Food waste is a major problem, but especially at Christmas, a time of abundance when we tend to overdo it! Christmas is a time when sharing food is a way of showing love – but no one wants to see beautiful food end up in the bin.

Eight ways to fight food waste at Christmas

• In the weeks leading up to Christmas, defrost and eat the contents of your freezer. That way it will be empty and ready to store Christmas leftovers so nothing goes to waste
• Meal planning and list writing is essential for fighting food waste at Christmas.  Make sure you look in your pantry and fridge before writing your shopping list.
• A great tip to avoid leftovers is portion control!  Use 250g per person as a guide for serving meat and recipes that serve 6 people should feed twice the amount when served buffet style with other dishes
• Let people serve themselves, and rather than overfill the plate, and encourage them to come back for seconds!
• To make sure your Christmas food stays fresher for longer, keep it in the fridge for as long as possible before serving and when you’ve finished eating, get any leftovers stored in the fridge as soon as you can!
• Carve all your turkey and ham from the bone to make sure it stays fresh and lovely and avoid it drying out.  Slices can be frozen (with go-between to separate) in a container for up to 3 months
• Peel any leftover prawns before storing in the fridge, then throw them in a stir fry or freeze for up to three months.  Also freeze the shells before disposing to prevent a smelly bin!
• If you do find yourself with a fridge full of food after Christmas, get some friends around to share and enjoy a festive feast of leftovers!

Christmas leftover recipe tips

• Make Boxing Day Breakfast fritters with leftovers – simply combine roast leftovers,  with ham, eggs, cheese, olive oil and flour. Heat oil and cook in in fry pan until golden brown.
• Use your leftovers Christmas pudding up by rolling into bite-size balls, dip in melted chocolate and roll in desiccated coconut.
• Use the freezer for anything you won’t eat in time. This way theChristmas feast lives on!
  
  

For more tips on how to fight food waste, head to our Resources section.