1Every year, families in rich countries throw away enormous amounts of perfectly good food from their own kitchens.
2Bread goes stale, vegetables soften at the bottom of the fridge, and leftovers are forgotten behind other containers.
3This waste is not only a moral problem but also an enormous waste of water, energy, and money.
4Fortunately, a few simple habits can dramatically reduce the amount of food that ends up in the bin.
5The first habit is planning meals before shopping, so that you only buy what you will actually cook.
6The second is learning to read dates carefully, because many products remain safe long after the printed date.
7Old bread can become toast or soup, and tired vegetables are perfect for stews and sauces.
8Freezing leftovers in small portions means that a quick meal is always waiting on busy evenings.
9Restaurants and supermarkets are also beginning to sell surplus food at low prices instead of throwing it away.
10None of these ideas requires special skills, yet together they could save millions of tonnes of food.