Case Study - Sandra Kay

Like many other people across the country who live alone, Sandra finds that buying food for one can be quite difficult and often takes a lot of thought and preparation:

"It's not easy when you live on your own and it comes to the weekly food shop. Supermarkets tend to sell large packs of chicken breasts, big bags of salad and on occasions local supermarkets often sell vegetables in packets where you don’t get the option of buying a few carrots or a couple of potatoes. I’ve always separated meat into portions and put them in the freezer for another day, but this isn’t always practical and you sometimes end up throwing things away that you realise have been frozen for too long.”

“I was shocked when I found out about the effect food waste can have on the environment and I’ve really thought about the ways that I can cut back on what I throw in the bin.  Today, I plan what food I need before shopping and try to visit local stores where I can buy a handful of salad leaves or vegetables to last me a couple of days.  This way everything is fresh and then there is no waste. I also visit the local butcher or fishmonger where I can buy one or two portions of meat/fish and if I do need to buy kitchen staples then I always check the food labels to see whether they have a long shelf life.”

“You do have to put a bit more planning in initially, but you get used to this.  In the long run not only am I saving money from not wasting food but I’m also doing a little bit more for the environment at the same time.”