As Australians gather for festive celebrations, food often takes centre stage, but this abundance can lead to one of the most wasteful periods of the year. A stark new report highlights the scale of the issue, prompting calls for smarter kitchen habits to save money and the environment.
The Shocking Cost of Our Festive Waste
According to the recent OzHarvest report titled 'Half Eaten', close to half of all Australian households are throwing away an estimated $500 worth of produce and leftovers every single year. On a national scale, the statistics are even more confronting, with 7.6 million tonnes of food discarded annually. Perhaps most alarming is that 70 per cent of the more than 2.5 million tonnes of household food waste is still perfectly edible.
OzHarvest chef Valentina Camillacci emphasises that simple changes in how we prepare and serve our Christmas feasts can have a profound impact. "This festive season, let’s celebrate generously, get creative, and remember that what we do at home really does make a difference," she says. By cutting down on wastage, families can keep money in their pockets and significantly reduce the amount of organic matter needlessly sent to landfill.
Five Expert Strategies for a Frugal & Sustainable Feast
Camillacci has shared her top five practical tips to help Australian households tackle food waste this Christmas and beyond.
1. Reinvent Your Leftovers
Research identifies home-cooked leftovers as one of the most commonly wasted items. The solution is creativity. Roast vegetables can be reborn as vibrant salads or hearty frittatas, while leftover ham or turkey is ideal for pasta dishes, fried rice, soups, or toasties. For inspiration, Camillacci points to the 'Use It Up' section on the OzHarvest website, which features festive recipes like cheese board scrolls and ham and prawn dumplings designed specifically for leftover ingredients.
2. Practice the 'See It, Eat It' Rule
Out of sight often means out of mind, leading to forgotten food spoiling at the back of the fridge. Camillacci recommends using sticky labels or OzHarvest's special 'Use It Up Tape' to create a clear visual reminder for the whole household. "Place any leftovers in the fridge within two hours and label them," she advises. "Food you can see is far more likely to be eaten, not binned."
3. Embrace Your Freezer
Even if you rarely use it, the festive season is the perfect time to start. Think of your freezer as a pause button for food you won't consume in time. Freezing leftovers provides a convenient future meal during a busy week and is a guaranteed method for cutting down on waste. "Future-you will thank you," Camillacci notes.
4. Use the Whole Ingredient
Getting the most from your groceries requires a little ingenuity. Veggie peels and herb stalks can form the base for flavourful stocks, stale bread transforms into breadcrumbs, and citrus zest can elevate baking and dressings. This whole-ingredient approach stretches your food budget further and keeps valuable resources out of landfill. The OzHarvest website offers recipes like broccoli stem salad and cauliflower leaves fry-up to demonstrate how.
5. Serve Smart at the Table
Minimising waste starts with how food is presented. Allow guests to serve themselves to ensure they take perfect portions without excess. Serve salads and mains with dressings and sauces on the side; this keeps leftovers fresher for longer. Any untouched food should be promptly returned to the fridge to be enjoyed another day.
Turning Awareness into Action
The message from OzHarvest is clear: individual actions in the home collectively create significant change. With millions of tonnes of edible food wasted each year in Australia, adopting even a few of these strategies during the Christmas period can lead to substantial financial savings and environmental benefits. It's a festive resolution that benefits both the household budget and the planet.
