These stats scare me. Maybe sadden is a more appropriate word. While there are one billion people live in hunger every day, we in Singapore generated 790,000 tonnes of food waste last year, which is equivalent to two bowls of food waste generated per person every day. At this rate, Singapore will need a new incineration plant every 7-10 years, and a new landfill every 30-35 years. The resources and labour used to produce the food also go to waste.

I’m no angel. I’ve thrown food out… quite a bit actually. This is usually how it happens. Kid sees food, kid wants it, kid decides she doesn’t like it, kid doesn’t finish it. I also believe in not forcing kids to finish everything on their plate once they are full, so in the rubbish bin the remaining food goes.

After reading articles about food waste recently, the guilt is mounting and hence, I’ve started a movement at home – the Reduce Food Waste Movement. Here’s my plan. Join me?

Food appreciation starts young

Today’s kids live in an environment where our helpers put food on the table and food gets delivered to our door with a few taps on our phones. It’s important to start educating our kids from a young age to appreciate the time and effort that goes into preparing a meal and cultivate good habits of not wasting food.

So we have started teaching the kids how to cook at home. At 4 and 2.5 years old, they help us with washing vegetables, kneading dough, peeling and whisking eggs. They also learn that odd-looking, bruised and blemished fruits and vegetables can be trimmed and used for cooking. I will add more responsibilities for them as they grow older. They need to learn that food doesn’t magically appear on the table. It takes hard work and time to prepare a meal and hopefully when they are in school, they share their excess food with their friends instead of throwing it out.

I’m also planning to take my kids for an educational visit to a farm soon. They’ll get to see firsthand where and how vegetables are grown before they arrive on our supermarket shelves. I hope it seals their appreciation for food and to think twice before throwing food out.

Lead by example

Kids are very impressionable. They learn from us and so it’s important that reduce food wastage habits start with me.

Take an inventory

Don’t head out the door before taking an inventory of your freezer, fridge and pantry. You might be surprised to find that you don’t need to buy a bag of pasta after all. Write down what needs to be used up each week and plan meals around those ingredients. It’s deeply satisfying using up every single thing in my fridge and creating more space for newer, fresher food.

Meal planning

I plan my weekly meals list at the start of the week. And I make sure I stick to the list when I go grocery shopping. Gone are the days when I go the shops without a list and throw anything that tickles my fancy into my grocery basket. A shopping list helps me save time and money and most importantly, everything I buy is eaten by the end of the week.

Organise the fridge, freezer and pantry

In order to take the inventory quickly, I make sure my food storage spaces are neat and tidy. Otherwise, things that are left sitting at the back of the fridge isn’t getting used and get past their expiry date. A tip I learnt from my chef back in The Soupery days: Always bring all the older items in your cupboards and fridge to the front, store your new items at the back. Because it is easier to use them up when they are more visible!

Store food properly

Always store bananas, apples, and tomatoes by themselves because they emit natural gases that can spoil any produce around them. Broccoli, cauliflower, cut vegetables and herbs deteriorate quickly, so always eat them first. Washing berries right before you eat them prevents mould. And there are certain vegetables which should be kept in the fridge while others should ripen at room temperature. To make things easy, here’s a list I created. Feel free to print and stick it on your fridge door. You’re welcome!

For more storage tips on the different food groups, check out this NEA food waste reduction handy guide. It has a number of pretty slick kitchen hacks and recipes using leftover food too!

Think twice before you buy

I was at a supermarket yesterday where the avocados were on sale. It cost $3.95 for four or $1.95 for one. But I needed only one and we are going away for next few days. I must admit it took some strength to walk away from a good deal but I also know that it is only a steal if I can use them all up before they go bad. Make sure it’s something you’re 100% going to use up or something that can last a long time when you’re buying in bulk.

Repurpose

Back in The Soupery days, we often create a “Special of the Day” dish to use up ingredients that are expiring soon. It’s a common practice in the F&B industry to reduce food wastage and cost. I do the same thing at home now. It’s fun to play “Iron Chef” and create new recipes based on what I have on hands, instead of running out to buy more.

One of my favourite ways to repurpose excess ingredients is making soups and stews. It’s so versatile. You can add or omit an ingredient, and it would still be rather tasty. Not to mention quite easy to make too.

Also, never throw out carrot peel, onion stalks, celery head and that wilting stalk of herb. I always throw them into a pot and voila, homemade vegetable stock.

Bread often get thrown out but do you know that you could use it to make crumbles, meatballs and bread crumbs for coating meat? I love to make croutons using stale bread. Slap on a bit of butter, cut into cubes and put it in the oven. If you fancy it more gourmet, rub the bread with garlic and sprinkle with dried herbs, salt and pepper. It’s really easy.

Of course, any leftover dinner can be saved as your lunch for the following day. One less meal to cook!

Lastly, the surest way to stop throwing out food is by buying, ordering and cooking just enough. As for the kids, I’m serving them smaller servings now. If they want more, I can always top them up.

NEA has a handy guide with great tips on reducing food wastage at home, at work and when eating out. It’s colourful and easy to digest. It also makes a good reading material for the kids. You can download it here.

Lessons learned early in life can prompt a lifetime of smart habits, so let’s help our kids become food waste aware.