As the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite, it’s more important than ever to know the difference between usable and non-usable food to keep costs low and usable food out of waste bins. To mark Stop Food Waste Day (26th April), research from the UK’s #1 food saving app Too Good To Go reveals the shocking reality of edible food being wasted at home and the steps we can all take to prevent it.

Despite the soaring cost of food prices and an increase in strategic shopping, Brits are throwing away a staggering amount of perfectly edible food per week. This includes 18 million meat and dairy items, 22 million bread and pasta items, 30.9 million fruit and vegetables and 8.7 million sweets, crisps, and chocolate – enough to feed the population of Thailand for a day.

Although a quarter of people (24%) are spending more money on food than they were last year, worryingly almost 1 in 10 (8%) of these are now wasting more, as consumers are unable to afford products that stand the test of time and last longer in the fridge.

When it comes to why usable food gets wasted, it’s clear that consumers are still choosing to follow use-by dates blindly, as opposed to their own senses. A quarter (26%) of people surveyed check the best-before date to determine if a product is still edible and only 13% actually taste a sample of the product to see if it’s fresh.

Food waste is a nationwide issue. When it comes to meat and dairy, Londoners (47%) and those in Northern Ireland (46%) are the most wasteful, with almost half throwing away at least 1-2 meat and dairy items per week. Those in East Anglia (26%), the South East (28%) and South West (28%) are more careful, with around a quarter of people throwing away at least 1-2 usable meat and dairy items.

When it comes to fruit and veg, Londoners (68%) and Northern Ireland (65%) are the worst offenders for throwing away at least 1-2 edible fruit and vegetables per week, compared to only half of people in Wales (53%) and Yorkshire (54%).

The research also reveals that the older generation has a thing or two to teach millennials, showing that a shocking 71% of 18–34-year-olds are throwing away at least one piece of fruit or vegetables per week, whereas less than half (43%) of those aged 55+ are doing the same. Similarly, almost a quarter of those aged 55+ claim to not throw any food away versus only 3% of 18–24-year-olds.
Sophie Trueman, Country Director of Too Good To Go UK and Ireland said: “We know that everyone is feeling the pinch of the cost-of-living crisis and the price of everyday essentials has continued to soar. We are on a mission to fight food waste, something which is not only great for our planet, but can also help consumers cut costs – ultimately making their money go further. Our belief is that you don’t need to sacrifice buying your favourite foods in order to be sustainable and save money – you can instead adapt your habits, so you make the most out of everything you buy.”
Too Good To Go shares 10 easy steps to stop usable food waste in the home:
Plan ahead so you only buy what you need.
Plan your meals for the week in advance so you know exactly what you need to buy. Write a shopping list and then stick to it when you’re in the supermarket – try not to be sucked in by impulse buying. Look to be kitchen savvy in your planning too. For instance, planning multiple meals that utilise the same, or parts of the same, ingredient means that you’re not buying a new set of ingredients for every meal.
Make use of the whole ingredient
Embrace the chance to explore new ways of working with ingredients. Why not have a go at making a broccoli pesto using the broccoli stalks that you’d usually throw away, or keeping the peel on your potatoes when you’re mashing them? Little changes like these really can make all the difference.
Don’t discount fruit and veg based on how it looks
Don’t judge food by its appearance! Oddly shaped or bruised fruits and vegetables are often thrown away because they don’t look ‘perfect’ but in reality, they taste exactly the same. Even those more mature fruit and vegetables are perfect for smoothies or juices.
Take care of how you store your food
Storing your food properly is one of the keys to extending its lifespan. For instance, onions can make root vegetables go bad quickly so best to keep them stored apart from things like potatoes or carrots. And many fruits like apples, pears, bananas, and nectarines emit a natural chemical called ethylene which causes premature ripening, so always keep these away from each other so they can ripen at a steady pace.
Check your fridge temperature
Keeping your fridge at the correct temperature is also key for keeping your food fresh. Setting it at below 5°C is ideal for extending the life of perishable foods like milk or yoghurts.
Understand date labels and trust your senses with ‘best before’ dates
There’s a big difference between ‘best before’ and ‘use-by’ dates. Often food is still safe to eat after the ‘best before’ date, whereas it’s the ‘use-by’ date that indicates when it’s no longer safe to eat. Before throwing out food that’s past its ‘best before’ date, make sure you use your senses to look, smell and taste whether it’s actually gone off. You’d be surprised how many food items are perfectly good to eat way beyond this date.
Keep your kitchen organised.
Rotate goods when new items come in so that your fridge, freezer, and cupboards are stocked with the food you need to eat first at the front, and food you’ve bought more recently at the back. Try and audit every two weeks or so, so you know what needs eating before it goes off.

Take care with your portion sizes
Recent research carried out by Too Good To Go to mark the UN’s International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (observed annually on 29th September) found that 23% of us throw away food at home because there is too little left on their plates. To counteract this, try to find your own hacks for measuring food so that your portion sizes work for you. For example, a standard builder’s mug of rice is usually enough to serve four adults when cooked.
When in doubt, freeze
The oldest trick in the book! Virtually anything can be frozen if you don’t think you’re going to be able to eat it in time. Batch-cooking meals to keep in the freezer for a later date is a great way to make sure your fresh ingredients can still get used while they’re at their best.

Get creative with your leftovers
Nowadays, many of us are in the habit of wanting to eat something new every day, but don’t be afraid to get creative with adapting a simple dish. For example, you can change a classic Bolognese sauce into a chilli con carne, meat pie or even a lasagne. Or why not try to plan a ‘potluck dinner’ once a week? Bring out all your leftover portions from the week and share with your housemates, family or friends for a fun DIY, meze style dinner.