It’s been a while since I have done a step by step Friday routine post – so here one is.
On a Friday as well, who’d have thought it 🙂
It’s Friday – Food Waste Friday!
In order to reduce the amount of food wasted, a few years back (almost 6) I implemented a Food Waste Friday routine here at Chez Wright. Regular readers know the original inspiration came from The Frugal Girl who each week would post about Food Waste Friday. Kristen now posts about what she ate and what she spent on a Friday, but as Food Waste Friday has made such a difference not only to how much food I dispose of, but has made family meals much more organised, while also reducing the amount of money I spend on groceries – I’ve continued with Food Waste Friday.
So, what’s it all about, this Friday routine thing?
Here we go step by step – mainly in pictures.
Step 1 – My Friday fridge (before)
Even the most organised meal planner and advocate of reducing food waste has a fridge that looks like this from time to time. It’s rather untidy. But it isn’t anything that a little tidying up will not resolve.
Step 2 – Everything out on the counter top
Time to sift through and identify what can be popped back in the fridge, what is food waste, and what can be saved from going to waste.
Step 3 – Food waste is removed (if there is any – the aim is not – but that isn’t always the case)
This week I have overly ripe avocado and very floppy celery. Now it may be the avocado could have been used up, but I’m not an avocado expert and it looks rather dark. I save food where I can, but never take risks with food safety. the celery is so soft, and I have no real idea what to do with the few ends I have left over.
Step 4 – Ingredients that can be saved are rustled up into a No Waste Tastes Great dish.
(There should be a photo here but it was blurred!)
Broccoli makes great soup. My slow cooker makes the whole process so easy.
Step 5 – Time to clean the fridge
A super simple and green way to clean a fridge is with bicarb and water.
Step 6 – The fridge is refilled
Truly a freshly cleaned fridge is amazing. Truly amazing.
Step 7 – Fail to plan, plan to fail – meal plan!
This is the time to meal plan, as if other items need using up it’s a great way to factor them into forthcoming meals.
Step 8 – Write a grocery list
By doing it all in one sitting, it makes it easier to identify what actually needs purchasing.
This Friday routine works for me. Without a doubt I have seen my grocery spend reduce, and the amount of food I waste each week decline. It must work, I’m into year six of following it.
Do you have a similar routine? What could I be doing that I’m not? What would you like to be doing that you aren’t?
You could have cut both ends of the celery and stuck them in a glass of water. Put them on the top shelf of the refrigerator and they would have perked up and been readily available as a healthy snack.