This week we’re joining forces with Love Food Hate Waste to show you how to reduce your food waste, save money and make the most of the fantastic local produce available at Ely Markets.
Why should you care about food waste?
Growing, making, distributing, storing and cooking food uses a lot of energy, fuel and water. 30% of global greenhouse gases come from producing our food – so we can’t afford to waste it. The food we throw away is responsible for creating more global greenhouse emissions than all the commercial flights in the world.
It’s easy to make a difference
We want to help you make the most of your Ely Markets produce. This isn’t about eating yucky food that’s past its best – it’s about being a smart shopper and making simple changes that’ll save you money and care for the planet.
FIVE SIMPLE WAYS TO REDUCE YOUR FOOD WASTE
MAKE A LIST
Ever end up with multiple bags of squishy veg in the back of your fridge? You need to shop smart and buy less. Before you go shopping, check your cupboards and make a list. Create a meal plan for the week so nothing gets forgotten.
GOOD STORAGE
Ask our market traders about how long your meat and fish will keep for so you can plan your meals around it. Most fruit and veg will stay fresher for longer in the fridge. Bananas and pineapple are happier kept on your worktop and onions and potatoes should be kept in a cool, dark, dry place – like a cupboard.
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR FOOD
Lots of food that gets thrown away could be eaten. Eating the crusts off your sarnies is an obvious one, but try cooking all of your broccoli (including the stalk!), or baking a whole cauliflower in cheese rather than just the florets. If you’re feeling adventurous, try adding your green carrot tops to a salad (it’s similar to parsley!) or roasting potato peelings for a quick and tasty snack.
PORTION SIZES
Avoid cooking too much pasta or rice by always weighing out sensible portions. 75g of pasta per person is a good place to start, or use a mug to measure out enough rice for four people. If you do end up with too much pasta or rice, try turning them into a salad for your lunch the next day.
LEFTOVERS
With a bit of careful planning you can make your leftovers work for you. When you cook a roast dinner, use the leftover bones to make stock. Or save leftover mashed potatoes to make some simple fishcakes with canned tuna. If you can’t use something up in time, freeze it! Bread, meat, fish and even egg whites all freeze brilliantly.
ENTER OUR COMPETITION!
Our traders have got together to offer some fabulous prizes including:
a tray of brownies from Peppy Neds, a takeaway curry for two from the Cambridge Samosa Company, a set of storage boxes and cookware from Jac Pots Jacket Potatoes and a £10 voucher from the Lincolnshire Poacher Cheese Company.
For a chance to win one of these fantastic Ely Markets prizes, all you have to do is send us your name, contact details and an idea for reducing food waste to markets@elymarkets.co.uk.
Terms & Conditions: The closing date for entries is midnight on Sunday 7 March. 4 winners will be chosen on Tuesday 9 March, each receiving one of the prizes listed above. The food prizes will be available for collection only from Ely Markets, we cannot post them out or offer alternatives to winners who reside outside the area. In line with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, Ely Markets are fully committed to protecting the privacy of the respondents. We will only use the data provided in relation to this specific competition and the responses will be deleted once the competition period has closed.