Kiwis wasting $3b of food a year
Kiwis are throwing away an estimated $3 billion worth of food every year, according to new research.
A study of 1000 New Zealanders found three-quarters (76 per cent) throw out food worth $25 a week or $1300 a year.
For a household on a budget of $150, that’s about a sixth of the total weekly food spend.
As a country it adds up to a whopping $3 billion in discarded food each year.
Leftover cooked meals are the most likely food to be thrown out, followed by fruit and vegetables, and baked goods, the research by meal kit company Hello Fresh found.
The study also found Kiwis don’t feel good about their food waste.
Three-quarters said they had felt guilty about scraping their scraps into the bin and about 30 per cent had made a conscious effort to reduce their waste as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Dietitian Hannah Gilbert, director of culinary innovation and operations at Hello Fresh, said meal planning was the first step to cutting food waste and the meal kit model has inherent advantages.
‘‘By having weekly recipes planned and ingredients preportioned and delivered to our customers, it means people are less likely to over shop or look to takeaway options during the week.
‘‘The exact portion sizes are then provided in each meal kit which means families will also be left with basically zero food waste.’’
Others on a mission to reduce food waste say all you really need to save both food and money is a pen and paper.
‘‘Writing a shopping list and sticking to it is a great way to stay within your budget and will help you to waste less food,’’ Love Food Hate Waste NZ sector projects manager
Set yourself a shopping target.
Jenny Marshall said.
For those who struggle to stick to a list, Marshall has the following tips:
Set yourself a budget for treats or reward yourself with a treat if you stick to your list; only stock up on specials with a long shelf life like tinned and dried food; don’t take your children with you if you can avoid it; check out the specials online first to check if you need those items at home; set yourself a shopping target; pledge to not buy a single item that’s not on your grocery list; don’t shop hungry.