Seven Secrets to Stop Festive Food Waste

Food waste hits all of us in the pocket, with the average family throwing out €700 worth of food per annum. Christmas is when we throw out the most in quantity but also when we see some very expensive foods make their way to the brown bin. Turkey, ham, stuffing, sauces, salmon, canapes, cheeses, desserts are some of the high cost items commonly found in bins during the season.

It is worth considering that food waste contributes significantly to climate change as growing, processing, packaging and transporting food uses energy and resources and then when we throw it away, as it rots, it releases yet more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Celebrity Chef Catherine Fulvio has joined the campaign to share the inside track on how to reduce your food waste this festive season “Food waste is something that always concerns me around Christmas and according to research in Ireland we throw out a whopping €42 million worth of food on Christmas week.  How can we prevent this? I have teamed up with several County Councils to help reduce this staggering figure and in doing so, save you money and protect the environment.  My first golden rule is to write your list and stick to it. When in the shops put on your “blinkers”, don’t look left, don’t look right, just walk down that aisle and stick to your list to avoid picking up superfluous produce. Check out my series which will be running across Cork County Council Environment Department’s Facebook page with lots of hacks, ideas and recipes suggestions.”

Secret No. 1 Plan ahead

Planning your Christmas Feast will save you time and money.  First of all consider how many people are coming? This year may be less people than usual, so don’t get carried away. What are your favourite foods? Is there a food item that gets bought for tradition but not eaten each year. Leave it off the list. From here build your menu – decide your recipes – from this you do shopping lists. It is the season for temptation in the shops –so stick to your list. Remember there is no need to over shop for essentials like milk and bread. Shops reopen quickly.

Secret No. 2. Organize your storage

Organize storage for all the extra food in the house.  Sort out your fridge using up contents to make space for the extra volume Christmas week. Check what you have in stock before shopping. The golden rule is old to the front, new to the back to ensure everything gets used up within date. Make sure expensive perishable items don’t get pushed to the back, keep them in view, keep items dated if removing packaging (some packaging can help to keep the food fresher for longer so avoid if possible). Vegetables in the bottom drawer and meats always in sealed containers. Don’t forget you need space for leftovers after the big meal on Christmas Day.

Secret No. 3. Portion control

Serving dishes can be used to avoid too much waste on the plate though care will be needed sharing serving dishes this year with guests.  More attention to asking people what they want on their plate will help.  Starters should be light and small for  a big meal like Christmas. Avoid bread with the starter.  Encourage seconds rather than putting out big portions to start with. Have storage ready to go so leftovers can move straight to the fridge after the meal.

Secret No. 4. Use your leftovers

Local authorities working with the Stop Food Waste Challenge have produced the 12 Days of Christmas  recipe booklet with ideas for using up some of the leftovers.  Get creative. Turkey can be used in a versatile range of dishes from risotto to salads so no need to stick with the traditional sambo. Mashed potatoes and smoked salmon patties or smoked salmon in scrambled eggs make a great breakfast for St. Stephens Day. Have you tried cranberry sauce with jam on pancakes? Check out www.stopfoodwaste.ie to get your free copy of The Twelve Days of Christmas.   

Secret No. 5. Make the most of your freezer

The golden rule of freezing is to portion it, label it and date it.  Give yourself a cut off point, two days,  after which any remaining leftovers will go from fridge to freezer. Nobody wants to keep eating it day after day. You can freeze individual dinner portions. You can make a batch of curry too.

Secret No. 6. Get creative with desserts

The left over desserts such as pudding or mince pies can seem unappetizing after the big event but there are recipes which can help to give them a transformation.

Secret No. 7. New Year’s resolution

Let your New Year’s resolution be to cut back on your food waste in 2021 and SAVE up to €700! With a few simple changes, you can significantly reduce the amount of food discarded in your home. Plan your meals for the week. Check what you already have in the fridge and cupboard and write your shopping list.  Stick to it!  You’ll be amazed at how much you save each week . Get into the habit of noting what foods are  going into the brown bin as it will help you figure out what’s wasted weekly and what you can buy less of next week.