This text is part of the special book Plaisirs
September 29 is the United Nations International Food Loss and Waste Awareness Day. A social, environmental and economic challenge that affects everyone on the planet and to which it is high time to tackle it. Where to start ? Quebec experts in the field offer us tips and advice.
According to the most recent figures from Recyc-Québec, a Canadian family wastes on average the equivalent of $1,300 in food per year. In addition, 63% of the food thrown away or composted in Canada could have been consumed, while 45% of the food that is wasted is fruits and vegetables.
“Food waste is also a waste of money,” says Gabrielle Dessureault, coordinator of the Save your food project, an initiative of AmiEs de la Terre de Québec, which offers resources and culinary workshops, among other things. anti-waste.
Éric Ménard, also nicknamed Éric l’Enverdeur, founder of the website You’re not going to throw that away, on which he offers tips and recipes to counter food waste, protests in turn: “It has become so commonplace to waste. We think it goes in the compost anyway, so that’s okay. But no ! »
Why do we waste? The reasons are many: lack of time and organization, overconsumption, lack of knowledge about food conservation (expiration date) and creativity in the kitchen. In fact, it is simply a question of habits, note the experts.
Start its turn
Chloé Gouveïa, who gives anti-waste cooking workshops with the organization Le Semoir, reveals that the first thing she invites her students to do is to “realize how much food we waste, and which food we waste the most “.
Leafy greens, such as lettuce, spinach, and herbs, often come up as the most wasted foods because keeping them takes effort. Storing them with the roots in water keeps them fresh and crisp longer.
There are also foods that you buy for a single recipe, but then you don’t know what to do with, such as sour cream, a particular flour or a special sauce. You have to plan a second or even a third use for everything you buy so as not to lose anything.
What helps a lot is to organize your fridge and pantry well: keep them clean and tidy, put what quickly perishes in front, store bulk and leftovers from the day before in transparent dishes.
Before going to the grocery store, it is recommended to do a quick inventory of what is in the cupboards, in order to see how much food you already have at home.
Gourmet ideas
“If it’s faded, but not moldy, there is hope,” notes Éric Ménard. One can easily cook a soft carrot, withered fine herbs or “poached” fruit, without fear of becoming intoxicated.
No time to cook ? “We put them in the freezer to save a little time. We can cook them later. However, it must not become a delayed trash can, ”he warns.
Gabrielle and Chloé add that including “touski” recipes (everything left over) on your menu for the week allows you to save nothing. Among their favorite dishes, they name omelettes, pizzas, pastas, sandwiches and soups. Anything goes: leftover meat, cheese, fish, vegetables…everything!
For those who are more advanced in an anti-waste approach, Éric Ménard suggests starting to value all the parts of a food. Like making a broth with its vegetable peelings, a leaf pesto, a salad with the leaves of certain vegetables, candied citrus peel with its orange and lemon skins.
Her favorite recipe? “I like to mash my banana peels and then add them to my muffins! »
The possibilities are endless if you have a little creativity and the desire to really tackle food waste.
Some resources to get started
This special content was produced by the Special Publications team of the To have to, pertaining to marketing. The drafting of To have to did not take part.