Love a list: make it, take it, stick to it, save the planet

The “Love a List’ theme has been chosen by Love Food Hate Waste (LFHW).

You can check out their full website here

New research from the Love Food Hate Waste campaign reveals 74% of us claim to use a shopping list, but only 55% of us actually stick to it.

• Love a list Video here

Love Food Hate Waste is calling for kiwis to Love a List to help reduce the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of avoidable food waste sent to landfill.

The research found:

• High food wasters in particular are especially likely to not follow their shopping list with only 36% of them writing a list before going shopping compared to the national average of 74%.
• 33% of shoppers admit that writing a shopping list would help them to reduce their food waste.( LFHW 2020)

There are all sorts of ways to make shopping lists, and in turn, decrease the pressure on local landfills.

It can be as simple as writing a list on the back of an old envelope or talking to your watch and telling Siri or Alexa what you need to buy. Or you might use a whiteboard on your fridge and take a photo of the list before you visit the supermarket. There are also some great list-making apps which can save you time and money.

We know that the more you plan, the less you buy and the less you toss out. But the key is, stick to your list.

For those who struggle to stick to the list here are a few tips.

• Check the online mailer or supermarket flyer before you go shopping. That way you know in advance what the specials are and can plan your meals around them. There is no point buying two broccoli for $2 on special if you just end up throwing one of them away.
• It’s okay to buy specials on impulse that aren’t on your list, but try to make sure they are dried or tinned goods or items with a long shelf life. Try not to shop with the children as that can make it harder to stick to your list, but if you need to bring them with you get them involved. Make them in charge of looking for the items and then crossing them off the list.

Writing a shopping list may seem to be an unlikely way to save the planet in this topsy turvey COVID world of 2020 but making a list and sticking to it may be one simple thing we can all do

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Planning from a list:

• Stick to your list as best you can or give a one item allowance.
• Try to plan a meal that can be used for two nights e.g. a big pot of mince could be spaghetti bolognese one night and shepherd’s pie the next.
• Plan to have a freezer night every now and then when you use up leftovers and things you have frozen.
• Planning only five or six meals for the week gives you flexibility if your plans change or you feel that fish and chips on the beach is in order.

Do you want a meal plan to feed your family for only $60 a week? Download our summer easy kai book on the links below-

• Easy Kai summer list
• Easy kai summer PDF
• Easy kai summer Mobile PDF
• Check out 10 tips to make meal planning easier here

Love food hate waste has prepared some amazing videos on simple recipes

• Lemon curd fans click here
• #mumlife what to do with those who do not know what to do with crusts here
• Sauerkarut made at home here