It is Possible to Prevent Food Waste with Small Precautions

Every day, we throw away tons of food, sometimes without realizing it, and sometimes saying "Oh what's going on". With these foods, we waste not only our money but also the future of our world. Emphasizing the importance of recycling in the kitchen to prevent food waste, one of DoktorTakvimi experts Dyt. İrem Altıparmak shares important tips.

Food waste is a much bigger problem than most of us think. About one-third of all food produced in the world is wasted for various reasons. This means that approximately 1,3 billion tons of food is wasted every year. Reminding that the food you throw away by saying "Oh, it's just a little thing" is not just a waste of money, Dyt, one of the experts of Doctor Calendar. İrem Altıparmak underlines that the discarded food causes climate change because it rots and produces methane gas. Noting that water is also wasted too much, Dyt. According to Altiparmak, World Resources Institute, 24% of all water used for agriculture is lost to food waste every year. This means approximately 170 trillion liters of water. It is up to you to prevent them.”

dit. Altıparmak lists what can be done for those who want to prevent food waste as follows:

1. Prepare a list of essentials when you go shopping. In this way, you will not get more food than you need. Also, a small tip, don't go shopping on an empty stomach.
2. Store food correctly. Improper storage leads to large amounts of food wastage. Food can rot because most people do not know how to store fruits and vegetables. E.g; Potatoes, tomatoes, garlic and onions should be stored at room temperature, not in the refrigerator. Some foods contain "ethylene gas". Ethylene accelerates the ripening of foods and can cause spoilage. Banana, avocado, tomato, melon, peach, pear, green onion contain ethylene gas. To prevent premature spoilage, keep these foods away from ethylene-sensitive products such as potatoes, apples, greens, strawberries and peppers.
3. Learn to preserve food. Pickling, drying, canning, fermenting, freezing processes ensure the longevity of foods and prevent waste. E.g; You can canned and turn overripe apples into applesauce or pickled carrots.
4. You can make smoothies from frozen foods. E.g; You can put the strawberries or bananas you put in your refrigerator into your kefir or milk. It will be healthier and prevent food waste if you make your own fruit at home instead of consuming “ready made fruit kefir” that you can buy from outside.
5. Organize your refrigerator. Keep your refrigerator organized so you can see the food clearly and prevent food from spoiling. Use the First in, First Out (FIFO) method. E.g; When you buy a box of strawberries, place the new package behind the old one. This will help the previous food not be wasted, used.
6. Instead of throwing away leftover food on your plate, try reducing portions.
7. Reuse. If you are a coffee drinker, take advantage of its grounds. Coffee grounds are an excellent fertilizer for plants. It is also a natural mosquito repellent.