Around the world, there are already an estimated 1.3 billion tonnes or one-third of the food produced for human consumption every year that only goes to waste, with fruits and vegetables, along with roots and tubers, as the highest in wastage rates.
In Australia alone, there is already around 4 million tonnes of food wastage each year that comes from households, cafes and restaurants in the country. The staggering number is estimated to be enough to feed 60 million people around the world. It’s like throwing $20 billion dollars to the drain.
Different organisations and even the government have started a “war on waste,” with the government allocating $1.2m funding for organisations that rescue food waste and give it to the needy, ABC reported.
Food that has gone to waste is bad for the environment as it produces a huge amount of methane when dumped in landfills. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is stronger than Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and, along with CO2 and chlorofluorocarbons, it absorbs heat and infrared radiation coming from the earth’s atmosphere, making Earth experience global warming and climate change.
A simple solution to this problem is to buy only what you can adequately consume. But, people, especially, students should be educated about the harmful effects of food wastage as a part of their life skills. Today, we will share with you, the tips on how to reduce food wastage for students.
Plan Everything
Before heading out to your “Sunday Grocery Day”, or a surprise visit to your local supermarket, better make sure that everything is planned. Plan meals ahead of time — this can be six meals a week or a duration that is comfortable for you. As a student, it is essential to check the fridge and list down first what are the essentials and stick to your budget in order to only buy what is needed.
But how will you plan ahead if there’s a surprise visit? Same as the first one, always check your fridge. Make it a habit to monitor your food intake in order to know what items will be needed to be bought at the grocery store.
Eat Leftovers
Leftovers are not considered waste as long as it’s edible. So, it’s a lifehack perfect for students since it helps in saving money. As a student who knows how to cook, or are able to bring home food from parties, untouched leftovers can be stored in the fridge or freezer — some food stored in the freezer can last up to six months — and can be consumed at a later date, saving money on your next meal.
Here’s a bonus tip: invest in good, non-toxic food containers and make microwavable meals for lunch or quick meals during busy or lazy days.
Stock Up
Storing food properly helps in prolonging its freshness. With the different climates in the country, the duration of the freshness of food may vary; there can be times when bread can get moulds quicker than other days. This is when stocking up food in the freezer comes in handy. As mentioned earlier, there are foods that can stay fresh longer when stored in the freezer. Meanwhile, eggs can be stored longer in the fridge while potatoes and onions should be stored in a cool dry place.
Use Everything
Another brilliant lifehack is to use every part of the ingredient bought in order to save money. Love Food Hate Waste suggests using other ingredients for other meals, such as using breadcrumbs in cooking instead of throwing it in the bin, saving $27 a year, while storing brown bananas in the fridge to add later in a fruit smoothie or for baking, saving $30 a year.
Consider Sharing
When you practise efficiency within your food supply management, more often than not, you will find yourself having extra ingredients to cook up. This is a time where you can always share to others. As a student, you can cook your extra food supply and share it with your dorm neighbours or classmates, not only does it build goodwill, but it is also a great way to be efficient with your extra food supply. As they say, sharing is caring; sharing food helps others, but also avoids food ingredients being wasted due to spoilage.
With the world’s current food wastage rate, aspiring chefs and cooks need to learn how essential is food ingredient management based on storage, rationing and efficiency when cooking. These skills will serve them well when they are aspiring for a Certificate III Commercial Cooking in Melbourne through MCIE hospitality courses taught by expert instructors. Call 1300 737 004 or email info@mcie.edu.au. for more information.
