The average NSW household throws away $70 of edible food every week, and with research indicating that families with children are amongst the top food-wasters, there are literally thousands of dollars of savings that can be made by families each year.
North East Waste’s Food Smart project is aimed at raising awareness of food waste in the home and educating local families in food waste reduction techniques.
Alstonville Community Preschool staff, kids and their families have joined the war on waste by becoming Food Smart champions, learning easy ways to reduce the edible food they throw away through better shopping, planning, cooking and storage techniques.
Education Coordinator for North East Waste, Linda Tohver says that by participating in the Food Smart Program, families and schools get valuable information about wast. ‘The program teaches valuable shopping tips, time saving meal planning hints, leftover makeover recipe ideas and clever storage methods designed to make your food last longer – and get eaten by your family,’ she said.
Alstonville Community Preschool is one of 10 schools selected to participate in the Food Smart Program.
Narelle Walker who is the director of the preschool said that the Food Smart program has been welcomed by Alstonville Community Preschool. ’North East Waste came and ran a Food Smart cooking workshop with our families last week,’ she said. ‘Chef Danielle Davidson provided delicious recipe tastings and meal plan ideas. This is complementary to the sustainability initiatives we already have in place.’
The project is running across the seven council areas in the northern rivers region and is part of the NSW Environment Protection Authority’s Love Food Hate Waste state-wide Food Smart program.
All participating households received a free tool kit with items such as bag clips and food huggers to help them keep their food fresh for longer. Families measure the food waste at the start and end of the program to monitor the progress of their food waste reduction.
‘Food Smart will benefit families and staff that participate, by saving money as well as food,’ said Ms Walker.
Ms Tohver says that everyone can be a Food Smart Champion. ‘By signing up to Food Smart families can start enjoying the benefits including free entry into one of our upcoming cooking workshops at our other Food Smart Champion Schools,’
For more information or to sign up, visit: www.newaste.org.au/foodsmart or contact [email protected].
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