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3 simple ways to reduce food waste + save cash!

It’s no secret that a lot of food goes to waste in Australia per year – approximately 8 to 10 billion dollars per year according to food rescue service OzHarvest. But where are Australians currently wasting their food and what we done about it?

The top foods Australians admitted to wasting are fruit and vegetables (24%); bread (18%); and milk and other dairy products (8%).

Here are some simple tips from OzHarvest on how to minimise food waste and save money in your home:

1. Planning and writing out meals is crucial

Couldn't agree with this more - see tips for meal-prep and planning right here. But it is recommended that consumers double-check their refrigerators before they leave for the store so that they only purchase exactly what they need.

2. Buy fresh fruit and vegetables only as you need them

They are the most wasted foods, so don’t overdo it. Try to buy the right amount for their serving sizes or plan to reuse them in another meal later in the week.

3. Use the appropriate parts of your fridge

Place fruits and vegetables in the crisper to keep them fresh; place meats in the coolest part of your fridge (usually the bottom shelf); keep milk inside on a shelf, rather than in the door to avoid temperature fluctuation.


With locations across Australia, OzHarvest collects surplus food from all types of food providers and delivers meals, direct and free of charge, to 700 charities providing much needed assistance to vulnerable men, women and children. God love them. Get behind their movement by asking your favourite grocers and restaurants to get involved.

the fit foodie

Sally O'Neil - Editor in Chief

Sal is on a mission to prove that healthy and nutritious doesn’t have to be boring – and that even while staying in shape you can have your cake and eat it too. After losing 14kg from adopting a healthier lifestyle, she shares her journey with others on The Fit Foodie Blog. She also works as a commercial food photographer and stylist, is studying a Bachelor of Health Science in Nutrition and Dietetics, and is the author of two cookbooks: Love Move Eat (Bauer Media, 2017) and Meal Prep Plan (Murdoch, 2019).

8 Comments
  1. Love this post. I totally agree with all of your points. I hate wasting food so I try to make sure my fresh produce is visible or cut and stored in clear containers so I don’t waste anything. N0 waste = money saved!

  2. Lovely and very helpful suggestions. I’m a mother of three and I buy fruits and vegetables all the time, and don’t like wasting any food. My kids love fresh vegetables and eat them along with each meal during the day and meanwhile eat fruits too. What we do at home is when we see some vegetables (carrots, lettuce, broccoli, celery, cucumber) are not fresh enough, we soak them in a cold water for a couple of hours and this revives the m quite well. Others we turn into different sauces and dips, or we just make a vegetable stocks. Fruits we add to different desserts or smoothies. My kids love participating in this process and I’m trying to teach them how important is reducing food waste for people and environment. Your advises are a good addition to our “ideas list” and we are definitely adding them and keep on making things happen. Thanks for sharing!

      1. Well , I’m trying 🙂 But the my kids are great and they have this good ability to choose the right things for themselves alone, I’m just a helper.

  3. Lovely and very helpful suggestions. I’m a mother of three and I buy fruits and vegetables all the time, and don’t like wasting any food. My kids love fresh vegetables and eat them along with each meal during the day and meanwhile eat fruits too. What we do at home is when we see some vegetables (carrots, lettuce, broccoli, celery, cucumber) are not fresh enough, we soak them in a cold water for a couple of hours and this revives the m quite well. Others we turn into different sauces and dips, or we just make a vegetable stocks. Fruits we add to different desserts or smoothies. My kids love participating in this process and I’m trying to teach them how important is reducing food waste for people and environment. Your advises are a good addition to our “ideas list” and we are definitely adding them and keep on making things happen. Thanks for sharing!

      1. Well , I’m trying 🙂 But the my kids are great and they have this good ability to choose the right things for themselves alone, I’m just a helper.

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