Love Food Hate Waste

Campaign goes to five major local shows in 2010

Celebrity chefs Richard Fox and Nigel Brown will be hosting quick-fire cookery demonstrations showing us how to make more of leftover food. They will share great recipes and encourage people to shop wisely and store food correctly. It will be fun for all the family and by following our top tips, could save the average family up to £50 a month!

Most of us don't realise the amount of food we throw away.

8.3 million tonnes of food is thrown away by households in the UK every year, or, to put it another way, around a third of all the food we buy ends up being thrown away.  Most of this could have been eaten! If we stopped wasting food which could have been eaten, it would have the same impact on carbon emissions as taking one in five cars off UK roads.

The good news is that there are a few quick and easy things we can all do to reduce the amount of food we throw away:

• combine leftovers from previous meals with fresh ingredients to create delicious meals   
• cook a large dish and then divide into portions to freeze for another day, great for days when you will be busy or home late
• check what's at the back of your fridge and cupboards before shopping and keep an eye on 'Use by' and 'Best before' dates
• buy your fruit and vegetables loose so you can buy exactly how much you need - this also reduces packaging
• invest in storage containers and bag clips for resealing bags
• after opening packets of dried foods such as cereals, rice, flour and pasta, reseal them tightly or transfer them into storage boxes or jars
• take time to plan your meals for the week ahead - you'll find it much easier when you are food shopping if you have your meals in mind
• packs of meat and fish can be separated into smaller mounts for the freezer so you can take out only the amount you need

Visit the Love Food Hate Waste website for more handy hints and tips for ways to love food and reduce your food waste. Try the Food Waste Diary and discover what and how much food is thrown away at home, you might be surprised.

Some food waste is inevitable, but items like peelings, egg shells and tea bags can be composted to create valuable home compost for your garden.