Ingenious apps and tips to stop food waste
Leftover day, I always joked a bit when we had that at home. My plate could easily be a triptych of spaghetti bolognese, fried potatoes, some salad, and a slice of pizza. A feast of course, you wouldn't hear me complain. But then leftover day disappeared from my life and I caught myself throwing away food more and more often, which is just a shame. That's why I reintroduced the leftover festivity and installed apps that combat food waste.
Did you know that a third (!) of our food ends up in the trash? I always get shocked by these numbers. Sometimes a cucumber stays untouched in my fridge, but one third of my groceries? That's a waste and unnecessary. Food is good for us, so let's also be good to our food.
1. The #1 anti-food waste app
This is how Too Good To Go refers to itself and that's exactly what they are. With this app, you save food from the big pile by buying it for a small price. By the way, these are not insignificant companies where food is left over; it could very well be that you eat a divine cake from De Drie Graefjes in the evening or pick up better groceries at Marqt (with a Q, yes). Extra handy: Too Good To Go operates worldwide, so you can use it across borders.
2. Eating at LEFT in Utrecht
Do you know the Albert Heijn on Amsterdamsestraatweg in Utrecht? Above that Appie is Restaurant LEFT, and what they do is ingenious. They save the ingredients that are not pretty enough (how absurd actually) for sale and products that are close to their expiration date. By the way, they are the franchise entrepreneurs of the conscious AH who started with LEFT, hoping that many more restaurants will follow. You eat healthy and therefore sustainably there. What you call a nice initiative.
3. Your personal checklist
As soon as I get my groceries delivered, I try to immediately make a mental list of what needs to be eaten first. It happened to me too often that my bag of salad didn't make it to the end of the week. No Waste is an app that helps you with that. Just fill in the THTs and TGTs and you get a notification in what order you should eat them. Handy, right?
Gentle reminder in between:
TGT = To Use Until, this is on perishable products
THT = At Least Durable Until, this is on products that do not spoil quickly
4. Participate in leftover day and order the daily special
At home, leftover day is a great method to ensure that you throw away less (or no) food, but it can also be done in the hospitality industry. Order a platter with various items, a daily special, or go for the surprise menu. A chef who is a bit conscious about food always uses what needs to be used first.
5. Look, smell, taste
To keep it logical, some products are better not to eat after the TGT has passed. But a THT is much more of an indication and that's where your senses and common sense come in handy. Always take a good look at a product first, then smell it, and if you still doubt, tasting is also an option. Not a whole bite right away, but just gently touch or lick, whatever you prefer.
