Leftover Challenge

This post is contributed by Mandy from Little People Nutrition.

It ain’t fancy, trust me, but it is fun.

Food waste is a huge issue in today’s world. Ugly stuff considering there are millions of people without food around the world and many families even here in Australia that go hungry. Yes, humble Aussies, without dinner.

In Australia we throw away around 1 in 5 shopping bags each week of food. Yep. That is over 450 000 truckloads of food a year. Wow. A lot.

So how can you help?

Simply look in your kitchen and use the food that needs using so you don’t throw it in the bin. It will save your budget and help the environment.

And today, I present you with a challenge, which is kind of fun (mate, you have to get your kicks out of something these days with kids!) and can be incredibly delicious too.

The Leftover Challenge.

How do you play?

1. Open your fridge.

2. Pull out foods that might go off soon and pop them on a plate. Photograph it.

3. Figure out what you are going to cook. Throw the ideas out there. Be creative. Mish mash it and invent something new. Make it tapas-esque. A picnic of thoughts.

4. Cook it. Photograph.

5. Eat it lovingly with our family.

6. Get your partner or the kids to wash up (well try).

7. Go to facebook or Instagram and post one of your picture and what it is and #itaintfancy because it isn’t. But sheesh it is delicious.

And the best parts about this challenge are that you:

• Save cash.
• Don’t have to go to the shops with the kids, again.
• You don’t bin any rotting food (or stink out your fridge).
• And in doing so you in avertedly are helping the environment.

Let’s see if we can inspire each other.

So what do I have.

This.

Soft beetroot. Cos lettuce. Coriander. Capsicum. Homemade veggie stock. Zucchini.

I am going to have to pull in some pantry staples and I will make.

• Roasted Beetroot pesto to go over some zoodles with a little extra spaghetti mixed in too.
• Coriander and capsicum salsa with a few cherry tomatoes swaggering around.
• And just some cos leaves because sometimes I can get the kids to wrap and roll their food for a bit of fun, mess and lettuce eating at the same time.

And here it is. With hideous lighting of the evening. Family style self serving to up the Division of Responsibility for the kids too.

#itaintfancy , but it is delicious, homemade and nutritious. It is real, simple, wholesome food.

I can’t wait to see what you are making.

I am also running an in person workshop in Sydney next week in Brookvale called “The Conscious Shopper” . It is about how to shop more wisely about health, nutrition, budget savvy and environmentally. It will be hands on with tastings and cooking and a whole lot of fun. So if live close by or would love to come to the Northern Beaches, I would love to meet you.