How to Stop Wasting Food

There are, of course, countless reasons, but here are some of the most important ones:

1. Food spoiling or passing its 'best before' date.
2. We buy too much, without proper thought or planning.
3. We prepare excessive amounts of food at once (hello, festive season!).

According to research, most food is wasted in 1-2 person households and among pensioners. Below are some simple 'less waste' tips on how to reduce food wastage!

It seems obvious, but according to Polish Food Banks, only 4 out of 10 adults go to the shop with a shopping list and only buy what they genuinely need. The supermarket atmosphere is ripe for impulse purchases; after all, it's sometimes hard to resist those beautifully packaged, delicious yoghurts vying for our attention, or the exotic cheeses abundant in supermarkets. And there's certainly nothing wrong with broadening your culinary horizons and trying new things, but let's be honest with ourselves: is our fascination just fleeting, and will it vanish the moment we leave the shop, with that impulsively bought product ending up in a dark corner of the fridge, only to meet its maker in the bin after a tiny nibble?

Moreover, before heading out to shop with your list, check what you already have in your fridge, on your shelf, or in your pantry to avoid panicking in the shop, wondering if you have it or not, and inadvertently doubling up on items.

Read our magazine on how to plan meals and cooking.

Always sort your food by its best-before date – the shorter the date, the quicker you should eat it or transform it into a full-fledged dish.

Attention! Best before date and use-by date are two different matters.

Firstly, the best before date does not mean that food is to be thrown away after the indicated period. It's simply information from the manufacturer that up to this point, their product will retain all its promised characteristics and properties. After this date, it might fade, lose some nutritional components, or aroma. However, if the date has passed, but not too long ago, we can carefully check if the product is still edible, as it's likely to be. Trust your senses.

On the other hand, the use-by date typically applies to perishable products and those whose consumption would be harmful after this date; therefore, by law, products past their use-by date should immediately disappear from shop shelves.

Freezing is an excellent method to keep food in pristine condition for longer. We can freeze semi-finished products or ready meals that will taste just as good after thawing. We just need a bit of space in the freezer and a good memory for what we've stashed in which kitchen container. And it's worth remembering that food should only be frozen once, so it's better to divide it into smaller, single-serving portions beforehand.

Also, protect food from drying out, spilling, or contamination by storing it in attractive containers (at FormAdore, we love functional and beautiful things, but you've probably noticed that already).

Discover all our kitchen containers available for you at FormAdore.

And if you want to find out more about which one to choose, read our magazine on the best food containers.

Containers are one method, but other gadgets like beeswax wraps (a charming name, isn't it?), silicone bags, or clips that prevent products from drying out can also come in handy as food-securing aids.

If we can't eat everything, then let's give a bit of our bounty away so others can also enjoy it. Nowadays, there are more and more smartphone applications that connect people who want to give away food or a ready meal, or who are happy to swap it with others.

In many districts, so-called 'food sharing points' have also been set up, where you can safely leave labelled food (these are usually fridges) so that other people in need can take and enjoy the food.

If, on the other hand, you have more food, or products in almost wholesale quantities, then it's worth looking for a facility (e.g., a home for single mothers or a foundation for people experiencing homelessness) that would gladly accept your donations. The possibilities are truly endless!

Recycling is the future. Also in cooking. More and more articles and books are appearing on how to repurpose meal leftovers, scraps, or peelings so they don't go to waste. Let's give them a second life; it's very much in the spirit of 'less waste', which we highly value.

Coffee grounds - you can, among other things, use them as a healthy skin scrub, fertiliser in the garden, an odour neutraliser, or a natural cleaning agent.

Banana peel - acts as a moisturising cream, is an excellent plant fertiliser, restores shine to shoe leather, can be used to clean Grandma's silver cutlery, or to attract colourful butterflies with its sweet scent.

Apple remnants - a great base for apple cider vinegar, pectin will be useful for gelling marmalade or jam, dried peels as a topping for salads and dishes, but also for tea; you can also make apple peel crisps.

Potato peelings - new, creative dishes like battered, baked peelings or broth from peelings. Peelings are also a good substitute for breadcrumbs. They can also be a great fertiliser or hair rinse.

Cake leftovers - if they don't contain jelly, we can easily blend them with groats or cheese, make 'bajaderki' (rum balls) and sprinkle them with chocolate or coconut flakes. A few cakes turn into one delicious 'bajaderka'.

If you don't have time to stand in the kitchen, always use a willing and helpful assistant who will shred, blend, mix, and stir ingredients for you. Yes, we're talking about stylish Smeg and KitchenAid kitchen machines, which you'll find with us. Why bother when someone else can do the work for us?