How to reduce food and fuel wastage at home
Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Indian households to reduce cooking oil consumption by 10%, keeping the record-high fuel prices in many countries in view and the need to conserve foreign exchange amid the West Asia crisis, he also mentioned how reducing cooking oil consumption by 10% allows Indians to show patriotism while making their bodies healthier. In the same league, now Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh has urged people to reduce food wastage and be mindful of cooking food. According to a YouTube Shorts shared by ABP Live, addressing a public gathering, he said, "Jitne log khane wale honge, unki sankhya ke anupat mein apne rashan dein, faltu khana na banaye, aur agar koi bhula birsa aa jaye to uske liye alag se usmein bana lein." Which means, every household should be mindful of cooking everyday food and should prepare in accordance with the number of people and their appetitie, and families should avoid the practice of cooking excess food. And in case, an unexpected guest arrives, prepare something extra for them. He further added, "We cannot be dependent on LPG, and have to look for alternatives and in the meantime use the resources sensibly." According to experts, when it comes to mindful cooking, it is important to keep the quantity and quality of food in check. Here are some tips on how one can cook 'right' at home.
Importance of quantity check at home
Managing food quantity at home is not just about reducing the food wastage, it is also about saving money and fuel and maintain a well-organized kitchen. In many homes, people often cook excess food, and eventually it leads to spoilage and unnecessary waste. Keeping a proper quantity check ensures that food is used wisely and efficiently. And to make it happen, families need to be mindful of their consumption habits and supports sustainable living. Take a look at five practical tips that can help maintain better quantity control at home.
Plan meals in advance
Meal planning is a very underrated practice in Indian homes. Preparing a dauly meal plan helps understand what ingredients are needed and in what amount. It also helps prevent uncessary hoarding of ingredients and duplicacy in pantry. And when meals are planned, it becomes easier to avoid impulsive cooking and overpreparation.
Buy only what is needed
Advance meal planning helps you understand what are the key ingredients required and how much of each ingredients, keeping the head count. The practice also helps maintain freshness and reduce wastage in kitchen. And before shopping new groceries always cross check the pantry and refrigerator. This practice also helps avoid spoilage and expiry of unnecessary food items in the pantry. It often happens that people buy extra food and store in the pantry and when it is not used, it crosses expiry date and turns into a waste.
Use measuring cups and bowls
In Indian homes, people often use the concept of approximately and that is where the food wastage begins. Always use measuring cups, spoons, or standard portions as it helps control the amount of rice, flour, lentils, pasta, and other ingredients being cooked. This practice also helps saves time, energy, and cooking resources.
Store food correctly
Also, once the food is cooked, organizing the cooked food and its refrigeration is very important. It helps prevent spoilage and wastage. It is best recommended to keep older products at the front and newer dishes at the back, as it helps encourage timely usage. Also use of airtight containers and proper cooling temperature and labelling of foods can help preserve freshness and extend shelf life. Also, make sure that you keep meat and poultry products away from fruits and veggies to keep the basic sanity and hygiene in place in the fridge.
Reuse lefovers creatively
Leftover food should not always be seen as waste. There are many leftover dishes that can be used creatively in making new dishes. For instance, leftover rice can be made into fried rice, leftover rajma can be tweaked into tikkis and leftover rotis can be turned into pizza or noodles. Also, reusing leftovers helps maintain food quantity balance and reduces the amount of food thrown away daily. Leftover dal can be mixed into the dough to make parathas and leftover khichdi can be tweaked into arancini balls along with some cheese.