Hello house,please how can I stop wasting food I need suggestions please. Its just myself,hubby and my children( 2 boys ).

The major problem here is me, am such a person that when it comes to food I can't be predicted. I could be so hungry and finish 2 plates of rice at a go and for the next 1 week I could feed on just junks and drinks,hence all the portion of my food I cooked will go to waste.

On another occation, I could cook for the family with the mind set of eating out of it but when the food is ready I just loose taste and my appetite is gone,so I scoop and put in the fridge. Most times I forget the food for days in the fridge and by the time I bring it out,it doesn't look appealing to eat and its another waste.

Sometimes when I cook just a little quantity,it wunt go round,hubby might ask for more or my kids eat more than I expected or it could even be my appetite that goes high I end up eating 3/4 of the whole food.

I know wasting of food is really bad and want to stop it cause I go out everyday and see people in need, I just look up and ask God for forgiveness.

Please your contribution will be appreciated. Thanks

You should try your best to avoid these scenarios.
Stop forgetting food in the fridge!!!
You appetite should stop sky-rocketing suddenly!
Sometimes, you could just try to be smart, as in if I bring out rice from the fridge and it doesn't look attractive to me....I just cook another rice and combine the old and new, that way, the attraction radiates from new to old

Just remembered I have some boiled potatoes in my fridge and it's been there for about a week, I'm sure it might not be 100% appealing again but na porridge tinz sharp sharp


I really dislike wasting food, so, I try my best to avoid such.

Food waste is almost inevitable in homes, especially homes with kids.
I also felt bad each time i have to inevitably waste food, but now i've been relieved of feeling guilty since hubby thought of keeping poultry of chickens to be used during Xmas and new year period, so he bought 20 browlers and that is where our "would-have-being" wasted food goes.

So, you can do the same or get a pet like dog to be fed with the food that would have been wasted.

Food wastage is really a bad idea,considering the copious amount of people poor and indigent that cannot afford 3 square meals.however from ur years of marriage u ought to hv known the quantity of food d whole family can engulf.
However sharing your food out is the best option to stop wastage after you cook according to ur family wants.If you hav a security man enlist him in d people you feed,so is your house boy if any.like we in the north where beggars are like flies,we normally get one or two and engage them in domestic jobs afterwards we give them some amount of money and food.sometimes even when d beggars hv no job they come,eat and go atlesast lunch nd sometimes dinner,by doing this you will really be assisting a poor kid whom d world has turned its back on.

alutacontinua: You should try your best to avoid these scenarios.
Stop forgetting food in the fridge!!!
You appetite should stop sky-rocketing suddenly!
Sometimes, you could just try to be smart, as in if I bring out rice from the fridge and it doesn't look attractive to me....I just cook another rice and combine the old and new, that way, the attraction radiates from new to old

Just remembered I have some boiled potatoes in my fridge and it's been there for about a week, I'm sure it might not be 100% appealing again but na porridge tinz sharp sharp


I really dislike wasting food, so, I try my best to avoid such.

wait till you start having kids

Common problem for the well to do families.

Get a measuring cup. Have a certain standard amount you cook for all meals. E.g 4cups of rice for lunch, 3cups of garri for dinner. N1500 meat for a pot of soup that will last 3days etc. Maintain this and eventually your family will adjust to it.

All the best.

alutacontinua: You should try your best to avoid these scenarios.
Stop forgetting food in the fridge!!!
You appetite should stop sky-rocketing suddenly!
Sometimes, you could just try to be smart, as in if I bring out rice from the fridge and it doesn't look attractive to me....I just cook another rice and combine the old and new, that way, the attraction radiates from new to old

Just remembered I have some boiled potatoes in my fridge and it's been there for about a week, I'm sure it might not be 100% appealing again but na porridge tinz sharp sharp


I really dislike wasting food, so, I try my best to avoid such.

Hmmmm my sister I have tried that several times o,I still end up forgetting especially when I have to cook in a rush,attend to the kids needs or even do other house chores in between cooking. Thanks for your input.

5minsmadness: Common problem for the well to do families.

Get a measuring cup. Have a certain standard amount you cook for all meals. E.g 4cups of rice for lunch, 3cups of garri for dinner. N1500 meat for a pot of soup that will last 3days etc. Maintain this and eventually your family will adjust to it.

All the best.

what about measuring everything accordingly, and after serving, one or more kids refuse to eat, what can one do?

Get a Dog!

Mutuwa: Food wastage is really a bad idea,considering the copious amount of people poor and indigent that cannot afford 3 square meals.however from ur years of marriage u ought to hv known the quantity of food d whole family can engulf.
However sharing your food out is the best option to stop wastage after you cook according to ur family wants.If you hav a security man enlist him in d people you feed,so is your house boy if any.like we in the north where beggars are like flies,we normally get one or two and engage them in domestic jobs afterwards we give them some amount of money and food.sometimes even when d beggars hv no job they come,eat and go atlesast lunch nd sometimes dinner,by doing this you will really be assisting a poor kid whom d world has turned its back on.

