Using Food Wisely in a Land of Plenty
When it comes to food, too much of a good thing not only goes to the waist, it goes to waste. In honor of the 30th anniversary of World Food Day, we spoke to five mothers in Singapore to learn how they and their families avoid wasting food. In doing so, they are able to provide their families fresher, more nutritious meals, as well as save money. And, they are playing an important part in making the world a food-secure place where we all work together to create a land of plenty for all.
One of the tricks to reducing food waste is to buy less to begin with! Arundhati
Saha, mother of two girls ages 5 and 4 years, makes a grocery list before shopping
at the supermarket.
“I am quite stringent while making the grocery list. I dislike wastage, so I don't
allow food items to rot in the refrigerator. I buy only the basis items and that
stays unchanged over the weeks, like fruits, vegetables, dairy, bread, etc. I stay
away from fancy items that lure you at supermarkets or new products. If we get a
craving to eat a particular item outside of the basics, say a chocolate cake, then
I buy it as a treat for a certain day.”
According to the website ZeroWasteSG.com, Singaporeans threw away about 0.6 million
tonnes of food waste and only 12% was recycled in 2008. Serene Ng, mother of three,
practices portion control so that less food needs to be thrown away.
“We only serve the kids an amount of food which they can finish. I don't believe
in piling their plates high and then throwing away the excess. I'd rather they go
for seconds.”
Another strategy for reducing food waste is to freeze your food before or after
cooking. You can buy larger quantities of meat or vegetables and freeze smaller
quantities. Likewise, you can cook larger batches of easy to freeze meals so that
you’ll have a quick and simple solution to nights when you’re too tired or busy
to cook something fresh.
Samantha Lo and her husband are expecting their first child this October. With just
the two of them, it can be hard to cook the right amount of food. She says,
“Currently, there’s only my husband and me at home so we tend to purchase frozen
food. I can take what I need and freeze the rest for the next meal. Vegetables at
the supermarket sometimes come in huge bunches that are too much for two people
so I will cut down on one other dish and cook all the vegetables or cook the same
vegetable for lunch and dinner.”
Smitha Vutharapalli-Konduri, mother of a newborn baby girl, also relies on their
freezer to cut down on food waste.
“When my husband or I cook, we try to cook in portions that would be enough for
us. If we cook too much for the day, we cool the food and then freeze the excess
for another day.”
When eating out, Smitha and her husband go one step further and share their food
with the less fortunate.
“Portion sizes are often too large for us to order a dish each. So, we often order
an appetizer and a main course and split both ways. Even if that leaves leftover
food, we pack it and bring it home or keep some aside and give it to the homeless
guy on the way home.”
Learning how to manage our food supply wisely is not just up to adults. Parents
have a responsibility to teach their children about the bigger picture. Arundhati
believes in telling her girls the cold hard facts.
“I believe in exposing my kids to the truth no matter how harsh they may be. Recently,
I showed them quite a hard-hitting video that had shots of children starving in
India and Africa and picking food from the garbage bin driven by hunger. They were
shocked and shaken out of their comfort zone but it did make them realise how fortunate
they were to have food on their plate every day.”
Tracey Kwong, mother of Claudia (7 years) and Matt (5 years) leads by example.
“I've been on a number of UNICEF field trips and often share my experience with
underprivileged kids with Claudia and Matt. They are very conscious about food wastage
because they know there are other kids out there who are suffering from hunger.”
Here are some tips on how to use food wisely:
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1.
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Plan your meals. Before you go shopping, check your fridge and cupboards
to see what you already have and can use.
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2.
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Don’t cook or prepare more food than you need. Know how much your family
can eat and try not to have too much left over.
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3.
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Use up your leftovers. You can prevent food waste and save time cooking if
you don’t let leftovers go to waste.
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4.
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Store your food properly. The oldest foods should be used first. Also, any
foods that have been opened should be stored in the right containers so they last
longer. Fruits and vegetables also keep longer at lower temperatures.
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5.
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Check the use by dates. Don’t let your food expire. Eat it before the use
by or sell by date so that it doesn’t go bad before you can eat it!
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To learn more, visit:
Zero Waste SG -
http://www.zerowastesg.com/2008/12/08/dont-waste-food/
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations -
http://www.fao.org/getinvolved/worldfoodday/en/
World Food Day USA -
http://www.worldfooddayusa.org