Love your fridge and waste less
Storing food in the right way helps keep it fresh and tasty for longer and means less of the food we buy gets wasted. That’s good for the environment and our pockets.
Watch our short video with Sallie from the Love Food Hate Waste team showing you how to organise your fridge to get the most out of your food
Remember to keep your fridge temperature below 5oC. Research shows that up to 70% of our fridges are too warm, meaning food won’t last as long as it could. Milk goes off much quicker if the fridge is just a few degrees too warm.- It’s best not to put bread in the fridge as it goes stale much quicker. Bread keeps better in a cool dark place such as the bread bin or a store cupboard. Bread also freezes well for use another time.
Did you know 17 billion ‘5 a day’ portions are thrown away each year in the UK? The fridge is the ideal place to store most of your fruit and veg (except bananas and pineapples – keep these cool but don’t refrigerate; potatoes and onions - keep them in a cool, dark place like a garage, potato/onion bag or pantry). In fact fruit lasts up to two weeks longer in the fridge, in the pack it came in, than in the fruit bowl.- Fruit and veg packaging has been designed to help it stay at it's best for longer, so don’t take the packaging off until you’re ready to eat the food. Check the pack for instructions if you're not sure
Once opened, food like cheese and ham keep better if they’re well wrapped by re-closing the pack, wrapping in cling film or foil, or putting it in an air tight container.Make the most of your food by cooling leftovers as quickly as possible after cooking and store them in the fridge. Eat within two days or freeze for another time. We have some great recipe ideas for making the most of your leftovers.- Why not check out our suggestions for essential fridge and freezer ingredients for helping you create tasty and nutritious meals in a flash
- And finally if you aren’t going to eat it, remember you can always freeze food before the ‘use by’ date. Defrost when you need it and use within 24 hours.