Tag: Habits

7 good habits to reduce food waste – Italian Cuisine

One in three Italians would use apps to buy unsold, imperfect or close to expiry food products, saving them from garbage and above all saving money. Here's what the results of a research tell us

It is a study conducted by Ipsos in collaboration with Waste Watcher International Observatory to reveal that about 4 out of 10 Italians (39%) are attentive to limit food waste and this good habit would be strengthened in the period following the lockdown: the under 35, on the other hand, would be the most committed citizens to preventing waste.

"The lockdown has imposed on Italians an accelerated course in food education and home economics, but they show that they have also well understood the implications of food waste for the health of the environment and their own", he observes Andrea Segrè, scientific director of the Waste Watcher International Observatory and founder of the campaign Zero waste, which concludes: "This is the positive legacy of the pandemic, which, however, among its tragic consequences also includes the dramatic accentuation of the food divide: the food gap that is added to economic, educational, digital and gender inequalities. Returning value to food and guaranteeing the right for all citizens remains the main road to bridge this imbalance, in Italy and in the world .

Further confirming these data is also a recent research published by the Reale Mutua Observatory and dedicated to agriculture and the new buying habits of our compatriots which states that 48% of respondents invest time to draw up a shopping list aimed at buy only the necessary foods and one in three would exploit applications that offer the possibility to buy unsold, imperfect or close to expiry agri-food products (at lower prices), saving money and saving them from the garbage!

On the subject, is the team of Phenix, a startup that facilitates the donation of expiring foods by supermarkets and industry, to provide us with useful information to prevent our incorrect daily habits from generating a huge amount of food waste: "Every year, Italians are increasingly attentive to the issue of food waste: from the latest Waste Watcher report, in fact, it emerged that over 57% of the population is more sensitive to the issue, thanks to the spread of waste surveys. In 2020, food waste was reduced by 25% compared to the previous year, going from 6.6 to 5 euros per week per person. A significant decrease which, however, still generates € 6.5 billion of waste every year. These few (but important) numbers, however, lead us to affirm that, although the path towards the goal #ZeroWaste is still far away, we're on the right path", explains Julien Fanara, country manager of Phenix Italia.

With the'Phenix app it is possible to buy, then save from waste, a box with the unsold products of the day from the shops closest to our home. Thus, in addition to helping small neighborhood businesses and saving money, it contributes to reducing CO2 emissions into the atmosphere: it would be enough to think that each box saved is equivalent to 2.5 kg of CO2 less.

7 useful tips to avoid wasting food

1. Be "locavori"

This term derives from the union of local And omnivorous and embraces the philosophy of good food, but at zero km. To be locavori, today, it is of fundamental importance to reduce the environmental impact and avoid waste: it is a good habit give priority to seasonal foods, perhaps produced by small farms in the area in order to reduce massive carbon dioxide emissions.

2. Don't judge by appearance

It is wrong to discard an uncared-for-looking apple because its shape is not the "conventional" one, much less a banana if it has some dark spots: it is only more ripe and sweeter. Nowadays we are used to throwing away food just because we judge it (wrongly) by its appearance, but a bite can make a difference.

3. Plan

It may seem trivial, but planning meals and always making a careful shopping list is the key to consuming responsibly and carefully. With a little imagination and organization, filling the fridge with the right foods for the week will be child's play.

4. Buy "on tap"

Prioritize products in bulk and only buy what you really need. Buying food in bulk allows us not only to avoid food waste, as we only buy the necessary quantities, but also those of the packaging.

5. The expiration dates

Although many foods can be consumed even after the expiration date indicated on the package, it is good it is normal to consume food on time and keeping an eye on the dates is essential to reduce waste. However, it is a good idea to buy foods that are close to expiry especially if we are doing a shopping that will be consumed in a short time.

6. Organize the refrigerator

Proper storage of food is essential to prevent it from deteriorating rapidly and therefore from going into the trash. It is important that food is placed in the most suitable spaces inside the refrigerator. For example: in the upper part we can keep sweets and cheeses; on the middle shelf, cooked foods, cold cuts and sauces; in the lower one, meat, fish and raw foods.

7. Talk to the shopkeepers

Chatting with the butcher can help prevent good food from ending up in the trash. For example, we can ask the shopkeeper which foods are close to expiry to take them home, perhaps saving money, and eat them before they go bad!

Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels.

Goodbye 2020! How the habits of Italians have changed – Italian Cuisine

This is endingfatal year, perhaps there is no better way to describe it. On the street today there is a different air, much quieter than the one that accompanies the turning point every year. But the smell of cooking arrives anyway. Thank god. Many lights in the street have already turned on and gaps, ladies, take home the shopping bags full of goodies. They look satisfied, who knows what recipes they blend in their heads and who knows with how much love they will prepare their dishes for this occasion too.

Come to the end of this 2020, have you wondered how, especially this year, the habits of us Italians have changed? How our mind has changed perspective … how many questions we have not been answered. We made do, we changed on our own, embracing and experimenting with new habits, which we may not have even thought of before. A real style "residential" what we have adopted, substantially revolutionizing food shopping and spending.

