When you are cooking for yourself on Globe kitchen appliances, it is easy to experiment and come up with your own recipes and the things you like to eat without worry. Cooking for yourself can be tricky sometimes because it’s not easy to cook in the right portions and avoid waste. Cooking for a group can be easy for portions because it is a shareable meal that can be finished by a group.
When you’re only cooking for one it can be especially hard, since, of course, ingredients aren’t sold in single-sized portions. Still, a little awareness and creativity can help you be more mindful when making food decisions. Here are some ways to avoid food waste, even when you’re only cooking for yourself:
- Shop for less, more frequently
Though this may be more difficult if you don’t live in a city where grocery stores are located every few blocks, it can help a lot in preventing food waste. If you’re only buying what you know you will make later that night or even for the next two days, you won’t buy extra things that you might not end up using. It makes meal planning even easier too, since you don’t have to think ahead too far. This especially comes in handy with produce, since it can spoil rather quickly.
- Watch Expiration Dates – But don’t follow them religiously
Speaking of spoiling, try to get in the habit of checking expiration dates while you’re in the store, to give yourself a little extra time to use something up. That being said, you don’t have to always follow them religiously. Most are an estimate, and different phrases like “best by,” “use by,” and “sell by” can have different meanings from different manufacturers. Those terms often indicate freshness rather than edibility. This means you can use what has exceeded date of expiry. Just make sure you finish the edibles within the next two to three months.
- If you can’t use an ingredient in the next two three meals don’t buy it
This is a hard rule to follow, especially if you think an ingredient will really make the meal, but it’s one that’s necessary. If you can only think of one recipe to use something in, and it doesn’t require the whole bag or can, you likely won’t use the rest of it before it goes bad.
- Find some Leftover Hacks and Recipes to avoid waste
Because of the way food is packaged, you can sometimes be left with random amounts of ingredients when you’re only cooking for one. This is where it’s good to have some go-to “hack” meals or snacks in mind. When you have herbs and greens left make a green smoothie. If you have leftover vegetables toss them in a salad. A combo of ingredients that sounds weird on paper can actually taste delicious in real life.
- Move Items you need to use to the front of the fridge
A simple, self-explanatory tip, but an important one! Think about how many times you’ve found something rotten in the back of the fridge. And why does that happen? Because it’s in the back of the fridge. Drag these ingredients and the stuff you use in the meal of the day to the front to a place where it grabs your attention easily.
To avoid wastage use our smart nonstick cookware from Globe Kitchenware