Louth households set to waste €34 million worth of food this year ahead of Christmas

Louth is set to throw away €34 million worth of salvageable food this year, according to research from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 

The research found that the average Irish household wastes an estimated €700 worth of usable food annually. 

It found 79% of people reported that dinner is the meal where the most amount of food is wasted.   

Bread is the most commonly wasted food with 48% of people admitting it's the food they waste most often, followed by fruit and vegetables with 42%.

Too Good to Go, the world's largest marketplace for surplus food, has issued a stark warning to Louth households ahead of the Christmas food shop.

Machaela O'Leary, sales manager at Too Good To Go Ireland said the idea that people are wasting €700 a year in the midst of a cost of living crisis is "truly shocking". 

It said these foods can be saved by turning them into breadcrumbs for Christmas stuffing or vegetable soups.

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It has set out four rules to follow when shopping for Christmas period. 

1.      The "Guestimate" Rule:

With 79% of waste happening at dinner, don't cook for the whole village if you're only feeding your family. Calculate portions realistically to stop the bin filling up on Christmas night. 

2.      Freezer Space:

Start eating from the freezer this week. Using up the food you already have will lower your grocery bills in the expensive run-up to Christmas and clear essential space to freeze your leftovers over Christmas and helps avoid food waste. 

3.      Avoiding the “Just in Case”:

Avoid the temptation to bulk-buy "just in case" during your main shop. Remember that the shops only close for a day or two over the Christmas period. 

4.      The Day Two Veggie Revival:

Maximise your Christmas vegetable leftovers by tackling them in two groups. The first group can be made into a hearty vegetable soup, perfect as a starter on St. Stephen's Day.

For the second group put them in a mix of oil, a drizzle of honey and balsamic vinegar before roasting them in the oven to create great tasting honey roasted vegetables to accompany your leftover turkey and ham.