In a house with children food is likely to be wastedIn fact, few are the homes (with or without children) in which food is not thrown away. This is something that, it will be because my parents and grandparents taught me ("you don't know what it is to go hungry"), I can't stand it, and I try to avoid it by all means.
According to studies by the European Union, Spain is the sixth country in Europe with the greatest food waste. This situation, which could be reduced by changing a few habits, seems really painful considering the hunger that many people go through around us (I no longer speak of distant countries) and thus ineptly let them see my daughters.
A few days ago the Food Waste Reduction Week, but today is when I find the video that explains the decalogue so as not to waste. Here you have the advice not to throw food, which the Ministry of Food has published with the slogan "Good use."
Plan the menus, taking into account the number of guests. You have to choose food based on the needs of our home. This can be complicated at first with young children, but then we adapt to their amounts (which will vary little by little) and waste less.
Make the smart purchase (don't buy hungry, make a list ...). Before planning the purchase, check the state of the food you have at home, especially fresh products or expiration date.
Throwing food is throwing money, consider your budget. And remember that in times of crisis, it is also possible to eat healthy.
Keep food properly, following the instructions on the package, having the refrigerator at the right temperature, first consuming the oldest food ...
Use the food in order of seniority: it is important to know what foods deteriorate before and consume them in perfect condition. It is also essential to store and conserve them properly. To avoid throwing away food, the first thing is to know the labels on the package and understand its meaning well. The "Date of Expiry" It is used for perishable and microbiological risk foods, such as raw meat and fish or pre-cooked dishes. Its meaning indicates that as of that date, food can be dangerous to health. The message "Best before" It is used in foods that, from that date, its consumption is not harmful to health but changes in its sensory aspects such as taste, smell or texture can be observed.
Adjust the portions: the best way to avoid food is to serve the portions to be consumed. If we finally have food leftovers from meals, they can be reused in the next few days, or frozen and consumed on another occasion. For children, better serve small portions and then repeat to put a large portion, about half and not be able to take advantage of that meal for later.
Take advantage of the leftover food: the new destination of some leftover foods that we will not consume can be new recipes (shakes, jams, creams, croquettes ...) or dishes for the following days (so we avoid cooking the odd day).
Throw away only what is impossible to take advantage of, doing it in a responsible way (recycling paper, packaging ...). Domestic composters convert organic waste into fertilizer for plants.
If you eat away from home, or if your children do it (for lunch at school, for example) bring reusable containers: in this way you save on containers, the food is better maintained and we can return home what we do not eat.
In restaurants, it is advisable to ask in moderation, so as not to eat food, and if there is enough, you can ask to be prepared to take away. A few years ago it seemed embarrassing to ask for this in restaurants, but establishments that ask or directly pack up leftover food for the customer are becoming more common.
Anyway, There are many ways thanks to which we can avoid food waste in our home, changing some habits and instilling in our children the need to do it for the good of all and for a better, more responsible and fair world.
Official Site | Food.com Photo | BrickWares on Flickr-CC On Babies and more | The crisis, enemy of good nutrition ?, Tips for the child to learn proper nutrition, Decalogue for healthy infant feeding
