Love food, hate waste this Christmas

Love Food Hate Waste is all about making the most of the food we have. It encourages us to only buy and cook the food we need and to avoid throwing away food that could be eaten.

Councillor James Starkie, who represents waste and recycling, said:

"Every year in the UK we throw away 7.2 million tonnes of food. Some of this goes to landfill where it turns into methane gas which is harmful to the environment.

"But as well as the environmental impact, throwing away food hits us right in the wallet. The average family can save up to £50 a month by getting better at managing what's in their fridge and kitchen cupboards.

"By turning leftovers into tasty meals, or avoiding cooking too much at mealtimes, we can all start to put less useable food into our grey wheelie bins."

Tips for reducing the amount of food we throw away include:

• Buying only the food you need
• Storing food properly to keep it at its best for longer
• Using a scoop to measure out food like rice and pasta so you don't cook more than you need
• Turning leftovers into delicious meals
• Not throwing away food that could still be eaten.

The Love Food Hate Waste website - www.lovefoodhatewaste.com - has a perfect portion planner to help you to buy the right amount of food for your Christmas meal.

But if you do overcook, there's also a selection of recipes for using up leftovers or food that isn't quite out of date.

These include roast dinner soup, bread and butter pudding and vegetable curry.

There are also recipes for party food and 'great for freezing recipes' that can be prepared in advance - great for festive get-togethers.

And there's a recipe for turkey and sweetcorn burgers which uses stale bread as well as leftover turkey.

Carole Taylor, Waste and Recycling Co-ordinator, said:

"On Boxing Day in our house we'll be tucking into a delicious turkey jambalaya. This uses up leftover turkey as well as vegetables, rice and Cajun spices.

"It's a great contrast to the traditional turkey meal the day before, and means we'll have no turkey hanging around, getting past its best."

In January the Council's recycling team will be staging Love Food Hate Waste roadshows in local supermarkets.

They'll be offering advice on storing food, portion sizes and using up leftovers.

They'll also be handing out recipe cards and useful giveaways such as scoops to help measure out portions of food.

Carole Taylor added:

"We'll also have some really useful giveaways, such as food scoops and bag clips. And you'll have the chance to win a special prize in our quiz."

For more tips, advice and tasty recipes for your leftovers, go to www.lovefoodhatewaste.com or www.pendle.gov.uk/lovefoodhatewaste.