Plan

Think Before you Shop

Before you head out to the shops, take a few moments to consider what you need to reduce the food being wasted at home. 

Here are 5 ideas to help you plan your meals:

1. Keep a running shopping list during the week as you finish or get low on items and add notes about quantities to help save you time when you shop.
2. Check what you actually need - check your cupboards, fridge and freezer before writing your list to see what you have left and to make sure you’ve used up anything that is going out of date, this will help to reduce duplicate purchases.
3. Move the older food to the front of the fridge, freezer and cupboards to make space for the food that you'll be buying. 
4. Check your meal plan and update the meals if plans have changed. Then update the shopping list. 
5. When designing your shopping list think about the meals you would like to eat over the next few days. If possible design a meal planner and stick it somewhere obvious like the fridge so you remember to stick to it. 

Make the Most of your Food 

Plan ahead with simple, flexible and realistic steps to make the most of your food and avoid waste. 

• Create a realistic and flexible meal plan, leaving space for a 'use up fridge food' meal. Planning what you eat reduces buying food for 'just in case.'
• Who's in and who's out - make sure you plan your meals around real life and then you'll know exactly what you need to buy and when. 
• Ease stress during evening meals by cooking your meals ahead of time at the weekend when you have more time and pop them in the freezer and simply defrost when required. 
• Keep your shopping list regularly updated using your meal plan to update your shopping list and simply add items as you run out. Keep an ongoing shopping list on your fridge. 
• When planning a party/BBQ, jot down who will be there, time of day and use the portion calculator to buy/make what you need. 
• Find out more about meal planning
• Find out more about how to write the best shopping list for you