After last year’s restrictions, we’re all looking forward to an extra merry Christmas, which can easily lead to over catering and being left with a mountain of food rapidly nearing its expiration date.
Leftover turkey sandwiches are usually part of the festive fun, but by day seven of your poultry-only diet you could be growing feathers. That doesn’t mean you have to throw away all those yummy seasonal supplies, however.
Ways to reduce Christmas food waste
Here are seven ways to reduce food waste this Christmas.
1. Plan carefully
Just because it’s Christmas Day doesn’t mean you have to dive into a loaded plate with all the trimmings. If there are dishes you’re not keen on, leave them out. By scaling back on the festive menu, you’re less likely to end up with tupperware full of uneaten dishes.
2. Freeze what you can’t eat
You might be surprised how many Christmas dishes can be frozen and enjoyed later. If you’ve stocked up with a giant cheese board but don’t think you’ll be able to munch all that cheddar and stilton because it goes off, why not grate and freeze the cheese? That way you can defrost and use it bit by bit.
3. Get creative with leftovers
Turkey sandwiches aren’t the only option for spare meat, stuffing and cranberry sauce. Why not try a spicy Thai-style turkey noodle soup or layer your veggies in a tasty lasagne? Jamie Oliver has lots of Christmas leftover recipe ideas.
4. Share with your neighbours
Sharing is caring, as they say, and you might not have to go far to find a grateful recipient for that gluten-free Christmas pud your sister requested, or the bags of nibbles your nephews would have devoured.
If you’ve got a Facebook group or Nextdoor page for your street, you could post a pic or message to see if anyone wants to snap up your spare edibles.
5. Try a food sharing app
If you don’t know a lot of people in the vicinity, this food sharing app lets you offer up goods for others in the local area. With Olio, you post details of what you’re offering and set a pick up location (it could be your home or a public place), then you’ll be notified when you have a request from someone.
6. Donate to food banks
Non-perishable, in-date goods can be donated to food banks, which will then be sorted by volunteers and given to people in need. Visit the Trussell Trust website to find your nearest food bank donation point in the UK, or Crosscare for locations in Ireland.
7. Contribute to community projects
For fresh food, you can donate to one of more than 100 community fridges across the UK. Visit the Hubbub website to find your nearest location.
ince the start of the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, thousands of mutual aid groups have cropped up, coordinating volunteering efforts to help people in need, which in some areas includes providing food or meals. Visit the Covid-19 Mutual Aid website to find your local group and see if your festive food extras and leftovers could be put to good use.
