Replenish Oxfordshire

Replenish supports Oxfordshire residents to grow and cook nutritious food with zero waste. We’re managed by the Community Action Groups (CAG) Project Oxfordshire and funded by Oxfordshire County Council.

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5 tips for avoiding food waste

1. Know your dates. ‘Use by’ is about safety – food should not be eaten after this date (even if it looks/smells fine) – unless you freeze it on or before this date. ‘Best before’ is about quality – although food won’t be at top quality after this date, it will still be safe to eat for some time.

2. Compleat. Always binning potato peel, broccoli stems and leek tops? Over two-thirds of the food we waste is perfectly edible, so using every edible bit of your food is essential. The peel is also often the most nutritious part of a fruit or vegetable, containing more antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and up to 33% more fibre than the flesh.

3. Keep your fridge cool. The average fridge temperature in UK homes is nearly 7°C, but foods will last longer if they are kept at under 5°C.

4. Snap a shelfie. If you’re not a fan of shopping lists, take a picture of your fridge/cupboard shelves before you head to the shops instead. This will stop you
from buying something you’ve already got at home.

5. Savvy storage. Most fruit and veg will stay fresher for longer in the fridge. The key exceptions are bananas and pineapple (keep these on the counter), and onions and potatoes (which should be kept in a cool, dark, dry place – like a cupboard!). Not sure where something should be stored? Try this Food Storage A–Z!

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