Salad, bread and bananas are the top three most abandoned foods in the UK

A chef has shared top food tips that could save you money and prevent food wastage. Chef Nigel Kabvina who cooks up a storm on TikTok with his recipes is urging people to pay closer attention to how they store food.

For Zero Waste Week which runs until Friday September 9, research commissioned by Samsung is reported to show that 58% of Brits bin up to eight food items a week. Research shows that from 2,000 people questioned, approximately £272 a year is being wasted by throwing away food.

The most commonly wasted food items include salad, bread, bananas and potatoes. Nigel understands why this figure is high and acknowledges that it can be hard to use up food.

Nigel Kabvina (@sxmplyni), a TikTok chef who has 3.7million followers said: “It is difficult to make the most of everything in the fridge before it goes off. Be it a blackening banana or wrinkly sweet potato, you would be surprised at how creative you can get with the foods you often find lingering at the end of the week."

Now the chef is on a mission to help Brits curb food waste; here are his suggestions on how you can prolong the life of food in your fridge and save money in the process.

Rearranging your fridge to put fruit and veg in direct sight-line encourages you to eat it and regularly use it in cooking. Swap them over to the sauce and small jar shelf which you rarely use, as those products can last months.

If you have a smart fridge-freezer like the Samsung Family Hub, you can track expiration dates on items in and outside the refrigerator, via the View Inside feature.

Purchasing some airtight containers or mason jars can really help your food stay fresher for longer, as most store-bought packaging won’t protect products from spoilage once opened. This will extend the life of your items and keep their taste in check too.

If you have products like spring onion and baby lettuce about to expire, cut the bulb (bottom root) off and place in a small glass with some water. Replace the water every three days and within a week you will see a new fresh vegetable start to grow.

Don't bin food, pickle it

Pickle or ferment food that has passed its prime by steeping in alcohol or brine. The acidity keeps it alive for longer whilst creating complex flavours.

Try mushrooms infused with bourbon or strawberries pickled in distilled vinegar for a delicious addition to your salads.

Freezing leftover food is also another way to stop wasting food. More than half (52%) of Gen Z and Millennials admit to wasting food each week, with many young adults preferring to order takeaways (55%) or going out to eat (40%), even when there’s already something at home.

Despite having the most surplus fridge items, a quarter (25%) of young adults feel guilty for wasting food. In fact, they are most eager to turn things around, with over 20% wanting more low-waste meal inspiration and a quarter (24%) wishing they knew how to preserve foods for longer.

9. Berries (raspberry, blueberries, and strawberries)

Tanya Weller, Marketing Director of Home Appliances at Samsung UK&I, said: “It’s clear to see from the research that there is room for improvement when it comes to managing the content of our fridges. We’re excited to equip people with simple tools to lower their everyday food waste and show the role technology must play."