Diana Clement: Reduce food waste and save money

Reusing leftovers is an area most of us can do better on. Photo / 123RF

The price of groceries is one of the biggest financial worries for New Zealanders. It rates second overall, just behind rent, but ahead of mortgage in Canstar's most recent "biggest financial concerns" research. Grocery prices are the number one concern in Waikato, Whanganui and Otago, according to the Canstar survey.

With a quarter of Kiwis living pay cheque to pay cheque, according to the research, and most households throwing away up to a third of the food we buy, this is an area we can do better on. A whole lot better.

Don't meal plan around what you fancy eating

Start your meal plans around what's in your pantry and fridge already. That way you won't build up more and more half-empty packets of little-used ingredients.

Don't fall for the "I don't have enough of this ingredient to make a full meal" trap when you open your fridge. Google is your friend in that case and has a recipe for every permutation of ingredients in your home. It ekes out whatever you're short of.

If dried goods are getting near the end of their life put them on the benchtop to force yourself to plan meals around them.

Cherish and empty fridge and pantry

Earlier this year a friend commented in shock at what she viewed as an empty pantry. That's the same pantry I consider to be well stocked. It was a thought-provoking moment. I was perusing a money-saving forum, and someone commented that opening her fridge and seeing it nearly empty made her feel good. She realised she was using not throwing the food she'd paid for. We need to change our thinking says Sarah Pritchett of the Love Food Hate Waste campaign. Freeze dry ingredients you really can't use before they go off.

Build up a repertoire of semi-instant meals

One of mine is quite literally "stir fried whatever there is in the fridge and freezer". "Throw everything imaginable in a lasagne or pasta pot" is another. I don't have a slow cooker, but there's the option of throw everything in and turn it on. Make a family tradition of "freezer surprise" night, where you bring out all the leftovers and everyone gets a different meal. That's exactly what Pritchard does on a Sunday night. If you can get in the habit of freezing leftovers in meal-sized portions this becomes easy.

Prep in advance

If you're a meat and three veg type person, then you can wash, peel and chop the veg into meal-size containers. Do the same with the meat so it's ready to throw in the pan.

Make bulk basic bolognaise or other sauces and freeze them in portions. Use your bolognaise, for example, in pasta one day, a shepherd's pie the next, and then add extra ingredients to make goulash. Assemble a slow cooker recipe in a bag or plastic box and freeze it. The folks at Pak'nSave say you can simply pop the frozen meal out of its container and into the slow cooker on the morning you want to eat it.

Keep bags of leftover fruit and vegetables in your freezer. Photo / 123RF

Create smoothie and soup bags

Keep a bag or container in your freezer for leftover fruit, old bananas, brown avocados, and other fruit, says Pritchard. If children have taken one bite out of their apple, cut out that section, remove the core and throw it in the bag. The soup bag is great for those vegetables, ham and other ingredients that are going off before you can eat them.

Write an inventory

Pritchard picked this up from the Eat Well for Less series on TV. Mark your inventory if you're low or out of a staple. Take that and your shopping list with you to the supermarket to ensure you don't overbuy. Don't shop hungry and don't buy stuff that's not on your list.

The more of this you do, the fewer lunches out and takeaways you'll need to buy, meaning you double down on savings.