Every year, we throw away about 140 euros of food per person. What a waste! Before you head to the grocery store, check your pantry and fridge. What do you have left and what do you need to finish? Come up with recipes for the rest of the week. This way you will throw away less and save money.
Also have a look at the websites of The Netherlands Nutrition Centre and Milieu Centraal for tasty recipes with leftovers.
Seasonal fruit and vegetables are often cheaper, and tastier too! Strawberries, for example. They taste much better and they’re cheaper in summer than in winter. Not sure which fruits and vegetables are in season? Have a look at the fruit and vegetable calendar of Milieu Centraal!
And usually all the extra items are unhealthy products. That chocolate bar and packet of crisps look even more appealing on an empty stomach! So make sure you’re not hungry when you’re about to go grocery shopping.
Before you go grocery shopping, check which products are discounted. Discounted vegetables, fruit and meat/fish are especially interesting! This website gives you an overview of all discounted products in Dutch supermarkets. Don’t only check your usual store, but also have a look at others nearby!
Only buy discounted products if you’re sure you’re going to use them. Don’t buy anything you don’t need, because that’s a waste of money.
And generally they’re just as healthy! An additional advantage: they are usually pre-cut (broccoli and bell peppers, for example), which saves you a lot of prepping time.
When buying frozen products, do make sure that they don’t contain too many added ingredients, such as salt, sauces, herb mixes or flavour enhancers, because these make them less healthy. Choose products that contain the fewest added ingredients. So always check the ingredient list and remember, the shorter the list, the less processed and the healthier the product!
Meat can be expensive. By skipping meat a few times a week, you can save money. You can get the main nutrients that you usually get from meat from other products too, such as eggs, kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils or vegetarian meat substitutes. Check out our fun and tasty recipe ideas.
Products are often cheaper from the market, your local farmer or oriental grocery store. Fruit and vegetables, for example, but also grains and herbs. They’re definitely worth a visit!
In The Netherlands, we throw away about 47 kg of leftovers per person per year. That amounts to approximately 65 meals! It therefore comes as no surprise that there are more and more apps that try to prevent food waste. These apps help you find cheap leftovers from shops or restaurants nearby.
- Too Good To Go. This app enables shops and restaurant to sell their leftovers at the end of the day instead of throwing them away, for example bakeries or restaurants that were less busy than expected. This app allows you to buy their leftovers at an affordable price.
- NoFoodWasted. This app shows you which products are nearing their expiry date at the supermarket. You can buy them at a discounted price. Currently, over 100 supermarkets have joined the app. Download it and check whether your local supermarket is one of them.
There are also websites where locals can offer portions of food that you can pick up for free or buy at an affordable price. Or maybe you have some leftovers yourself? Then you can give them away or sell them!
- Thuisafgehaald. This is an online platform where locals can easily share meals with neighbours. You can offer food yourself or ask to pick up meals. This gives you access to cheap meals and allows you to meet new people in your neighbourhood.
- On Facebook you can become a member of groups where people offer free or cheap food, such as ‘Gratis eten ophalen’ (‘Pick up free food’) and ‘Gratis eten en meer in Nijmegen’ (‘Free food and more in Nijmegen’). Look for similar groups near you.
