Top-tips: For cost-effective cooking

How to save money and avoid waste when food costs are sky rocketing. Ian Taverner, AKA Mr Cookfulness, gives KtoA Magazine his suggestions. Ian is a food writer and coach living with disability and chronic illness, and is the author of Cookfulness: A Therapeutic Approach To Cooking.

At a time when the cost of living has increased so much, there is no single solution to coping with mounting food prices. With the higher prices shoppers have seen since early 2022, even savvy budgeting has become more and more difficult. However, there are a few hints and tips to bear in mind that can make a difference. Here are a few of my top tips to helping you budget, and to keep you cooking joyfully.

One of the largest areas of individual food waste, and therefore financial waste too, is fresh fruit and vegetables. We’ve all had the bananas in the bowl going brown, the potatoes seemingly sprouting a whole new potato farm, and half-eaten packets of salad and herbs left at the bottom of the fridge. Fresh fruit isn’t cheap and so we really need to try and use it all, every time. If bananas are going a bit soft and brown, don’t throw them out. Instead, peel and slice, and put into recyclable or compostable bags, or reusable containers, and into your freezer. Fresh raspberries, strawberries, blueberries too; don’t throw them out, freeze them! You can use these in smoothies, to make a quick crumble, in flap jacks, ice cream –so many things.

With lemons and limes, they often come in bags of three or four, and you might only use one or two. We’ve all been there. If you can, zest them into a little container for the freezer and juice into ice cube trays. You’ve then saved on waste, and you have instant zest and flavour ready to go.

With potatoes, make sure they aren’t too soft or black before removing any of the growing eyes (they just push off easily), and then boil or steam them. Make up some mash and then put that into the freezer too. You can even roast them and put them in the freezer, ready for when you really need them.

Fresh herbs are a classic example of when we buy with the best of intentions but end up throwing them out. Instead, you can chop them up, add to a little olive oil, and put into an ice cube tray for when you need them in the future. You can also put them whole into a jam jar and top up with olive oil for beautiful homemade herb oil.

One big tip to help you with the above is, in addition to labelling, to make a little list of what you have put into your freezer. I am sure, like me, you forget very easily what you put in when. After a little while in the freezer, things tend to all start to look the same too! So to avoid the surprises and to avoid buying more of what you already have – and to boost your cooking options – just write a little list of what you have in each freezer compartment and then stick it to the back of a cupboard door. Then, when you need it, you know exactly what you already have.

Those of you who already follow me will know I am big on making dishes into other dishes, making ingredients go a long way. I want you to have the best chance of enjoying cooking, and really look forward to the process – not dread it. The more you work with ingredients, the more excited you will become with smells, flavours and textures.

Take the humble can of baked beans. They are great value and keep for a long time, but don’t just use them for beans on toast. You can make baked bean burgers, bean tacos, spicy beans and bean burritos. There are all sorts of options and because baked beans are always popular, you are more likely to get a green light from everyone in the family to give it a try. The same goes for a can of chickpeas. We’ve all got them but probably don’t often use them. Chickpeas can be roasted with all kinds of spices on top for a great little healthy snack, and used in plenty of dishes –they aren’t just for hummus.

So you might think this all sounds great, but is it actually, possible and is it simple to do? Honestly, yes. There are many great recipes around. On my website, www.cookfulness.co.uk, and YouTube channel Cookfulness, there are lots of free video demonstrations and recipes available that use these often-wasted foods as the star ingredients. I try to make it as simple as possible, as fun as possible and as accessible as possible.

You can join my Cookfulness Revolution on all socials @Cookfulness, where I’m always sharing ideas, recipes and tips and the Cookfulness community share theirs too. It’s wonderful!

So before you go to bin it, just think: Could I freeze it and use it? Get it on the freezer list and give your cooking and shopping a real turbo boost.

Ian Taverner, Mr Cookfulness, provides bespoke in person and/or virtual cooking and wellness talks, demonstrations, programmes and shows for hospitals, charities, organisations and expos all over the country and internationally. To enquire about his services please email cookfulness@gmail.com. Cookfulness, the cookbook, is available at Goodreads, Amazon and Waterstones.