The topic of food waste has been a focal point for the UAE government in 2020. On Wednesday, May 6, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, said the UAE must rein in its "culture of excess" particularly when it comes to food.
And creating such waste is easily done, when we're not thinking about it. Picking up the pre-wrapped packet of peppers, when really you just need one or two; letting a fresh piece of fish sit in the fridge for a day longer than you should; or getting home from work and ordering in, rather than cooking as planned.
From cooking to organising, here are some manageable ways to cut back on the food waste you produce at home:
1. Plan ahead and batch cook
If you know what you're cooking and eating for the week, you can buy and prepare accordingly. That means it will be much less likely for your lettuce to be wilted and past its best when you come to make a salad, and that your potatoes won't be sprouting before you get around to mashing them. If you shop over the weekend, map the trip by meal and make sure you only buy the fresh ingredients you need, based on a shopping list.
2. Freeze, freeze, freeze
Not only will it make life easier mid-week, when you have lunches and / or dinners pre-cooked, but it means you can also buy frozen fruit and vegetables, a cheaper and longer-lasting alternative to anything freshly picked.
If you have the luxury of space, a freezer stored in a spare room or garage will make a huge difference, as you can buy in bulk. It is a cost efficient way of shopping and pares back risk of waste when stored correctly. If you buy a huge side of meat or fish, for example, cut it down to portion-sized pieces to freeze.
3. Take stock
Every two months, assign an hour to complete a kitchen inventory. Go through the pantry food you have – tins, jars, dried food, pulses, pickled goods etc – and remind yourself what is there.
When you have gone though your dry goods, check the jars and bottles in the fridge. They all keep for much longer than you would expect, but familiarising yourself with what is there, will cut the risk of doubling up unnecessarily.
Plus, if you keep it logged in a Google Sheet, it will be accessible on your next shop, so you won't have to guess how many tins of chopped tomatoes you have in the house, and whether or not you have enough pasta for the week.
4. Make stock
A great way to cut out food waste, is by getting your ingredients to work a little harder. If you have vegetable peels and choppings, store them in a Tupperware as you're cooking, then when you're finished boil them up with your choice of herbs and spices to make a hearty vegetable stock. The same can be done with meat off-cuts and carcasses.
The stock will make a flavoursome base for future soups, sauces and stews, and can – of course – be frozen until you need to use it. Just make a note of the date you made it on the packaging.
5. Can, preserve and pickle
One way to make sure you're throwing away as little fruit and veg as possible, is to make your own canned fruit or pickled veg. There are plenty of recipes online, and if you're shopping seasonally, they make for lovely little eco-friendly gifts to give out to friends. Jams, chutneys and preserves also have a long shelf-life and are often appreciated.
6. Store food correctly
To get the most out of your fresh ingredients, make sure they are stored correctly – one vegetable drawer does not suit all, unfortunately. Now, we went into detail about food storage here, so read that for the full food-by-food run down. But know that citrus fruits, berries and asparagus thrive in the fridge, potatoes and tomatoes will thank you for being kept at room temperature and popping spring onions in a shallow jar of water will keep them fresher for longer.
7. Get composting
Now, this might not be viable for everyone – composting gets smelly, so you want that to be as close to the bottom of your garden as possible.
However, if you go have the space for a food waste bin, when you create some inevitable food waste, composting it and knowing you're making something you can use to help your garden thrive is incredibly satisfying. The list of waste you can compost is extensive, including paper and soft card, egg shells, animal hair, plants and grass, as well as fruit and vegetable scraps, tea bags and ground coffee.
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Fringe@Four Line-up
October 1 - Phil Nichol (stand-up comedy)
October 29 - Mandy Knight (stand-up comedy)
November 5 - Sinatra Raw (Fringe theatre)
November 8 - Imah Dumagay & Sundeep Fernandes (stand-up comedy)
November 13 - Gordon Southern (stand-up comedy)
November 22 - In Loyal Company (Fringe theatre)
November 29 - Peter Searles (comedy / theatre)
December 5 - Sinatra’s Christmas Under The Stars (music / dinner show)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
Results
2pm: Handicap Dh 90,000 1,800m; Winner: Majestic Thunder, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
2.30pm: Handicap Dh120,000 1,950m; Winner: Just A Penny, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.
3pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,600m; Winner: Native Appeal, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
3.30pm: Jebel Ali Classic Conditions Dh300,000 1,400m; Winner: Thegreatcollection, Adrie de Vries, Doug Watson.
4pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m; Winner: Oktalgano, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4.30pm: Conditions Dh250,000 1,400m; Winner: Madame Ellingtina, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
5pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m; Winner: Mystery Land, Fabrice Veron, Helal Al Alawi.
5.30pm: Handicap Dh85,000 1,000m; Winner: Shanaghai City, Jesus Rosales, Rashed Bouresly.
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
Klopp at the Kop
Matches 68; Wins 35; Draws 19; Losses 14; Goals For 133; Goals Against 82
- Eighth place in Premier League in 2015/16
- Runners-up in Europa League in 2016
- Runners-up in League Cup in 2016
- Fourth place in Premier League in 2016/17
The specs
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
Torque: 350 and 360Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT
On sale: now
Calls
Directed by: Fede Alvarez
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Karen Gillian, Aaron Taylor-Johnson
4/5
RESULT
Wolves 1 (Traore 67')
Tottenham 2 (Moura 8', Vertonghen 90 1')
Man of the Match: Adama Traore (Wolves)
Scorecard
Scotland 220
K Coetzer 95, J Siddique 3-49, R Mustafa 3-35
UAE 224-3 in 43,5 overs
C Suri 67, B Hameed 63 not out
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
As it stands in Pool A
1. Japan - Played 3, Won 3, Points 14
2. Ireland - Played 3, Won 2, Lost 1, Points 11
3. Scotland - Played 2, Won 1, Lost 1, Points 5
Remaining fixtures
Scotland v Russia – Wednesday, 11.15am
Ireland v Samoa – Saturday, 2.45pm
Japan v Scotland – Sunday, 2.45pm
