Anti-waste diet: tips for eating well without throwing away food

Theanti-waste diet is not a real diet, it is more of a set of excellent rules which, put into practice on a weekly basis, allow you not to throw away food again good, not to accumulate excess with the risk of it expiring and to recover true delights that are often underestimated. In practice, living zero-waste, from the supermarket to the table!

Why have an anti-waste lifestyle and diet

The importance of not wasting food is increasingly widespread and recognised: according to WWF data, over 1.3 billion tonnes of food are thrown away every year around the world. An impressive number and a true sacrilege, if you consider that it is approximately 1/3 of all the food produced in the world in a year.

Try to think about it: 1/3 of what you put in your shopping cart... ends up in the bin.

Other impressive data concern the people suffering from hunger in the world, around 1 billion, while almost 2 billion people are obese.

Behaving ethically when it comes to not wasting food means:

• do good for the Planet,
• avoid wasting resources and raw materials,
• contain pollution resulting from livestock farming and industrial processing of products,
• contain the impact of crops on forests,
• try to rebalance, at least minimally, the gap between those who have too much and those who have too little.

Not only that, it can also be an excellent way for yourself to be more attentive and aware, to understand what you really need and what is superfluous and, why not, also to save a lot on food spending, which accounts for around 20% of each person's monthly expenditure Italian family.

10 zero-waste tips, from the supermarket to the table

How can we try to do our part, in our own small way, to avoid this terrible waste and consume more responsibly?

Plan the weekly menu

This is the first step to better optimize purchases: planning a weekly menu in principle it is useful and can also be a lot of fun! Equip yourself with a kitchen slate and have fun together with your partner or children, defining lunches and dinners for the whole week. This way, you won't have the stress of "inventing" something at the last moment, you'll know exactly what to put on the shopping list and you'll be able to create fabulous themed evenings. Friday could be the regular pizza night and Tuesday that of rice with vegetables, for a delicious moment to look forward to with joy!

Shopping methodically (and not on an empty stomach!)

The shopping list is essential for not wasting food... but also time! You know those huge supermarkets where you struggle to find what you're looking for? With a good list, even a digital one, everything is simpler, perhaps done logically, that is, more or less putting the products to purchase in the order in which you will encounter them aisle after aisle. If you are familiar with the supermarket, this exercise will be simple and really useful. Another tip not to be underestimated: it is better to go shopping after a main meal, so as to be full. The risk of entering a super-stocked hypermarket too hungry is that of putting a series of unhealthy, expensive and superfluous extras in your cart!

Help small businesses in the area and buy online

Reevaluate the idea of ​​making a single, large expense, all in one place. Often, buying a few things in a specialized shop leads to savings and significantly improves the quality of the food you bring to the table. The greengrocer on the corner, the baker in the square, the grocery store at the end of the avenue in your town: these small local businesses often focus on the quality of what they sell, on local products and on a "family-friendly", warm and consultative service. Likewise, there are specialized e-commerce sites that allow you to conveniently get particular, high-quality products to your home, like ours superfood.

Beware of seasonality

Don't get stuck wanting strawberries in December and oranges in August. What you are putting in your cart is a force of nature, they are non-seasonal products, often stored in industrial freezers and, therefore, necessarily of lower quality than fresh ones. Not only that, you will also pay much more for them! Focusing on seasonality, on the contrary, means putting fruit and vegetables on your plates that are always fresh, organoleptically good and certainly cheaper. What's more beautiful than waiting for October for pumpkin or July for watermelon? Every period has its own delight!

Be careful of expiration dates

Always check the expiry dates, especially on dairy products or in any case from the refrigerated counter: not doing so means risking bringing home a huge multipack of spreadable cheese only to find out that it expires... the next day! And being forced to waste a large part of it...

Be careful with quantities

Discounts and offers are tempting for everyone but are you really sure that you need those 7kg of dry biscuits?! Promotions are fine but always evaluate whether you really like what you are buying, if you it is useful and if you think you will be able to consume everything within the deadline.

Correct food storage

A improperly closed package or a product stored in the wrong place can cause it to spoil prematurely. An example? Some fruits and vegetables go in the refrigerator, while others should be kept in the pantry. And the maxi jar of Greek yogurt must be closed tightly with its own lid, if you want it to last a few days.

Prepare recycled dishes

Have you ever wondered how much food we waste because we throw away parts that, in reality, are perfectly edible? The stems of broccoli, cauliflower or celery, for example For example, not everyone may like them when consumed alone, but don't throw them away: keep them in an airtight container and use them one evening a week to prepare a healthy vegetable puree, creamy and rich in micronutrients! Or potato peels: wash them well and fry them or bake them in the oven, with a generous sprinkling of paprika, to obtain truly delicious recycled chips.

Not only that, some food waste can also be useful in other contexts, such as coffee grounds, perfect as natural fertilizer for plants in the garden and in pots on the terraces.

W doggy-bags and schiscettes, even at home

In general, try to weigh the right amount of food you plan to consume at the meal, especially if you don't like eating warmed up. But what to do if you have prepared too much pasta and too many sautéed vegetables? Mix them and make fabulous “schiscette” for lunch the next day, whether at home or in the office! Or use your imagination: is there a lot of saffron risotto left over? Prepare delicious croquettes similar to Sicilian arancini!

Be careful with packaging

Just as deadlines should be checked, also pay attention to damaged, punctured or crushed packages. When you find one, take it only if you plan to consume it without problems anyway, otherwise don't leave it on the shelf, report it to the store staff: they will be able to find the best way to put it back, in the "basket" of offers for example.

For further information, here are some sources of data cited in the article:

• https://www.wwf.it/news/food_news/?54948/Perdite-e-sprechi-di-cibo-affamano-il-Pianeta
• https://www.istat.it/it/files//2020/06/Spese-per-consumi-delle-famiglie.pdf