What Would Sarah Wilson Do About Food Waste?
Before any food scraps leave our kitchens, a new mantra has rung through our heads: What Would Sarah Do? Since the release of her most recent book Simplicious, Sarah Wilson has totally changed what we consider "food waste," and what could be part of lunch tomorrow instead. Even if you're not quite ready to quit sugar, Simplicious will definitely help you quit your food tosser ways (they certainly inspired many of our food waste hacks!)Join us on the couch as we chat with our girl crush and total food waste hero:
Sarah, we totes love the hacks in Simplicious - what's the one tip that has surprised people the most?
Getting takeaway containers from restaurants and cafes. There's a misconception that it's illegal here in Australia, and/or dangerous.
Yeah the danger issue with leftovers does crop up a fair bit - what's an easy rule to stick by to play it safe?
I share the 2:4 rule. Simply get the doggie bag leftovers to a fridge within 2 hours and keep it there for no more than 4 days before eating. Which makes people very relieved.
And while we're on the topic of eating out, is there something that a cafe or restaurant has done to save food that made you do an internal "yasss"?
A small example, but small moves are often the best… in Canberra there was a cafe that made their own almond milk and then an incredible Paleo bun from the leftover almond meal. Smart and saves a lot of money. I'm also loving how a lot of the top restaurants now offer house sparkling from an in-house tap.
OMG, smart. This is what we love about the solutions to food waste - they're just smarter! What have you found kick arse about your food waste journey beyond the eco and cost saving benefits?
It saves time, not least of all in trips to the supermarket. Cooking up a stock from food scraps while making your roast dinner, then chucking in the bones after everyone's finished, and simmering overnight, takes approximately 22 seconds. This kind of "kitchen flow" gets me very excited.
That is so freakin true about saving trips out! We've found that we save a lot of time too by getting creative with what's in the fridge and when you get into that "kitchen flow" as you say. You end up with plenty of building blocks for a meal, even if it's one you might not have expected.Speaking of the unexpected - what's on your radar at the moment that's next on your list of "this is shit, let's do something about this people"!
I rant about a lot of sustainability topics in the food space but one on my radar at the moment is takeaway coffee cups. The lids contain BPA which is drawn out of the plastic by the acidity levels and the heat when your hot liquid passes through. Which makes you sick. There's also a misconception they're recyclable, but disposable DOES NOT mean recyclable. The cups are lined with plastic, which is not biodegradable, and sticks around long enough to out-live us all.
Wow, that's pretty gross. Yet one more reason for us to bring our KeepCups with our takeaway cups. Thanks Sarah!
So you know food waste is costing you, our farmers and the environment, but you’re sick of being spoon fed solutions that are good in theory, but don’t work when shit gets real.Enter Youth Food Movement Australia’s SpoonLed series, where we're inviting you to join us in giving food waste the flip. We're gathering up the most exciting solutions that work with our social lives, from our community and leadership workshops in Sydney. Join the movement and eat by example with us!
Images: Sarah Wilson