Over 55s housing near me: top tips to reduce your food waste
Did you know that reducing food waste is one of the easiest, yet most effective ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect the environment? If you are looking for over 55s housing near me - but you are seeking a development with strong eco credentials, then Burnham Waters in Essex could be for you. With eco-friendly solutions a key priority at Burnham Waters, it’s now simpler than ever for residents to make those small but necessary changes to ensure we’re all doing our bit for the planet!
In this week’s edition, we discuss our tips on how to reduce food waste to help the environment (and even save excess coming out of your pocket along the way!).
Plan your meals
Meal planning is an effective way to significantly reduce food waste, plus the amount you’re spending on food! You can take inspiration from your favourite cook books, or find delicious recipes online, it’s a great way to try new things! In knowing what you’re going to have for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the week, it’ll encourage you to only buy what you need at the supermarket, or online.
If you’re only cooking for one or two of you, batch cooking your meals is a great way to ensure hassle free mealtimes. All you have to do is heat up your food and add a few fresh garnishes! If you’re trying to stick to mindful eating, meal planning and batch cooking also work incredibly well from a health perspective!
Organise your fridge
A well-ordered fridge makes cooking and meal preparation easier, plus it can really help to cut food waste for luxury retirement communities.
Placement
The temperature is the least stable in the fridge door. We often store milk there, but it could mean that milk goes sour quicker when placed here. Instead, store juices, condiments, sauces and salad dressings in the fridge door. Milk and dairy should be kept on the middle shelf, which is where the temperature is actually most suitable for dairy products. Keep cooked meat on the thinner and smaller top shelf and raw meat or fish at the bottom to discourage cross contamination. The vegetable drawers can really extend the life of fresh produce including salad, fruit and herbs. It also stops vegetables. freezing onto the back of the fridge!
In or out?
Did you know that not everything needs to go in the fridge? Large items can take up a lot of room that isn’t always necessary. The below ingredients don’t need to go in the fridge, yet we often think they do!
- Potatoes
- Onions
- Tomatoes
- Avocados
- Bread
- Garlic Bulbs
- Bananas
- Honey
- Cake
- Oil
So long as the fresh ingredients listed are used within the week for ultimate freshness, they will be absolutely fine out of the fridge! Simply store them in a cool dark cupboard, drawer or storage box. Items in bottles and jars will last longer, and you’ll be saving a lot of space in your fridge!
Labelling
Labelling your fridge shelves, your drawers and any containers full of meal prep or leftovers can really help you to remember what food and ingredients you have and when they need to be eaten, preventing food wastage.
Rotation
Be sure to rotate the food in your fridge every few days. This will help you to see what you have to eat. If you’re about to go shopping, you’ll know what you have already and what you may need at present or in the future. Bringing all the older items to the front of the fridge will encourage you to ‘eat this next’ and stop unnecessary food wastage.
Remember, if you do spot food that has gone past it’s use-by date, pop it in the food recycling or compost bin, not the general waste. This helps to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and combats greenhouse gas emissions and further air pollution.
Check your cupboards
The ingredients bought on a weekly food shop is of course totally dependent on the individual. However, luxury retirement communities, like Burnham Waters, would recommend starting by checking your cupboard essentials before you go ahead and repurchase. We’re talking your pasta, oil, rice, bread, sugar, flour and stock cubes for example.
It’s always good to have these available, but chances are these are products you won’t need to buy week on week. We’ve all been guilty of having an overflowing spice cupboard, five too many tins once or twice, right? This is an easy fix - Have a quick look before you shop and use what you’ve got first. This will really help you to cut down on potential food wastage – remember to recycle any packaging too!
Left over tips
Left with ingredients that need using up quicky? Here’s some extra advice on longevity and usage for some of your fresh produce:
- Have you got lots of vegetables that are about to go out? Soup season is officially here! It’s a great way of getting a hearty dose of vitamin rich nutrients and helps to utilise potential food wastage! Remember, you can freeze your soups too.
- If you have a few bananas that are past their best, there’s only one way to use them in our opinion, and that’s in banana bread! In fact, this popular treat actually gets its distinct flavour from overripe bananas, so it’s the perfect way to use them up.
- You can turn many leftovers into a great base for a use-it-up frittata! It’s a quick and easy way to transform the remains of meals that once were into something new. Frittatas can be easily adapted to suit any dietary requirements. Any combination of roasted vegetables, cooked grains, cheese, vegetables and meats will do here - just cook with the egg and make a chunky frittata! Flavoursome and food waste free!
Get in touch
Well, we hope this blog gives you some food for thought! At Burnham Waters, we’re committed to creating a greener environment and making a difference within our industry! Our mission to create a positive community that works in synergy with our commitment to the planet. We want to lead the proactive change for our sector. So if you have been searching for over 55s housing near me, Burnham Waters in Essex could be for you!
Our coastally located village is set within a beautiful and communal ecological landscape. For more information about our new build retirement homes, you can email us at info@burnhamwaters.co.uk, call our sales team on 01621 861559, or complete our enquiry form for a little more information.
Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of our home page and sign up to our newsletter for all the latest news on our community for the 55 and overs. We look forward to hearing from you!
