Tips for conscious consumers

As caterers, it is particularly important for us to keep food out of the bin. We hope you do too! Food waste is one of the biggest problems of our time. Let us shock you with a rough figure at the beginning of this article. In Hungary, nearly 2 million tonnes of food are thrown away every year. 2 million tons! A shocking number. All this while tens of thousands of people have problems finding a meal every day. Of course, this amount is not only generated in households, but also in the catering industry, including expired or damaged or contaminated food, used oil and other by-products. It's easy to shrug our shoulders and ask: if this number adds up to so much, what can I, the little man, do at home? A lot!

A small step for you, but a big step for humanity. If every household made just a little bit more effort to reduce the amount of food going to waste, we would be so much further ahead. What can you do? How can you become a conscious consumer?

Only the essentials
Although more than two-thirds of all shopping is impulse buying, make a conscious effort to only put what you really need in your basket. Don't buy something just because it's on sale, or something you can collect or win. Don't be swayed by tastings in the shops and remember that even though shopping trolleys are huge, you don't have to fill them up. Go with baskets or reusable bags. Whatever you really need, believe me, you'll find plenty of room in them. Don't go shopping hungry or thirsty. You'll find you're hungry for a lot more. And another important step: don't shop while standing in line. You're just doing it out of boredom. Think about what you'll need in the coming days, what you can cook from leftovers at home. Then write a shopping list and don't let the impulses swirling around in your hyperbole dissuade you from making that list.

Shop consciously!
Sustainable consumption means considering the entire life cycle of a product when making a purchase. Think about how much energy and raw materials are needed to produce and transport a product. How much packaging is used?
As a conscious shopper, look for quality products, not cheap ones! For fruit and vegetables, look for seasonal, locally produced goods.
Look at the packaging. Try to buy food with recyclable packaging, or bring your own bags, containers, or visit packaging-free shops.

Buy local!
By choosing local food over foreign food, you are supporting jobs in rural areas and our economy. You also protect the environment, because the products you buy don't have to travel halfway around the world to reach your shelves.

Make it at home!
You buy a lot of food that you could easily make at home. These include baked goods, jams and many vegetables. Even crisps, cookies and snacks can be replaced with home-made foods that contain no additives. Try making sourdough and bread, plant some vegetables if you have a garden. You'll find that eating your own produce is always more enjoyable.

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It may seem like a lot at first. You don't have to change your shopping habits overnight. Take it one step at a time. For example, start by watching how much food you throw out in a week or a month. What regularly ends up in the trash? How much more did you buy than you really needed? Why do you regularly throw food away? Is the portion too big, is it past its expiry date, and you still don't feel like eating it? Once you've mapped out your own habits, it's much easier to change them. There are plenty of recipes that give you recycling, leftover-saving ideas. It's worth looking around for them too. Believe me, every little step counts! Planning is the key to conscious weight loss. Plan your weekly menu in advance, prepare or order your meals in advance.