and pepper.
saut! your onion slowly as you want it translucent and not browned. (you can add a clove of garlic if you want at the end of cooking)
add your peppers and saut! them slowly too. you want them 'mushy'. but not browned.
add enough stock to cover the peppers and onions and about an inch or two over (it doesn't really matter if its not exact).
add a little salt and pepper and bring up to boiling point then turn down and simmer for about 15 mins.
taste! adjust seasoning if you need to. (edit - or add more stock - I like a very intense 'pepper' taste), then either blitz in your processor, use a stick blender or a sieve, and return to pan. warm through. either serve or add any fresh herbs you fancy with it. I like both basil and parsley (not at same time), and some garlicky croutons (stale bread sprayed with olive oil and baked for a few mins in hot oven if its on) or fried in pan.
I like it 'as is' OH likes it with a little cream added.

EstherH

JENSTER: they do Bogof rather than half price because it shifts twice as much food. If it was half price people would only buy the one but with Bogof they are buying two. The supermarkets are making a profit out of it.

We have very little waste, just peel and bones mainly. I even use potato and carrot peel in soups. I'm surprised though that they would count stuff like that and tea bags as part of the waste. I always wondered who was throwing my share away when they come out with figures like one bag in three gets thrown out.

Made stir fry with broccoli stalks that I had frozen tonight and a few other veg that I had in like VJmum. Used some of the bagged salad in it. It is things like watercress and spinich, not lettuce in there. Not bad considering it was ys on friday. Esther x