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Smart tips to reduce food waste
Moms and dads, we see you! We see you doing everything you can to keep your kids fed despite challenging factors like loadshedding and price hikes. To make your journey just a little bit easier, we have put together some simple tips to help minimise food wastage and make your food go further.
Do a fridge audit
First off, check your fridge temperature – if your fridge isn’t cool enough you run the risk of food, especially dairy and uncooked meat, going off quicker. Your fridge needs to be set between 0° – 5° Celsius.
Next, make sure you are storing items in the correct place in the fridge. For example, cooked and ready-to-eat meals should be on the top shelf, dairy should be on the middle shelf, raw meat and fish on the bottom shelf, and fresh fruit and veg in the produce drawer.
If you have multiples of the same item, ensure those with a later “best before” date are at the back and those that will be expiring sooner are packed near the front, so you use them first. Keep any Squish 100% Fruit and Veggie Purees that you have already opened in the fridge. Each pouch comes with a resealable lid so you can use what you need then screw it closed and pop it in the fridge to use later in the day.
Loadshedding tip: Ensure you place all the foods that you will not use frequently in your freezer. Even when the electricity goes off, the cold from the freezer and other frozen items will preserve it. To be safe, freeze any meats as soon as you purchase them, and only defrost or keep in fridge what you will use on that day.
Watch those bananas
Have a separate fruit bowl for your bananas. Bananas (along with avocados, tomatoes and peaches) produce ethylene gas as they ripen and can speed up decay in other fresh produce if they are stored together.
Get adventurous with leftovers
A little culinary creativity can go a long way when it comes to reducing food waste. Try these three tips for any leftover Squish 100% Fruit and Veg Purees:
- Stir leftover Squish 100% Veg Puree through ready-cooked pasta, top with breadcrumbs and a little cheese, then place in the oven for a quick and easy supper for your toddler.
- Make a tasty dip for a delicious finger supper by mixing leftover Squish 100% Veg Puree into a couple of tablespoons of cottage cheese. Serve with fresh veggie sticks and mini pitas.
- Take your little one’s scrambled egg supper to the next level with this delicious Cheesy Veg Scramble recipe. You’ll find plenty more recipe inspiration using Squish 100% Fruit and Veg Purees here.
Make lists and plan ahead
Before you head out on a grocery shop, take stock of what is in your fridge and pantry to avoid buying duplicates and having to throw stuff out when you haven’t used it in time. Make a meal plan for the upcoming week so that you know what ingredients you will need. This means you’ll avoid over shopping and will make the best use of the food products you have. By keeping a stock of Squish 100% Fruit and Veg Purees in your grocery cupboard, you can rest assured that a healthy, nutritious meal is always on hand. Squish 100% Fruit and Veg Purees are free of nasties and contain no colourants, flavourants and preservatives – plus they are available in a whole range of flavours so you can offer a variety of different tastes to your little one.