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Saving money on food

Another bonus of portion control is that you save money on your food bills and stop food waste. So it's a win win!


woman pouring a cup of rice into a pan

We throw away 7 million tonnes of food and drink every year in the UK. Not only is it a big waste of resources but it's also damaging to the environment.

It's also a waste of money.

Did you know that every month UK households each throw away an average of £60 worth of food that could have been eaten? On average we throw away around a fifth of what we buy!

Planning ahead, only buying what you need and having clever ideas to use up any leftovers can all help to cut food waste.

We all get our portions wrong from time to time but it doesn't mean that you have to eat it all if you've cooked too much.

There may not be enough left to feed the whole family again, but an extra portion can be eaten the next day for lunch.

A small portion of pasta can be served with a salad to make a quick and easy meal, and it saves money if you normally go out to buy lunch.

If you don't fancy it for lunch you can pop it in the freezer (remember to note down the date and label it) for a homemade ready meal another day.

A great idea to use up single meals in the freezer is to hold a café night when each member of the family can choose a meal from chilli con carne, curry to pasta. It's just like being in a restaurant without the cost.

Get more top tips on how to reuse the extra food you might have left over on our Love Food Hate Waste page. There are lots of tips on food storage, best before dates and meal planning too.

There are also plenty of fascinating foodie facts and tips on the Love Food Hate Waste national website.

You can download our simple 7 day meal planner attached to this page.