Thanks very much my brother, I usually do this when I was in abuja but where I am now isn't like that. As much I would want to call kids and eat with them even in the same plate(it wunt cost me anything) but I tell you one thing bro,its a diffrent thing some people will term it to,so many meanings will be read to my actions. Even when you give out to people you are sure needs na wahala o.
With experience and happening I just sit and look. I rarely give now until the person comes to me and ask or ask indirectly,even clothes I would rather pack and send to an unknown motherless babies home. Thanks for your input

First of all, eliminate junk foods no matter what. That's a way to go. You can't have food in the house and then drive to KFC. I mean. You get my drift?

Ujujoan: Get a Dog!

That would have been my perfect solution as I love dogs a lot,I used to have one before I got married but now my parents and siblings raise him cause my hubby isn't a dog fan. I have tried every other possible means but not working.

greatgod2012: Food waste is almost inevitable in homes, especially homes with kids.
I also felt bad each time i have to inevitably waste food, but now i've been relieved of feeling guilty since hubby thought of keeping poultry of chickens to be used during Xmas and new year period, so he bought 20 browlers and that is where our "would-have-being" wasted food goes.

So, you can do the same or get a pet like dog to be fed with the food that would have been wasted.

Thanks sis for your input.

Your loss of appetite might be due to many tasting portions of the food in the process of cooking,and cook with the mindset of eating,and avoid your appetite been subjected to your present mood..

Dygeasy: First of all, eliminate junk foods no matter what. That's a way to go. You can't have food in the house and then drive to KFC. I mean. You get my drift?

Yes my brother I get your drift,I don't go to eateries to get junks except for biscuits and drinks,am a baker so I always have cakes and snacks at all times. If I bake for a clients I do make sure to bake a little extra Not because of me but cause of my kids that will keep crying for cake at the sight of it,else I risk then pinching on the cake for a client.

Food waste is normal but not ideal.this idiotic nepa peeps contribute to forcing people to waste food


the other day on my way to work i branched to the market to buy kilos of turkey and pepper and kept in the freezer so I wouldn't have to be going to the market frequently. Immediately I got home this moda fokas took away light and there was no light till all the stuffs in the fridge spoilt. They claimed the electric pole wires had issues and that was the period our gen became faulty. I learnt my lesson


Though to avoid wastage just buy a dog and put it in the house. All the wasted food will be given to the dog that way you won't feel bad

greatgod2012:


what about measuring everything accordingly, and after serving, one or more kids refuse to eat, what can one do?

Yes this happens.
Option one: force the kid to eat. Let them get used to eating a particular amount. Its all part of discipline until they leave your house.

Option two: so you are not the disciplinarian type. Keep leftovers in the fridge for eating the next afternoon. Ensure same child eats his/her leftovers if possible. This instills discipline and responsibility as well as reducing food wastage.

SAMBARRY: Food waste is normal but not ideal.this idiotic nepa peeps contribute to forcing people to waste food
the other day on my way to work i branched to the market to buy kilos of turkey and pepper and kept in the freezer so I wouldn't have to be going to the market frequently. Immediately I got home this moda fokas took away light and there was no light till all the stuffs in the fridge spoilt. They claimed the electric pole wires had issues and that was the period our gen became faulty. I learnt my lesson
Though to avoid wastage just buy a dog and put it in the house. All the wasted food will be given to the dog that way you won't feel bad

Haaaa! If that happened at my end, I would definitely see red o! My deep sized freezer is stocked to the brim with perishables that would last my very large family for a month! Fresh fish, that very, very dried fish sent to me from Naija (over £100's worth), bags of chicken drumsticks, cow meat, pepper, washed & sliced Ugwu, and more...

@Taryour: I would have said store the left overs in plastic take-away containers in your deep freezer, but since electricity supply at your end is at best erratic, I'll suggest you cook in smaller quantities.

Everything that spoilt in the freezer was over 5000naira plus.3000 naira turkey, tomato and pepper was over 700naira, red meat, titus fish etc.it was very annoying. The odour from the fridge nko?



smh



every one has given up on Nepa/phcn

EfemenaXY:

Haaaa! If that happened at my end, I would definitely see red o! My deep sized freezer is stocked to the brim with perishables that would last my very large family for a month! Fresh fish, that very, very dried fish sent to me from Naija (over £100's worth), bags of chicken drumsticks, cow meat, pepper, washed & sliced Ugwu, and more...

@Taryour: I would have said store the left overs in plastic take-away containers in your deep freezer, but since electricity supply at your end is at best erratic, I'll suggest you cook in smaller quantities.

I understand how difficult it is to store food in Nigeria especially with the erratic power supply and when I am in Nigeria, I still find it very odd to be going to the market every other day.

Like you, I cook and sometimes cant be bothered to eat it, but usually I or someone else eats it before it goes off.

We are a family of 4 but with 3 different diets so what we do is to freeze a lot of stuff and each person has his/her own plastic pots and use as required.

