Five most wasted food items

At Food Savvy we’re all about reducing food waste and are here to help you make the most of the food that you buy.

We recently sent out a survey to 2000 people across Norfolk and Suffolk to find out which food items are being thrown away.

We have listed the top 5 most wasted food items below along with some tips, information and tasty recipes to help you get the most out of your food, reduce food waste and save money.

Bread

Bread has the top spot, but there are lots of things that you can do to Use Your Loaf. We’ve also found some great recipes from BBC Good Food to help you use up your leftover bread.

Remember to make use of your freezer too, whether it’s homemade, shop bought, baguettes or bagels they can all be frozen. Slice loaves before you freeze them so you take out only what you need.

Fresh vegetables

Vegetables are second in the running of most wasted foods, which is such as shame as they’re delicious and healthy. To make sure you have your 5 a day but not throw any away why not try the Love Food Hate Waste portion planner to help you buy and cook what you need.

We’ve also got some great storage tips to help you keep your vegetables at their best.

Salad

Salad items are sitting at number three, I think it’s fair to say that most of us have found some soggy lettuce leaves or a squished tomato in the fridge at some point. It doesn’t have to be that way!

Keep salad leaves fresher for longer in the fridge in their original packaging or in a container lined with a piece of kitchen towel. Lettuce soup is a perfect recipe to use up any limp lettuce leaves.

Fresh tomatoes can be used to make Panzanella or a Burrito salad bowl they can also be frozen ready to use for another day. Soft tomatoes can be used to make a tasty tomato sauce.

Don’t throw away unwanted cucumber, it can be pickled and is delicious in sandwiches.

Fresh Fruit

Fresh fruits are maturing at number four. We can all be tempted by the lovely fruits on display in supermarkets and as they’re so good for us we might make the mistake of buying too many and then throw them away before we can eat them in time.

Well, there are lots of things you can do to ensure you enjoy your fresh fruit and not provide your bin with a healthy treat! Head over to our Fabulous Fresh Fruit page for inspiration.

Leftover home cooked meals

Leftover cooked meals are languishing at number five. You’ve taken the time to make a great dish so don’t throw the leftovers away, they can be turned into a quick lunch for the next day, a tasty snack or a whole new meal.

If you don’t want to eat the same thing again then portion up your leftovers and put them in the freezer for an easy meal another day.

If you have some chilli con carne leftover there are some great recipes from Yummly. One small piece of lasagne left? Add a side salad and garlic bread for a hearty meal.

BBC Good Food have some great ideas how to use your Sunday lunch leftovers.

For lots more tips head over to Love your leftovers