Did you know that around one third of all food is thrown away on its journey from the field to the plate? This is equivalent to 2 million tonnes of food each year in Switzerland alone. This is around 320 grams of food per person per day. And this doesn’t even include the peel and waste from fruit and vegetables!
Making use of leftovers
What can we do about it?
Plan ahead: check your fridge and kitchen cupboards before you go shopping. Try to only buy what you need. Don’t let yourself be enticed by offers that you don’t need. A shopping list can help here.
“Use by” and “Best before” do not mean the same thing. If the “use by” date has passed, you should not eat the food. But: trust in your own senses and look to see if the food can still be eaten.
When it comes to fruit and vegetables, we throw away far more than we need to. Only discard what is strictly necessary. We can often use more of the vegetable than we think. Thus, for example, you can use the stalk of a piece of broccoli – simply cut it into chunks and steam it together with the florets. When it comes to radishes, you can eat the greenery as well as the root.
Were your eyes bigger than your stomach and you now have leftovers? Try to use up the leftovers as quickly as possible. You can often use them to make creative dishes. There are loads of recipe ideas available online. Simply search for “leftover recipes”. Or take the leftovers to work and heat them up for your lunch, or freeze them for an emergency (in well-sealed containers).
By storing food correctly, you can increase their lifespan. The fridge should have a temperature of 5°C. Store leftovers in sealed, suitable containers and position them in the fridge, so that you will see them and not forget about them.
Making use of leftovers with cheese
Are you unsure how to make use of your leftovers? Transform them into a brand new meal. Cheese is great for adding new life to leftover food and for turning them into a new meal. Here are some recipe ideas: vegetable quiche, gratin with a cheese topping, cheese omelette with salad, add a layer of cheese to vegetables and cook under the grill, Toast Hawaii or slices of cheese, gratin or pasta salad.
Another great chef’s tip from the foodwaste association: turn old into new! Use hard bread to make bread lasagne, for example. Cheese is a vital ingredient in this recipe too.
