FORMER Masterchef contestant and celebrity cook Dani Venn has teamed up with food preservation company GLAD in a bit to reduce food waste.
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Research from GLAD reveals almost two in three Australians believe they throw away around 10 per cent of the groceries they buy each year.
Figures released by Foodbank in 2019 suggest Australian households could be throwing away up to $3,800 worth of food a year.
While 59 per cent of Australians said they were concerned about food waste and its impact on the environment, 43 per cent said they did not realise food waste caused CO2 emmissions.
Dani said creating a more sustainable household was important to her.
"I've looked into the simple things we could do to be more sustainable,' she said.
Dani said small steps like creating a home compost heap or being more mindful of the way we store food could hake a huge difference.
"Cutting back on food waste not only has a positive impact on the planet, but can also have a positive impact on your wallet too," Dani said.
"I've pulled together three simple things you can do at home to help reduce food waste."
Dani's key tips are:
Don't throw away your vegetable peels: "A lot of nutrients are contained in the skins, and they cook perfectly if roasting, steaming, pan frying or barbequing," Dani said.
"When using the vegetable skins, ensure you drizzle a little oil over them and season with salt before cooking."
Plan your meals: "Taking five extra minutes before you head out to the shops to pull together a list of items you need can prevent over-purchasing, which often leads to produce going to waste," Dani said.
She added that planning two to three days worth of meals in advance and resisting the urge to impulse buy would reduce food waste and save money.
Store vegetables correctly: "When storing your veggies, make sure you use vegetables that you know will wilt quickly first," she said.
She said plant based reusable bags could be used to store things like broccoli stalks and carrot ends so they could be used in future recipes such as soups.
Once used, soft plastics such as resealable bags can be recycled at your local Woolworths or Coles.
For more information on how to cook, store, shop for and compost food, click here