In the era pre covid, from which it seems a century has passed, I remember the frenzy of the streets of Milan, people running from one side to the other, anxious to enter the office late. Tourists competing to buy the last dress in the store, lazy students crowded into the bar below school, ignoring the bell that rang madly. And here in a moment we found ourselves in the chaos of smart working, word for many, before then, unknown. Above the suit an apron, a take off and put between a call and a sauce for lunch to prepare. The small child to feed, the older one to supervise while experimenting with online lessons. At the end of the story, we have become multitasking.

March 2020: "Run to the supermarket for yeast and flour", this was the title of a newspaper of those days. How many baked pizzas, how many new desserts tasted in the suspended time of that first lockdown. How much chaos has been created for fear of being left with an empty fridge. We Italians have been champions in this: i consumption trend they showed us that classic family recipes were preferred, rediscovering not only the pleasant time together, often faded by the hectic everyday life, but also good food, healthy food, prepared with care and with good ingredients.

Dear holy technology, we would say in chorus. Yes, you really supported us in this time of emergency. Grandma's entry on zoom or whatsapp chat is something we will remember. Yes, because to feel closer we had no choice but to embrace digitally. There digital kitchen, with the so-called basket of "Cooks at home", exploded wildly: "I don't see how much sugar you put in, the connection is off", many said. The candles blown in front of the phone with the applause of our friends in the background. Graduations celebrated in the living rooms of the house with jackets and pajama pants. The hard workouts with personal trainers live on instagram. The glass of wine accompanied by the taralli tasted on the terrace. Online shopping, shopping on Amazon. Memories collected, habits still very current.

But you know that thanks to all this, the Italian mass market has acquired a growth three times higher than in 2019? The highest growth trend of the last decade. In short, something positive had to come (Source: Nielsen Trade * Mis). With the closures of bars and restaurants, the shops have been able to reinvent themselves and have proved to be more suited to the new purchasing needs, with a good location and good assortment, registering a growth of 8.1%.

But think about the boom in e-commerce? This has seen an exponential growth equal to + 117% compared to last year with a contribution to growth of + 13% in food categories he was born in + 21% for personal and home care. Try your hand at the kitchen for lunch and dinner, too tiring for some, here are the services of home delivery just a click away they have gone wild. Yes, it must be said that this pandemic has brought with it many new needs and priorities, reflected in the products purchased by all of us.

It ends this year: it's a party, dream. Another one begins: we hope it will give us a new, brighter future. For now, turn on the lights and turn off your thoughts.

Quarantine: 5 habits to take. Also useful at the end of insulation – Italian Cuisine

From strategies for shopping in a short time to slower rhythms to be adopted at home. Here we suggest 5 quarantine habits that could improve your life

There quarantine and social isolation have changed our daily routine. Staying at home is necessary at this time to limit the spread and contagion of the Covid-19 coronavirus. So why not take advantage of these days within the home to adopt small changes in daily behavior that could improve life and the way we live it? Here are 5 good habits to be quarantined useful also at the end of isolation

Always shop with the list in hand

In this period, but also at the end of isolation, going to the supermarket with a list is an excellent strategy for shopping quickly. Marking all the ingredients needed for daily menus thinking about how they are organized inside the store can be very useful to reduce the time spent inside the supermarket. Planning the menus of the week can also help to facilitate the way you shop. «It allows you to shop once a week and avoid wasting time up and down the departments. It also helps to stay away from surplus products and consequently to save money, "says nutritionist Nicoletta Bocchino. But the benefits don't end there. «Shopping planning allows you to better organize your daily menus and consequently to eat in a healthier and more balanced way.

Avoid waste

«One of the fundamental rules to avoid wasting food is to organize the refrigerator and pantry correctly. Since you have to stay at home and have more time available, you can take advantage of the moment to reorder food correctly, placing those that expire first in front of those that can be consumed later ", suggests the expert.

Stay away from prepared foods

"The ready-made dishes and foods often provide an exaggerated share of fats and sugars that are harmful to the line and health", explains nutritionist Nicoletta Bocchino. "Quarantine can be the right time to prepare dishes such as legume or vegetable soups and other do-it-yourself dishes to be frozen and eaten when you do not feel like cooking as an alternative to the ready-to-eat foods found in the supermarket". The advantages? "This small strategy allows you to reduce time in the kitchen and to bring healthier recipes and dishes to the table from a nutritional point of view".

Carve out some time for yourself

Take advantage of this period to spend some time. For example, start practicing mindfulness, a meditation practice based on awareness. Or start doing yoga. Today tutorials, video lessons and online courses allow you to practice them even in the living room at home. The advantages? They improve psychophysical well-being and promote relaxation.

Rest better

Several studies have shown that sleeping a few hours a night increases the risk of experiencing various disorders such as depression, hypertension, memory problems and being overweight in the long run. Quarantine can be the ideal time to start adopting small habits that promote the quality of rest. For example, a couple of hours before going to bed avoid checking social media. The light of the smartphone favors the state of wakefulness and risks making sleep difficult.