Food wastage is a growing problem. Australia wastes about 7.3 million tonnes a year on food, costing families thousands of dollars and keeping us in a cycle of constant waste. So how do we stop this? We start by teaching our kids to become aware of the food they are eating, and the food they are wasting.
Meet Manuel, Jodie and their two sons Julian (8) and and Leon (2).
Originally from Guatemala, Manuel is raising his two sons with a sense of value about food. He is passionate about reducing food waste and being aware of the abundance we have at our fingertips.
We asked Manuel what motivated him to teach his sons about frugality.
“Coming from Guatemala, a country that has many of their population living with food insecurity, I have always appreciated having a meal on your plate. My parents always reminded us of how lucky we were to have three meals a day. My grandparents grew up during the Great Depression and they were very conscious about what they had and to not take things for granted. And that is what we want our kids to learn.
“Today’s generation is probably the first generation that has not experienced a shortage of anything, but that all could easily change in the decades to come.”
Like Manuel and Jodie, teaching our kids to be conscious of food waste is a step in the right direction to help ensure future generations value the hard work of our food producers and the enormous efforts they go to so that we have food available year-round.
These 6 simple steps will help you teach your kids about food waste, and the ways you can help reduce it.
1. Teach awareness and gratitude
We can’t simply tell our kids about food waste. Instead, we have to lead by example and encourage our kids to be grateful for the food they have.
“We just want to be aware of the impact our lives are having on the planet and on our family budget,” Manuel says. “Reducing food waste is not a thing you achieve overnight 100%. Some things in our home still go to the bin, but we try to reduce how much. We want our kids to be part of the process of reducing it, too.”
2. Get the kids to do a grocery audit
The next time you’re planning the grocery list, give the kids a pen and paper and ask them to plan what they’d like to eat. Ask them to list the ingredients needed, then get them to check if you already have the ingredients or if you need to buy more. Teach them to become aware of what they have already, so you don’t overspend at the supermarket. “We have gotten in the habit of buying less at the shop, buying only what we need,” says Manuel. “When the food is home it has to be cooked, served and eaten.”
3. Get the kids to help create snack menus
Kids love snacks, and one way to help use up the ingredients you already have is to get the kids involved in creating ‘use-it-up platters’.
Ask them to pick from the ingredients you already have and create after-school snack platters. It will help you and the kids become aware of how much you’re spending on snacks that are often thrown away. “We try to be aware of the economic value of what we are throwing into the bin,” Manuel says.
4. Teach the kids to cook
If the kids are old enough, teach them how to make simple dishes. “At age 8, Julian can make eggs, pancakes, French toast, quesadillas, enchiladas and fruit salad,” says Manuel. “He also loves a milkshake made with spinach, banana and blueberries.”
Instilling an interest in cooking will help kids appreciate what is on their plate.
5. Eating out? Order one meal to share instead of individual meals for the kids
Monitoring food waste can be more difficult when you’re eating out. It’s easy to throw away what you don’t finish or send a half-eaten plate back to the kitchen. Reduce the amount you order when dining out by sharing a dish with the kids instead of ordering individual meals. You’ll not only teach the kids about compromise, but they’ll learn to share and appreciate that they have choices.
6. Get creative with leftovers
Thinking up new dishes is creative, but thinking of how to re-use leftovers is really creative. In Manuel’s home, leftovers are re-cooked and re-served with a twist. Leftover vegetables can be chargrilled and used in a Mediterranean salad. Leftover beef can be turned into a deep-dish pie. Leftover rice can be made into a hearty rice pudding, and even leftover bread can make this warming number.
Small steps in this direction will help future generations become aware of the value of food production. It’ll not only help maintain a standard of value and gratitude, it will help their hip-pocket and reduce food waste, too.
More articles about keeping costs low
7 old-fashioned hacks from Grandma’s kitchen you should be using today
Comments
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Log in Register