Food is the heart of any holiday celebration, gathering family and friends together and is a time bursting with opportunities to eat, drink and be merry. Don’t we all enjoy cooking for those we love the most? Sometimes we tend to over-prepare, which happens, but food waste is an issue that we tackle every day, all over the world. Not to worry, we, at nutrifresh, have gathered five handy tips for you and your family to ensure you enjoy every last bit of your delicious meals this holiday season! 

Tip 1: Transform your leftovers into holiday sandwiches. 

Reinvent your holiday leftovers into a tasty sandwich that’s easy to make and impossible to resist. Your holiday dinner can continue bringing joy to your taste buds long after the festivities have ended! Get creative with a crusty baguette, soft dinner rolls, or a hearty slice of artisan bread, pairing them with leftover roasted vegetables, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. Add crunch with toppings like crispy fried onions or lettuce from last night’s starter and enhance the experience with festive spreads like leftover gravy… Grill for a satisfying finish to the ultimate post-holiday sandwich! 

Tip 2: Embrace the root-to-stem method. 

Using the peels, stems, and leaves of fruits & veg can transform kitchen scraps into flavourful additions to your festive dishes. Not only does this mindful cooking approach minimize waste, but it also adds unique textures and flavours to your dishes. Gather these often-overlooked parts to create a delicious base for your soups and stews. Carrot tops, celery leaves, onion skins, and herb stems can infuse your broths with a depth of flavour while providing a meaningful solution to reducing food waste during the holiday season. 

Tip 3: Refrigerate & freeze. 

Freezing & refrigerating is an effective practice that not only reduces waste but also offers convenient and delicious options for a later date when you don’t feel up for cooking, allowing you to savour the festive flavours long after the celebrations have ended. Explore how impactful this strategy works for you in combatting food waste with the Airclip Collection by your side… With three shapes and a variety of sizes, they are perfect for storing and freezing any meal you create and want to save for another day.  

Tip 4: Be a planner 

Last-minute panicked trips to the supermarket are an inevitable way to increase your food bill and waste. Piling random food items into your trolley, or being lured into offers can quickly add up to your total bill and how much you end up throwing away… To avoid this, sit and note down a plan for the meals you need and how many people there may be for a better understanding of what you are expected to bring, and how many people you are providing for. This can reduce the panic of over-cooking, as well as the amount left uneaten.  

Or better yet, why not plan to pack up containers of leftovers or uneaten dishes for yourself or your guests? A packed, ready-made meal can make lives easier, eliminating the stresses of thinking about what to cook for lunch the next day. As a thoughtful touch, pack up portions of the meal in your Nutrifresh Airclip containers and have them ready to hand out towards the end of the evening, or simply store them in your freezer for another day!  

Tip 5: Composting 

Compost! This is a useful way to give life to old food waste and create nutrient-rich soil that can be used in gardens, or potted plants. If you have food scraps that can’t be repurposed, try out something new that will hurt nobody, but will help everybody – as they say, composting is taking care of our future planet. Create a compost pile for fruit and vegetable peels, coffee grounds, and other compostable items to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills.