10 Simple Ways to Reduce Food Waste at Home
Everyday habits that help your family throw away less food and save money every month.
4 min read
Waste is money in the bin
Every handful of vegetables that wilts in the fridge and every bowl of curry that goes sour was paid for. Cutting food waste is one of the easiest ways to lower the grocery bill without eating less. These ten habits make the biggest difference.
Ten habits that work
- Look in the pantry and fridge before every shopping trip.
- Shop with a list and resist offers on things you do not need.
- Buy fresh vegetables and fish in smaller amounts, more often.
- Use the 'first in, first out' rule — older stock goes to the front.
- Cook rice and curry in the amount your family actually eats.
- Turn leftover rice into fried rice or kiribath-style dishes the next day.
- Use vegetable stalks and leaves — many are tasty in mallum or soup.
- Store cooked food in covered containers and refrigerate it within two hours.
- Learn the difference between 'best before' (quality) and 'use by' (safety).
- Keep a list of items that are close to expiry and plan the next meals around them.
Let the app remember for you
GroceryTub shows an Expiry Alert on the Home screen for items that should be used soon, and the Cook tab can suggest recipes based on what is already in your pantry. That turns 'what is about to go bad?' into 'what shall we cook today?'.
A note on food safety
Reducing waste should never mean eating food that is unsafe. If cooked food smells sour, shows mould or has been left out in the heat for many hours, throw it away. When in doubt, leave it out.