When it comes to rice just measure exactly how much you need and for things like yam cut only the exact slices that you will eat . .no jara. If you have impromptu guests then cook their own meal separately. Rice only takes 30 minutes to boil.

You may also want to count meat/chicken/fish you will use for each pot of stew so you know exactly how long it will last for and dont cook big stews that you will heat and heat and heat.
Just cook often but in smaller quantities so that it always tastes fresh and looks good and that will encourage you to eat it.

Find faster ways of cooking so that you are not spending too long in the kitchen and it now becomes a chore and then you are tempted to cook large pots in one go.

Strict discipline. . .teaching by example.

Cooked food stored in the freezer MUST be consumed before cooking any new thing. No junks,juices(unless home made) when there is food in the house. Keep everyone's left over in the fridge, microwave and force the person to eat it for next day/meal. Kids would only cry,pull stunts but when they see you wont give in,they comply.

Get a generator that can power-on your freezer.

I have kids and this works for me. Plain old discipline and rules. shikena

SAMBARRY: Everything that spoilt in the freezer was over 5000naira plus.3000 naira turkey, tomato and pepper was over 700naira, red meat, titus fish etc.it was very annoying. The odour from the fridge nko? :-Xsmh
every one has given up on Nepa/phcn

Pele
You could have just fried the turkey, meat and fish and eat it with gari LOL
The pepper you could have cooked down

But its true; Nepa is a real pain. Even when you are travelling for the weekend you sometimes have to switch the fridge off, cos you dont know what almighty power surge can happen in your absense.
I cant begin to write all the electronices that have been damaged by Nepa

Wonderful. I will buy chaircovers idea.very good one. Thanks o jare

chaircover: I understand how difficult it is to store food in Nigeria especially with the erratic power supply and when I am in Nigeria, I still find it very odd to be going to the market every other day.

Like you, I cook and sometimes cant be bothered to eat it, but usually I or someone else eats it before it goes off.

We are a family of 4 but with 3 different diets so what we do is to freeze a lot of stuff and each person has his/her own plastic pots and use as required.

When it comes to rice just measure exactly how much you need and for things like yam cut only the exact slices that you will eat . .no jara. If you have impromptu guests then cook their own meal separately. Rice only takes 30 minutes to boil.

You may also want to count meat/chicken/fish you will use for each pot of stew so you know exactly how long it will last for and dont cook big stews that you will heat and heat and heat.
Just cook often but in smaller quantities so that it always tastes fresh and looks good and that will encourage you to eat it.

Find faster ways of cooking so that you are not spending too long in the kitchen and it now becomes a chore and then you are tempted to cook large pots in one go.

sambarry are you kulyie?

chaircover: sambarry are you kulyie?

YES!
Any similarity in altitude

You know how it is when you come back from work and you are tired especially passing through hours of lagos hold up and when you get home you just want to bath and sleep and then when its Saturday just prepare the amount that will carry you for the week so I'll just microwave the quantity I need.
As for nepa spoiling all the kitchen electronics in the house. Madam cc no be only you that's why I bought stabilizer for the freezer. They spoilt my microwave while I was microwaving my beans and I was in the sitting room watching tv.when the nepa surge came, before I could turn off the tv and a.c and run to the kitchen, my microwave don spoil so that's their usual behaviour

chaircover:

Pele
You could have just fried the turkey, meat and fish and eat it with gari LOL
The pepper you could have cooked down

But its true; Nepa is a real pain. Even when you are travelling for the weekend you sometimes have to switch the fridge off, cos you dont know what almighty surge can happen in your absense.
I cant begin to write all the electronices that have been damaged by Nepa

greatgod2012:


YES!
Any similarity in altitude

why are you speaking for me when I am still alive




I will give you blow now

chaircover: sambarry are you kulyie?

something like that.

SAMBARRY: why are you speaking for me when I am still alive




I will give you blow now

you're my personal person now, so, you know whattsap, abi you wan deny amlol

greatgod2012:


you're my personal person now, so, you know whattsap, abi you wan deny amlol

deny what?



a gold fish has no hiding place na



even if i change to another monica they will still know it's me


ahen chair cover you don take off abi?

taryour,
I really cannot top the wonderful/practical guides already shared by chaircover and others but I think you have to be proactive about balancing demand/supply as regards cooking. I used to be a major culprit of food wastage, my wife and I initially had issues concerning wastage but somehow she manage to adjust in such a way that whatever is left over is recycled or freezed for later use.

Study your eating pattern and everyone's appetite for some days, and then work out a table of favorite meals,food that when cooked even if there's left over it won't stay long in the pot and food that,even if it's little that is cooked, you all won't fancy it much....
It's better not to have a full stomach than waste food, if you're strict about it,it'll work out for you....long ago my mum asked me to cook rice,she asked me to measure using this small milk tin,I just decided to use my own discretion, I ended up over cooking,I ate that rice through out that Sunday and on monday morning too