Ten tips to feed your family on a budget and reduce food waste

Northern Beaches’ War on Waste

If you’re trying to stick to a budget, you might be looking at cutting back on luxuries and eating out. But another good option is taking a look at your grocery bill.

The average NSW household throws away $77 worth of edible food every week.[1] You would never leave behind a bag full of groceries at the supermarket but it seems many households are buying food with the intention of eating it and instead it’s ending up in landfill.  

We spoke to The Wholefood Home Chef Suzanne Lambert who gave us some simple tips to drastically reduce the amount of food being wasted and cut down on your grocery bill each week.

When buying meat, buy cheaper cuts on the bone. The bones can be kept to create delicious broths.  Buy a whole chicken and use it for a number of meals rather than buying cuts of chicken.When using mince in bolognaise, cottage pie or sausage rolls- switch out half of the mince for lentils.Make your own sauces, condiments and salad dressings. Store bought versions can be expensive and full of added sugar. A simple dressing recipe is olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper and your choice of spices. You can pop it into a jar and use it throughout the week.Skip your daily cafe run and make your own coffee or tea at home. You can still enjoy it on the run by pouring it into a thermos or reusable cup.Ditch the soft drinks and cordial and buy a soda making machine. Store bought soft drinks can add up on your weekly grocery bill so make your own bubbly drinks with mint, lemon or berries. You’ll also be reducing single-use plastics.Use up what you’ve got, buy what’s in season and what’s on special. Almost any vegetable can be cooked into your homemade stock or pureed to make delicious winter soups. Plan your meals- If you’re buying an ingredient for one meal such as sour cream but won’t be using all of it, think about how you’ll use the rest. Add it to a potato salad, use it in a dip, pop it on baked potatoes, have it with Mexican food- there are so many options!Cook the right amount of food- it’s so easy to overdo it and make too much but preparing the right amount of food is one of the best ways to save money and reduce food waste. Watch Love Food Hate Waste’s video on perfect portions to get some ideas.And remember never shop when you’re hungry!

If you would like to learn about other ways you can reduce food waste and feed your family for under $10, come along to our free webinar with Chef Suzanne Lambert.

Find out other ways you can reduce your waste here.