After the indulgences of Christmas, many of us in the practice are turning our attention to food and looking at ways we could eat more healthily whilst also thinking about reducing the amount of food waste we generate.

With that in mind, here are a few tips on how to reduce food waste:

  • Plan ahead. Check-in on who needs feeding over the coming week and plan your meals accordingly, so you are only buying what you need.
  • Store food correctly. Lots of fruit and veg can be kept in the fridge so it lasts longer. Make sure your fridge is on the correct setting (5° or under).
  • Freeze and reuse leftovers for future use if safe to do so.
  • Consider batch cooking which can be frozen and reheated at a later date.
  • Turn leftovers into a new meal. https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/foods-and-recipes have some great ideas.
  • Compost any food that can’t be reused.

Foodbank

February is the time when food banks are at their lowest for donations. Here at Westleigh Dental Care, we have set up our own food bank in conjunction with Fareham and Gosport Foodbank. Due to space constraints we can currently only offer this for our staff, however, there are several locations where you can donate locally.

Items that are most needed are:
UHT milk, cereals, tinned meats, tinned vegetables, coffee, squash, sugar, jam, cuppa soups, toilet rolls, toiletries, nappies, sanitary products, washing powder and washing up liquid.
You can find out more about their excellent work and where to donate by clicking on the link
https://friendsofthehomeless.org.uk/current-needs

Meals on Wheels

Good, nutritious meals are even more important at this time of the year when it’s cold and the winter bugs are doing the rounds. If you are finding it harder to cook for yourself, you could consider using a Meals on Wheels service where cooked meals are delivered to your door. Depending on your needs you may be eligible for free meals from the council, but if you don’t meet their criteria you can still order food from the company they use. A two-course meal is £5.67 and afternoon tea is £3.25.

Hampshire County Council has more information on their website:
https://www.hants.gov.uk/socialcareandhealth/adultsocialcare/meals-on-wheels
If you have any other top tips on food waste or any great food waste recipes, please let us know in the comments below and we will share them on our social media.