Waste experts at the BDR/Renewi waste partnership have put together some helpful hints on how to celebrate but take control of your festive spending and make food savings. The great thing is the ideas also help to cut down on food waste!
Christmas meal planning
* Make sure you know how many you are cooking for each meal
* Plan of what meals you are going to make including any sides, and puddings
* Work out how much of everything you will need
* Make a shopping list with quantities / weights you need of each item
* Check your fridge, freezer and cupboards and check off anything you already have
* When you go shopping, stick to your list, and only buy what you need
* Use a portion planner - 7.9 million slices (the equivalent of 263,000 turkeys) of turkey is wasted each year. Work out how much turkey you will need, below is a rough guide based on adult portions
* Roasts on the bone = 350 – 400 grammes per person
* Joints off the bone = 250 – 300 grammes per person
* Ready cooked, chilled turkey = 150 grammes per person
If you have extra, carve it straight away and leave it to cool. Put it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or wrap it well and freeze for another day.
If money is tight consider a different type of meat or less turkey per person and increase items like vegetables.
A useful portion planner calculator can be found on the Love Food Hate Waste website: https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/foods-and-recipes/food-portion-calculator-your-guide-perfect-portion-sizes
Roast potatoes
* 11.3 million roasties are wasted every year!
* Allow around 225grammes of potatoes per person
* Left over roasties can be frozen and make a quick roast another day
* Controversial as this might be to some, buying frozen roasties can help cut waste, just cook what you need straight from frozen saving you some time, hassle and washing up
Brussel sprouts
* Love them or hate them, sprouts are quintessentially Christmas but a staggering 17.2 million sprouts are thought to be wasted in the UK each year.
* Left over sprouts should be left to cool, wrapped well and kept in the fridge for up to 4 days or frozen for another day.
* Spare uncooked sprouts can be shredded and used in stir fries, salads, or curries
Carrots and parsnips
* Around 22.8 million carrots and parsnips are wasted in the UK each year.
* Root veg will keep in the fridge for a month or more prior to cooking - so if you buy them in bags, you should still have plenty of time to use them up after Christmas
* Leftover cooked root veg whether roasted or mashed can be cooled then kept in the fridge for up to 4 days
* Cold roasted veg make a nice, healthy, colourful snack on any beige buffet or blitz them up with some veggie stock to make a quick, easy, and warming winter soup
Pigs in blankets
* An estimated 7.1 million pigs in blankets are wasted every year.
* Cooked pigs in blankets can keep in the fridge for 2-3 days once cooled and wrapped well. They can be frozen once cooked.
Alistair Beattie is Community Education Liaison Officer based at the BDR Waste Treatment Facility, the award-winning waste treatment facility at Manvers which diverts 97 per cent of Barnsley, Doncaster, and Rotherham household waste from landfill.
“With food prices still rising everyone is looking at ways to reduce costs but still enjoy the festive celebrations. We need to be sure that the money spent on Christmas food is not wasted. Our simple hints and tips can help you to plan ahead and make your money and your food go further.”