SENIOR WASTEBUSTERS
We waste so much food!
- Let's investigate which foods in your home may be in danger of being wasted.
- 1: Have a look in your kitchen for foods that might be wasted
- 2: Keep a note of the leftovers you have every week
- 3: Then complete the Food Detective Case Notes:
- - Foods that are in danger of being wasted should be added to the 'Food suspects' column.
- - Include your ideas for saving food from waste in the 'Rescue Recipes' column.
- - And if you have ideas for stopping food from being wasted, add them to the 'Food Wastebuster' column.
Grownups Guide
Children look for items of food in your kitchen they think are in danger of being wasted and keep a note of any leftovers from meals you have over a week. Then they complete the Food Detective Case Notes.
Don’t forget! Upload the completed Food Detective Case Notes, or a photo of them, to enter the Competition Activities prize draw.
There are some great top tips for saving food and some yummy recipes in the Amazing Waste Cookbook if they need some inspiration for recipes.
Top Tips for Wastebusters to Save Food!
- – Help plan the family meals together and make a shopping list.
- – Read the labels to find out how food should be stored to stay fresher for longer.
- – “Best before” dates are different from “use by” dates. You have to eat things by the “use by” date, but “best before” dates mean the food will be at its best quality before or on that date.
- – Don’t put more food on your plate or in your bowl than you can eat.
- – Save, store and eat your leftovers.
- – More things can be frozen than you think, like cheese, bread and even butter.
- – Food isn’t meant to be frozen forever; it will dry out, so keep note of when you freeze items.
- – A tidy fridge means it’s easier to see what needs to be eaten and when.
- – If your family checks what is in the fridge and cupboards before shopping, they won’t accidentally buy something twice. People often forget to do this!
- – Keep track of what you throw out to work out what you are wasting and why. Perhaps you are buying more than you need, or it needs to be stored differently.
- – Pickling, making jam or drying fruit and vegetables will mean you can store them for much longer.
- – You can make yummy recipes with leftover food or food that needs to be used up!
- – You can find out more great tips and recipes for cutting food waste from the West Sussex Waste Partnership and at Love Food Hate Waste.
Downloadable PDF's For this activity:
- FoodDetectiveCaseNotes.pdf (132kb)
Fill out your Food Detective Case Notes to beat waste crimes in your kitchen!
