SAY GOODBYE TO FOOD WASTE

Kiwis throw out 157,400 tonnes of food every year, but we can all make a difference

- Amber Bramble

Most of us don’t like to waste food, but it’s something we all do. In fact, the average household throws out around $644 worth each year, according to Love Food Hate Waste NZ. However, ditching that unnecessary waste is easier than you think – and your wallet will thank you too!

BE PREPARED

Before you hit the shops, check your fridge and cupboards, so you know what items you already have. Make a list that you’ll stick to and consider tweaks, such as buying smaller cuts of meat instead of an entire ham. Small, independent fruit shops and farmers’ markets are a great way to support local businesses and producers, while also making potential savings. “Ugly” fruit and vegetables (such as Countdown’s Odd Bunch initiative) are another cash-saving option that also helps to reduce waste at the supermarket. Strapped for time? Some companies deliver imperfect produce from local growers straight to your door, such as Auckland’s Perfectly Imperfect (perfectlyimperfect. org.nz).

FISHY FRIDAY

Fish is a Good Friday tradition, but with around 38% of the world’s stocks overfished, the race is on to preserve our oceans. Buy locally sourced kaimoana when possible and choose varieties that have the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) stamp of approval. Good sustainable options include albacore tuna (rather than bluefin), farmed salmon, anchovies, mullet, trevally, kahawai, cockles, and farmed mussels, oysters and pāua, while species to avoid include whitebait, orange roughy, eels, skates, shark, snapper and scampi. Ditch anything caught through bottom trawling.

ENTERTAINING