Food Glorious Food!

Here’s some food for thought for you today (quite literally).

I often help clients organise their kitchen space. And while it’s always a pity to throw away anything, I know – for a fact – that food waste is a huge problem these days.

Most other things you accidentally “overbuy” for your home can be disposed of fairly easily, saving them from becoming rubbish. Unfortunately, it’s not the case with those multiple cans of baked beans bought a few years ago because “it was a bargain” and “the family only like Heinz”. So those supermarket brand beans don’t get eaten at all!

You might have space in your cupboards or fridge to store it all. But once a food item expires, it automatically becomes useless. And the only place it can go to is your bin!

Of course, the “Best Before” and “Use By” dates are down to each individual. Some can’t bear the thought of having something past the expiry date. Taking the bold date printed in black on a packet like it’s gospel. Others are more like: “As long as it smells OK and is the right colour, what’s the worst that can happen?”

Additionally, tins, herbs and spices, packaged foods and fresh foods are all different, Best before or Use by equally have two different meaning too.

But do I need to mention that food waste is the biggest expense when it comes to decluttering? And one that could have been avoided altogether?

While it’s not my place to lecture anybody on buying the right quantities, the harsh truth is that reducing food waste is down to one very old-school thing. It’s called “making a shopping list” in advance, well before the trip to the shop.

So here’s a little tip from me to you: Have a shopping list notepad or chalkboard somewhere you can easily access in your kitchen. Write down the items you’re running low on or have already run out of straight away. That way, you’ll be focused on getting exactly what your food cupboards needs.

And your family won’t give you that evil look every time you frantically go through the fridge and all the kitchen cupboards 1 minute before you head to the supermarket. Or worse still – you don’t even look and go to the supermarket “blind”. Knowing what you need is very different from what you think you need.

I have my shopping list on top of the microwave, for example. That way all family members can add to it as they use things up or need things. Cleaning products and bathroom items are also added too.

But if you’re more tech-savvy, there are even phone apps for it today. Some supermarket chains, like Lidl, make that option available on their platform and Alexa, Siri and other smart assistants are all “trained” to add items to your shopping list when you ask them to. It’s as simple as that.

There’s another benefit of freeing up valuable space in your kitchen from all the surplus food.

It will miraculously allow you to unclutter those stuffed cupboards, which make it hard to reach your pots, pans, baking trays and kitchen items. They are all utensils you need nearly every day. Making access to them easy is a win-win situation for everyone. Wouldn’t you agree?

Reducing food waste and organising your kitchen storage is especially important in the holiday season.

So, armed with my advice, I’m setting you a little challenge this Christmas. Try to approach your food shopping in a more sustainable and balanced way. Trust me – you will thank yourself after the December holiday dust has settled.

Good luck! And do let me go how it went.