1. Plan your menu
Much like with your weekly menu, the best way to prevent food waste with your holiday menu is to plan ahead. Take good care in drawing up a guest list and, even better, sort them based on their age to know exactly how many adults and children will be in attendance. Depending on the meal format you go with (cold or hot buffet, table service, potluck), make the task easy by using a meal planning tool like My RICARDO+ or the new RICARDO app to plan your menu from starters to dessert.
Be sure to ask about your guests’ food preferences. Use this opportunity to inquire about possible food allergens, as well.
2. Do an inventory of your fridge and pantry
Go through the contents of your pantry and fridge in order to avoid buying ingredients you already have and you can plan your meal accordingly. Are you running low on molasses to make gingerbread cookies? Then use up the last bit of matcha tea stored in the fridge to make matcha tea cookies instead. The freezer likely also hides its own treasures. With that forgotten half-filled box of wonton wrappers, you can make a few holiday dumplings to serve as an appetizer.
3. Calculate servings
The best way to prevent food waste at the source is by calculating the amount of food you need to prepare according to the number of people who will be in attendance. If hosting a small group, purchase a small turkey roast, for example, rather than a whole large bird, even if it’s on sale (unless you have a Plan B in place to use up the leftovers). Whatever the meal, refrain from cooking more of it “just in case.”
4. Make a grocery list and stick to it
Once you’ve finished planning, make a grocery list and be sure to only purchase what you have written down. Deals like “Buy 2 and save!”, products with exclusive holiday flavours and pretty packaging are numerous, merely temptations to add to your cart. Before making an impulse purchase, be sure to ask yourself whether you really need it.
5. Make room in your freezer
Starting in November, plan your weeknight meals around clear-out-the-freezer recipes, in order to free up freezer space for make-ahead holiday dishes such as meatball stews and meat pies, and even desserts. A few days prior to D-Day, start decluttering your fridge by using up any fruits, veggies and other perishable items.
6. Plan on what to do with your leftovers
Make sure you have enough room in the refrigerator and freezer to store what hasn’t been consumed. Separate into servings the foods that can be frozen. And then consult our zero waste section for ideas on how to use leftover mashed potatoes or a recipe for a shredded turkey sandwich with gravy.
When choosing to host a potluck and after having put together a detailed menu, don’t hesitate to give your guests specific instructions on the dishes you’d like them to bring. By just letting guests bring what they want, you run the risk of having an imbalance, with a table loaded with desserts and snacks, and only one salad. And remind them that, even though there will be 20 guests at dinner, it isn’t necessary to double or triple a recipe, given the number of dishes that’ll be brought.
7. Serve smaller portions
Using small plates lets you limit the amount of food served without giving your guests the impression that they’ll be hungry. It’s always best to fill a small plate and then go in for a second helping rather than wasting the contents of an overloaded large plate. You can also allow guests to serve themselves by placing the dishes at the centre of the table. This way, they’ll choose the desired foods and portion sizes based on their appetite, which will produce less waste.
8. Avoid leaving out all your dishes and quickly store leftovers
During a buffet-style meal, we have the tendency to place all the dishes on the table to give off a sense of abundance. In order for leftovers to stay fresh for longer, it’s best to only leave out a few dishes at a time, bringing out new dishes as you go and quickly storing leftovers in the fridge.
9. Have containers for leftovers handy
Make your guests happy by putting some leftovers in containers for them to take home. You can even ask your guests to each bring their own container if they’d like to take home some food afterwards. Another option is to offer any excess food to an elderly neighbour or a parent who lives on their own.
10. Choose to compost
As a last resort or in case you’re uncertain whether the food that’s been left on the table for hours is still safe to eat, toss the leftovers in the compost bin and vow to do better next time!