Not ideal for the bank balance, the environment or most of our mindsets. So today I thought I’d share a few top tips on how to minimise it…assuming that the food involved isn’t rancid or likely to make you ill, of course!

• Leftover veggies can sometimes be “revived” if left to absorb some water and can easily be added to a smoothie, soup, stir fry, curry, chilli, omelette, etc. The list goes on! They can also be turned into a homemade slaw or combined to make some amazing salads and tastes so get experimenting!

• Leftover fruit also works well in a smoothie, but can also be pureed and used as a jam alternative. Cooked fruit goes amazingly well with most meat (I regularly cook with leftover peaches, plums and apples in particular) and can easily be made into a salsa too, just add a little lime, coriander and red onion. And if it’s just extra fruit that you have, as opposed to fruit that’s past its best, consider freezing it.

• Next time you’re making your shopping list plan ahead, both for what you’re going to eat and for how you’ll use / store the leftovers. Batch cooking in particular is a great way of using up your ingredients whilst they’re still fresh and giving you a healthier, ready to eat meal choice on busy days.

• There are a a plethora of sites out there to provide inspiration and new recipes to try with the ingredients you have leftover – check out Big Oven and Love Food Hate Waste. You might find a new family favourite in the process!

How do you minimise food waste? It’d be great to hear from you.