Adaptable consumption
Have you ever wondered what some small ways are to change your behaviour to reduce food waste? One answer is getting familiar with what we call “adaptable consumption”. Adaptable consumption, put simply, is getting flexible with what you do with your food both before and after you have already bought it. From adjusting your food planning to changing storage practices - all of this falls under the umbrella of adaptable consumption. This adaptability grants households more resilience in the face of changes in food availability, household needs and other small disruptions.
Key food provision habits
What does “adaptable consumption” actually entail? Hanna Goss, in her article, identified five key areas in food provision habits where you can implement changes and significantly contribute to reducing your household food waste! We would like to zoom in on three of those:
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Flexible meal moments—this idea relates to breaking away from your rigid food consumption routine that you probably developed; rather than sticking to it, experiment. Ask yourself, do I really need to throw out these leftovers? In what ways can I use them in a different meal?
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Reclaiming the edibility of the food—behind this idea stands a simple principle - use your senses. Rather than taking the expiry date on the packaging as an ultimatum, try to smell, look at, or even taste the food you may be about to throw out first.
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Reintegration of food into routines—this idea ensures that your leftovers and stored items are utilized; rather than throwing something in the freezer and forgetting about it for years, it's better to make concrete plans of how you are going to use it in the coming week straight away.