10 smart ways to reuse food scraps

According to data from the Akatu Institute, Brazil is the fourth largest food producer in the world. The sad news is that a third of the food produced is thrown away. Every day, 39,000 tons of food are disposed of in the garbage, enough to feed around 19 million Brazilians with the three main meals a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner).

Thinking about avoiding waste, it is necessary to seek alternatives for the reuse of food left over from meals. To help you with this task, nutrition student Yolanda Lopes da Silva has prepared 10 smart ways for you to reuse food scraps. The cool thing is that with reuse you can save up to 20% of your monthly budget:

1. Tomato: You know the ends of the tomato that you take off and throw away? If mixed with a little water and tomato paste you have a beautiful sauce. For this you need to sanitize the tomato well before cutting, remove the ends, store in a bag and freeze. To use it is not necessary to defrost, just hit the blender;
2. Rice: Leftover rice can be turned into a dumpling, rice lasagna, baked rice or risotto;
3. Beans: Are there any beans left? How about making a delicious Tutu? Other options are: Feijão Tropeiro and Sopa de Feijão;
4. Chicken: Can be shredded and reused in pies, pizzas, risotto;
5. Milk: The curdled milk can yield a delicious dulce de leche;
6. Hard bread: You can beat it in a blender and prepare a breadcrumb. Toast and Meat Dumplings made with bread are also delicious!
7. Meat and Eggs: A fresh farofa can be prepared with leftover meat and eggs;
8. Peels: The peels of melon, watermelon, pineapple, jabuticaba, banana and orange can turn into a delicious jelly. Check out a recipe at the end of the article;
9. Seeds: The seeds of fruits and vegetables can also be reused. By grinding them in a blender and mixing them with flaxseed, it is possible to make a farofa rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Another option is to roast them in the oven and use them as quick, nutritious and healthy snacks throughout the day;
10. Composting: Another thing you can do with the husks, seeds, coffee grounds and teas and eggshells is composting, a technique of making organic fertilizer, ecologically correct and totally economical.

In addition to reuse, an important tip is to cook and serve yourself only with the amount necessary for consumption, preventing the remains of the dish from ending up in the trash. And always try to eat what’s left in the meal pans for dinner or the next day.

When shopping, you also need to be careful. Buy only the amount needed for consumption, preventing food from spoiling in the fridge or pantry. Check the expiration date on each product so you don’t buy too much of a food that is about to expire.

Check out some recipes to put the reuse tips into practice now:

Melon Peel Jelly

Ingredients:

• Peel of a medium melon
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 carnations
• Sugar
• Water

Preparation: Wash and cut the melon skin into pieces (the yellow and white parts) and cook them with enough water to cover the pieces of skin completely. Cook until the white part falls apart. Strain through a clean, fine cloth, squeezing well to get all the juice out. For each glass of juice obtained, add a glass of sugar. Add the cinnamon and cloves and bring to a boil again until you reach the desired point.

Functional seed flour

Mix all the ingredients already crushed in the blender with 300 g of hazelnuts or chopped walnuts. Store in the fridge in a dark container with a lid.

If you have any more interesting tips to share with us, write them in the comments!