• Meal planning and shopping lists
• Good organization and order in the kitchen cabinets
• Proper storage of food
• Imperfect vegetables and fruits

Buying food in excess, often in excess, and then throwing away the wasted products is natural and completely normal for many people. According to the report "No Food Waste 2020" by the Association of Polish Food Banks, approximately 54% of Poles admit that they sometimes throw away food. Bread, vegetables and fruit, cold cuts, and dairy products most frequently end up in the basket.

Approximately one billion tons of food are wasted worldwide each year (according to a UN report), yet there are still countries where the average citizen cannot afford a healthy meal a day. Residents of North America and Europe waste the most food, while those in Africa waste the least. Therefore, food waste is now considered an economic, ethical, and environmental problem. We buy more than we can eat because:

• We do not plan shopping and meals,
• we store food improperly,
• we prepare too large portions of the meal,
• We have very easy access to grocery stores,
• We have little awareness, no reflection and no respect for food.

As the topic of food waste is increasingly discussed in the media and movements like Zero Waste and Less Waste are emerging, public awareness is growing. More and more people are asking what can be done to reduce food waste. Here are some ways to avoid wasting food:

Meal planning and shopping lists

It's a good idea to plan dinner a few days in advance, going through what you already have in your kitchen cupboards. We don't think about the fact that we have a leftover pack of rice or pasta every day, so when we go shopping without preparation, we often unnecessarily buy what we already have in the pantry. When we go shopping without a prepared list, our shopping cart also ends up with products we may not want or have no idea how to use for dinner, but we were lured in by an advertisement or promotion. Without a meal and shopping list, we can't always accurately estimate our food needs and fall for promotions like 2 for 1 free. By planning meals and having a detailed shopping list with a specific amount of a particular food, we only buy what we can actually use.

Good organization and order in the kitchen cabinets

It's worth checking your kitchen drawers regularly to remember what foods are in them and using them regularly when preparing dinner. This will allow you to use up food before it expires. It's also worth storing food in transparent or clearly labeled containers.

Proper storage of food

Proper food storage is crucial. This prevents premature spoilage. For example, loose, long-lasting produce should be placed in tightly sealed glass containers to prevent moths from appearing. It's better to store bread in a cloth or linen bag rather than a plastic one. If you have food left over after the holidays that no one wants, it's worth freezing. Vegetables and fruits that are losing their firmness and you're not yet sure what to make with them can also be frozen. Frozen vegetables are great for making soup, and frozen fruit is great for making cocktails.

Imperfect vegetables and fruits

We've become accustomed to the idea that vegetables and fruits must look perfect, and if, for example, a banana has a small blemish on it, we'd rather throw it away than eat it, even though it's still a healthy fruit. This is also a problem with crops, where huge amounts of tasty and healthy fruits and vegetables are wasted, even though they don't meet standards for color, size, or shape.

Finally, a few general, simple rules that not only reduce food waste but also make kitchen organization easier:

• Pack fresh herbs in bags and freeze them,
• Herbs that lose their freshness can be chopped and placed in the freezer,
• Stale bread does not have to be thrown away, you can make toast out of it,
• It is better to buy sausage by weight and fill it in glass containers or parchment paper instead of storing it in plastic packaging.