How to entertain and cut down food waste these holidays

Here's how to tread a little lighter when you feast this Christmas.

Loaded baked brie Source: Savannah van der Niet

It might be the most wonderful time of the year, but we're pretty sure your garbo doesn't agree. A study by Australian Ethical found that the amount of waste Australians produce increases by 30 percent at Christmas. That waste contributes to the 7.6 million tonnes of food Australians waste every year – which equals about 312 kilos per person or around $2,000 to $2,500 per household per year.

Not such a happy Christmas for the environment, or your bank account, right?

The good news is that there is plenty you can do to cut down on the food wasted at Christmas (and always).

"What people don't realise is the most effective and the most immediate way people can take climate action is by reducing the food waste in their homes," says Monique Llewellyn, Sustainability Project Manager at OzHarvest. "At Christmas, it's also all about reducing the huge amount of waste and saving some money at this time of year."

"This year more than ever, when food is so expensive, it's important to reduce food waste in the home," says Monique Llewellyn from OzHarvest. Source: OzHarvest

Prep, prep, prep

"In the weeks leading up to Christmas, start thinking about who you're cooking for, what you're eating and, most importantly, what you already have in your fridge and freezer, so you only buy what you need," says Monique.

A simple strategy is to write down your guest list, proposed menu and shopping list. Then 'shop' your pantry, fridge and freezer and cross the items you already have off your shopping list.

An even better way to use up what you have and save money is to shop your stores first then plan your Christmas menu around what you find.

Be specific

Many families delegate the Christmas menu, but often in a show of generosity, someone (often more than one someone) brings more than they were allocated. These extra dishes (and packets of chips and dips and all the rest that guests come laden with) increase the amount of food wasted at festive gatherings enormously.

Alexx Stuart, author of Low Tox Life Food and founder of Low Tox Life, advocates for using a spreadsheet to keep track of everything. "That way everyone knows exactly what they're in charge of - one or two dishes maximum each," she says.

A spreadsheet also helps everyone see that there is already more than enough food for everyone. Be specific when you are asking people to bring a dish and be sure to say, "Please don't bring anything other than X because we already have enough."

"Be really open about what you need," says Alexx Stuart from Low Tox Life. Being specific means people will provide exactly what is needed for the festivities and not 'nice to haves'. Source: Low Tox Life

Cut down on 'extras'

Of course, often we don't need others to add additional food. We're guilty of it ourselves.

Consider who you are catering for and when they will need to be fed. Often we buy 'extras' because we worry we won't have enough food on hand for guests, but the fact is that people can and will only eat so much. Don't be tempted to stock up on supplies you won't use.

The same is true for offering more variety than you need. No one needs to choose between four kinds of nuts, three types of potato dishes and five salads. Offer one or two choices and be overly generous with your laughter and kindness instead.

Christmas gathering

Don't forget your neighbours. While you might not be spending the day with them, you can still share the love.

Check each other's menu and work out what you can buy together.

No one needs an entire jar of cranberry sauce, so just buy one and each take what you need. A whole ham could be divided to feed four Christmas gatherings. One jar of cloves is likely enough for your entire suburb...

You get the idea. Divide and conquer.

Any extra cranberry sauce can be loaded over baked brie. Source: Savannah van der Niet

Get the recipe here.

Store things well

All those lovely leftovers need to be carefully stored, so Monique reminds us to clear some space in the fridge and freezer straight after the meal. "Invest in good quality, airtight containers and make sure you have enough to store your leftovers," she says. "That will prolong the life and usability of your leftovers."

Remember to serve the dressing on the side so you can store any remaining salad. "It will last much longer if it's undressed," advises Monique.

If serving an undressed salad feels awkward, Alexx suggests dressing and serving half the salad and then doing the other half if needed. "That way, if the salad doesn't get eaten you haven't wasted both the salad and the dressing. Be strategic about what you do that can't be undone," she advises.

OzHarvest also offers free Use It Up tape to remind everyone in your household to eat the leftovers you've so carefully stored.

Leftover love

No matter how carefully you plan, there will always be food leftover. Whether that's peelings from your veggie preparation, unused condiments remaining in the jar or leftovers after the meal is finished. A good way to get the most out of the food you've bought and prepared is to know how you're going to use every scrap before you even begin.

Here are some recipes for common leftovers:

Another tip: while you're prepping your vegetables, have a bowl in front of you to toss in any peelings and offcuts. Once you've finished, throw the scraps into a freezer-safe container and freeze them to make a generous batch of stock in the new year. And remember that the rind on your ham is perfect for cutting up to flavour soups, sauces or drying out for an extra-crackly Christmas treat.

"When in doubt, if you've got a lot of leftovers, use your freezer to buy yourself some time," says Alexx. It gives you an extra three months to figure out what to do with all your leftovers."