Household bills are not the only thing on the rise, with the cost of living crisis also impacting the price of food and drinks. The UK’s food and drink sector could surge as much as £1.7bn due to the cost of rising carbon dioxide, according to a new analysis by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU).
While Britons can not control the price of food, Ben Ebbrell, chef and co-founder of YouTube’s SORTEDfood, says one way they can reduce spending is by eliminating food waste from their home. The key to this is planning.
Ben told Express.co.uk: “Our entire food system is geared up to keep reminding us of how much we spend on food.
“Newspaper headlines, prices of food itself before we buy, totals at the checkout, monthly bank statements and even smart finance and budget management apps that now consolidate everything you spend on food.
“But nobody tracks how much food, and therefore money, we throw away.”
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“It all adds up, yet nobody actually does add it up.
“If we did at home, we’d all very quickly start making changes.
“Recent research reported that an average family of four in the UK could save up to £60 a month by reducing food waste in the home. And that was before the food inflation we’ve seen in recent months.”
The solution, he says, is to buy less food while doing more with it.
Before embarking on your shopping trip, planning what meals you anticipate cooking throughout the week and when you will eat them can ensure you don’t overspend.
Ben explained: “Having a plan is still the best course of action for preventing food waste.
“Shop for only what you need, plus it’s super smart and savvy if you bundle a few recipes together that utilise the same ingredients.”
Don’t be lured in by special offers and bulk buys if you won’t use all of the items, and instead purchase only what you need.
The SORTEDFood chef added: “If you’re going to buy a whole bag of spinach, ensure you have a plan to use it all and not waste half of it.”
SORTEDfood has launched a new meal planning tool, the Sidekick app, which works as a “simple solution” to help Britons cut their grocery spending by up to 30 percent. The app prompts users to buy less food and do more with the items they have, offering menus of recipes that use common ingredients to save money and time, and reduce food waste.
