Go frozen, use paper towels to preserve veg and avoid BOGOF deals…plus 14 other tips to stop you wasting food
British households are throwing away £13 billion of perfectly good food a year - here's how to cut down your waste
EVERYONE feels the pinch in January, which is why it's the perfect time to reassess your budget.
With the news that every British household throws away £470 of perfectly good food each year, cutting down your food waste and making what you buy go further is one of the best ways to get back on track.
3. Get your portions right
If you're constantly cooking too much rice, potatoes and pasta and chucking the leftovers away you're creating a lot of unnecessary waste - and essentially throwing away money too.
Get your portions right in the first place and you'll not need to throw anything away.
For a handy portion calculator, head to .
All you have to do is take a picture of your unneeded items and upload them to the app, and you can browse what other people have available. You collect from homes or at an OLIO local drop box.
10. Freeze fruit and veg that's on the turn
An easy way to save money and boost your five-a-day intake is to start freezing leftover fruit and veg that's about to spoil - if you chop bananas, celery, strawberries and save kale and berries in the freezer, you can pop it into a delicious smoothie at a later date.
11. Avoid 'buy one get one free' salads
It seems like a bargain, but do you ever really end up eating that second bag of lettuce before it goes off? Tesco recently said that 68 per cent of BOGOF bagged salads ended up in the bin, along with 48 per cent of bakery goods and 24 per cent of grapes.
Unless you really think you'll use up the extra food, it's probably worth avoiding the offer.
12. Batch cook and freeze
Hate cooking? The simple way to avoid doing it as often is to make big meals and freeze them - so instead of using half a pack of mushrooms for one spag bol, double the recipe and use the whole lot.
Just portion up and freeze the rest for later - future you will be happy for a quick meal option too.
13. Embrace the frozen isle
There's nothing wrong with buying frozen meat as well as veg and fruit, particularly if you never seem to get through the whole lot before it goes off.
14. Don't impulse buy
If you're forever throwing away half a tub of something you've bought because it was on offer, it's time to start shopping smarter.
Planning your meals for the week and buying only what you need, thanks to a handy list you've made, will stop unnecessary waste.
15. Keep your veggies fresh for longer with paper towels
If your veggies seem to go off before you have a chance to use them, try lining your fridge veg drawer with a paper towel. It will soak up any extra moisture and help to keep your veg fresh for longer.
For more ways to save money on your food bill why not try these 10 tips and low cost recipes.