Being mindful is the key to sustainable living. Practicing mindfulness does not necessarily mean to meditate, but to be aware and be more conscious about our own actions. As with any other new habit, welcoming a mindful lifestyle requires practice, and the best place to start is right at HOME.
Studies have shown that we have the power to learn new habits by repeatedly doing the same thing for a minimum of 21 days. It is more than possible to dissolve old habits and replace them with new ones, especially more sustainable ones if we set our mind to it.
In order to facilitate the path of being mindful about Food Waste, here are some simple can-do tips to help you get started at home.
How to reduce food waste at home?
TIPS #1: PLAN
Plan your weekly meals in advance before you hit the farmer’s market.
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Make a list of all the ingredients you will need and check the fridge to avoid double purchase.
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Make a list according to the number of meals you need to prepare.
TIPS #2: SHOP SMART
Resist the urge to buy more than what you can consume.
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Only bulk buy if you are sure that you can use the food before it spoils and if it saves money.
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When you have too many choices, ask Google to help you make a more informed decision by searching reviews online.
TIPS #3: STORE FOR LONGER
Store perishables such as fruits and vegetables in the chiller to keep them fresh longer.
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Only wash fruits when you are about to cut and consume them.
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Avoid storing fruits such as bananas and tomatoes beside one another as they tend to give off ethylene gas that will speed up the ripening. Store them separately at room temperature if you need them to ripen. Once ripened, you can store them back in the chiller until use.
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Learn the differences between “Sell-by”, “Best Before”, “Use by” and expiration dates.
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Place food with shorter expiry dates at the front so that you can use those first.
TIPS #4: PREPARE IT RIGHT
Try turning your meal leftovers or discarded fruit peels and vegetables, into brilliant new healthy dishes with just a little imagination.
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Perishables like bread can be stored in the freezer to be eaten another day or made into croutons.
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Keep odds and ends of raw vegetables and fruits, put them according to color in separate freezer bags and use it at a later date to boil vegetable broth.
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Store leftover cooked food separately according to color in the chiller.
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In a pan or pot, thrown in your leftovers, 2 heap teaspoons of any one of Mekhala’s organic curry trio (red, green or yellow curry paste) and any broth of your choice or coconut milk to create a perfect curry dish that is incredibly flavorful because of the additional flavors from the meal leftovers.
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Furthermore, meal leftovers such as roasted vegetables can be made into simple and delicious soups using Mekhala’s Organic Miso Ginger Paste and the vegetable broth made from leftover fruits and vegetable peels.
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Your freshly bought fruits and vegetables can also be stored according to color to be made into refreshingly tasty smoothies.
TIPS #5: MAKE USE OF TECHNOLOGY
Research apps which suits your needs. Here are 3 of our favorites.
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OLIO – Connects you to people who are giving food and other household items away for free.
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Too Good To Go – Connects you to businesses with surplus food so you get them at great prices.
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Kitche – Filters recipes after scanning receipts, keeps track of products and send reminders for food you have at home.
Simple isn’t it? Start your LESS WASTE mindful journey by achieving everyday wins. Do you have any other tips to share? We would love to hear them!