Saving food: The best tips for saving food

If you want to save food, there are ways to reduce food waste in everyday life. We explain why the topic is so important and help you adapt your lifestyle to more sustainability.

Saving food: that's why it's so important

Food waste is a major problem in many wealthier countries around the world. Leftover food leftovers end up in the garbage far too often in private households as well as in supermarkets and at manufacturers.

• The Federal Center for Nutrition (BZfE) speaks of around 12 million tons of food that is thrown away every year in Germany. This is not environmentally, economically or socially sustainable and should be changed.
• Almost half of the food that ends up in the trash is fruit and vegetables, followed by prepared meals, baked goods, fish, meat and dairy products.
• According to the consumer advice center, such a waste corresponds to a loss of roughly 25 billion euros a year, not to mention the unnecessarily invested energy that went into the production of food. The overproduction is disadvantageous for the consumer, since the prices for the respective food increase.
• Food waste is neither good for the environment nor for the climate, which is mainly due to the Co2 emissions associated with the manufacture and transportation of products.
• That is why the country, in cooperation with the UN, is committed to halving waste by 2030.

Food rescue: tips for everyday life

Saving food is not an easy task. But it is also not impossible, because we have put together some ideas for you that can help you with your project.

• Only buy as much as you actually consume . It can often help to shop daily for the following or current day and to write an exact shopping list. Check in advance which stocks are still in the house and adjust your next meal accordingly.
• Take advantage of regional offers that correspond to the time of year and also buy malformed vegetables, which are now sold separately by some branches and mostly cheaper. Plan your purchase and do without impulse purchases.
• Also, talk to your roommates or family and review your plans (and those of others) to make the most of the quantities to be purchased.
• Make sure your food is properly stored and freeze leftovers if you do not plan to eat them soon. Process opened food quickly and take care of food with an expiration date in the near future.
• A clean kitchen reduces the risk of mold and the rapid spoilage of food. Therefore, regularly clean all areas in which you store food. This includes the fridge, pantry and kitchen cupboards.
• In many restaurants, you can have leftovers wrapped up or ask for a portion for the small appetite if you are sure that you will not be able to do everything.
• Some supermarkets allow so-called containers to be searched for useful food in the trash cans of the shops. There are even chains that give advice on how to handle the products correctly. However, this is often illegal, which is why we can only recommend it in consultation with the respective shop.
• There are also numerous projects that want to use donations and campaigns to counter waste. You can find a selection of these on the website "Appreciating food" from the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
• Another big project where you can share food is food sharing .

Apps against food waste

In the meantime, the topic of sustainability has also reached entrepreneurs, so a number of apps have been developed that can help you save food.

• Too Good To Go : The "Too Good To Go" app is currently the frontrunner in food rescue, with which you can take advantage of offers from various stores so that you can get rid of your leftovers at low prices. We have summarized how this works in another article.
• Too good for the bin : In cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the app "Too good for the bin" was created. There you will find delicious recipes for food processing, can create shopping lists and receive tips for optimal storage.
• Foodahoo : The "Foodahoo" app helps you to find regional foods near you. Select your location and a desired category and you will receive practical organic offers. The stores listed there convince with tradition, regionality and transparency.
• GrünZeit - seasonal calendar : A clear calendar comes from the consumer center, which contains important information about fruit and vegetables and sorts them according to their availability and season.

More tips on sustainable shopping can be found in our next post.