Love Food Pledge

 

There are many quick and easy ways you can reduce the amount of food thrown away. Make a pledge today and start getting even more value from the food you buy.

Making a pledge is simple, complete your details in the form below and select what action you are going to take. You can choose from six pledges or if there’s something you know you want to do to reduce food waste tell us what you’re going to do in the’ suggest a pledge’ box.

Everyone submitting a pledge will be entered in to our grand prize draw. Prizes include restaurant vouchers, recipe books and cookery lessons (pdf Love Food Pledge terms and conditions apply).

If you are not sure how making a pledge could help you love your food even more, look at the information at the bottom of this page explaining what each pledge involves.

If you tick to say we can email or text you, we’ll send a monthly tip sheet to you giving you useful information and suggestions to help you get the most from acting on your pledge.

 

The Pledge form 3345

About you

Your Name (required)

Street name

Borough

Post Code (required)

Your Email (required)

Phone number

Can we contact you by text /email?
 Yes

Your pledge

Please tell us your pledge or send us your own pledge in the box below

 Planning my meals for the week ahead Checking what foods I have and making a list before shopping Checking portion sizes and avoid cooking too much Make the most of my freezer by freezing foods that I won’t use in time Paying attention to use by dates and using up or freezing food before it is past it's best Being creative with food I might normally throw away

Suggest a pledge

We can help you put your pledge into action. If you’re going to start planning your meals, download our pdf Meal planner, print and put it on your fridge. Or if you have an item you don’t know what to do with, email us (info@westlondonwaste.gov.uk) and we’ll come up with some recipe suggestions for you.

We’d love to hear how you have saved time and money by taking the action you’ve pledged. Let us know by emailing, posting on facebook or twitter. Any top tips or recipes could be published on this website!

What does each pledge actually mean?

Planning my meals for the week ahead
Planning your meals takes the hassle out of shopping, saves time, money and reduces food waste. It’s very simple to do: on a given night sit down and plan out each meal for the next seven days. Check your store cupboard, fridge and freezer to see what ingredients you need, and write yourself a shopping list. At the supermarket, make sure that you stick to your list – remember, you made it for a reason! If you need a little help with planning your meals, have a look at the Love Food Hate Waste Meal Planner for inspiration.

Checking what foods I have and making a list before shopping
Before you go shopping have a look through your cupboards, fridge and freezer to see what you need. Make a list of anything that you are running out of, or that you don’t have. When you are in the shop make sure to check the list regularly and to only buy what you have on your list. This will save time, money and food waste. You could also start writing your list as you use up something.

Checking portion sizes and avoiding cooking too much
It’s easy to accidentally cook too much, especially if you are cooking for different number to usual. To work out the right portions use the Love Food Hate Waste Perfect Portion tool. It has nearly 100 food items and will tell you the right amount in a simple and measurable way.

Make the most of my freezer by freezing foods that I won’t use in time
Almost every food can be frozen, and as long as you freeze it before the Use by Date then it will be fine to eat when you defrost it. Check Use by Dates often and where you see that a food item is about to go off, put it in the freezer for another day.

Paying attention to use by dates and using up or freezing food before it is past it’s best
Food is fine to eat right up to the Use by Date. After this, it shouldn’t be eaten unless it was frozen before the use by date. To make sure that you don’t let any food go past this date, don’t buy too much of one food. Regularly check your fridge and cupboard, and where you see that a food is nearing its Use by Date, bring it to the front make sure you use it quickly. If you see that something is about to go off, put it in the freezer. You can then eat it when you next need it.

Being creative with food I might normally throw away
Leftover food from last night is a perfect opportunity to save time, money and food.  Jazz up previous dinners, limp salad or the odds and ends in the back of your fridge by using the Rescue Recipes on the Love Food Hate Waste website to get some inspiration!