How To Reduce Christmas Food Waste

Hi Guys it’s Friday – Food Waste Friday. I’m still not back to my usual routine so have popped in a post I wrote 2 years ago but it was never published. While going through some documents I found it and thought it was quite a useful guide to reducing waste as we hit the main grocery shopping weeks before Christmas.

Santa’s making a list and he’s checking it twice…but are you?

There is such a vast array of irresistible festive foods available, this time of year. Impulse purchasing is at an all-time high during the holiday period. Store shelves are laden with tempting treats in attractive seasonal packaging. It’s so easy to pile the trolley high and make a dash for the checkout whilst reassuring yourself ‘Well it is Christmas!’

(addition to this post: One major retailer in 2015 is even using the hashtag #becauseitschristmas)

One of the most effective ways to prevent buying unnecessary groceries and ultimately reduce food waste is to make a list. And as well as checking it twice, to stick to it.

Making a grocery list, as does it’s prerequisite – meal planning, takes a little time and thought. But it’s time well invested, as it can decrease grocery spend, reduce potential food waste and improve your chances of dishing up nutritious family meals.
An effective way of pulling together a grocery list is to group, or map out, the list rather than writing it chronologically. After all Santa’s making a list, but I’m sure he’s also got his route mapped out – there are a lot of chimneys to visit in one night.

How to prepare for your trip to the store:

1. Double check you have your mapped out list – before you leave the house
2. Allow yourself enough time to follow your list – rather than doing a trolley dash
3. If possible, shop alone – never underestimate the power of a pestering child (or significant other!)
4. Ensure you’ve eaten – a grumbling tummy is a sure-fire way to increase your basket
5. Take a bottle of water to sip as you shop – thirst is very often mistaken as hunger (and you’ve seen point 4 above)
6. If generally looking to reduce your overall spend, steer clear of the non-food browsing aisles – this won’t reduce food waste, but will reduce wasting money on things you really don’t need

And finally… don’t forget your reusable bags. Reducing waste comes in all forms, not just food waste.

The big guy in red wouldn’t dream of using disposable bags would he? It’s sacks all the way.

How do you keep food waste to a minimum this time of year?