Reduce food waste, save money: Organisation

The easiest way to avoid wasting food is to be organised. It may sound obvious but unfortunately it's one of those things that tends to be easier said than done. Making a habit of organising your fridge and pantry may be a boring chore but it can save you (and the planet) lots!

Try following some of these tips to get more organised in the kitchen:

• Flick through your cookbooks before you head to the shops and plan the dishes that you'll cook that week. Then buy only what you need for those dishes so you know that everything that you buy will be used.

• Take 5 minutes a week to organise your fridge. Move anything that needs to be used to the front of the fridge so that you'll see it every time you open the fridge and remember to use it. Vegetables can spoil quickly so it's a good idea to check your vegetable crisper every few days and move things that need to be used to the top.

• Take 5 minutes every month to organise your pantry, again moving things that need to be used to the front so they serve as a visual reminder.

• Label and date containers when you fill them and put them in the fridge, freezer or pantry so that you can work out at a glance what you have and when it needs to be used up.

• Store things properly in the fridge and pantry to avoid unnecessary food spoilage or invasion by pantry moths. A lot of vegetables, such as celery, carrots and lettuce, will keep for longer if wrapped in plastic bags instead of just loose in the crisper – make sure you seal the top well with a knot or twist tie. You could save up old bread bags for this. Alternatively plastic containers that seal well can be used but it can sometimes be tricky to find ones that are the right size for different vegetables.

• Have a few meal ideas that work as 'whatever you have in the fridge' dinners so that you can use up any vegetables that have been sitting there for a while and need to be eaten. Some examples are mixed vegetable curries, stews, minestrone-style soups or chickpea and vegetable patties.

What are your organisational tips?

Read our series of articles on cutting down on food waste for some tips and ideas or attend a Green Renters Love Leftovers, Reduce Food Waste workshop.

Photo from www.funadvice.com/photos/organize_refrigerator_optimize_food_safety