Zero waste recipes for every day
Cutting down on your food waste? Try our low waste recipes that transform leftovers and get the most out of your ingredients, helping save you money too.
In the UK, around a quarter of the food we produce each year goes to waste, 60% of which comes from households, according to WRAP. They also found that the most commonly wasted foods include potatoes, bread, milk, poultry and vegetables.
Not only to help reduce methane emissions, diverting your food waste from landfill helps to save you money, time and effort in the kitchen. Try our fridge-raid recipes for using up odds and ends in the fridge before they go off, as well as recipes that get the most out of your ingredients - from transforming a chicken carcass into a rich stock to using the cauliflower leaves as well as the florets. If you've cooked too much of any ingredient, our leftovers recipes make sure they don't end up in the bin.
Next discover our full guide to using up leftovers, 5 nights of waste-free family meals and learn tips and tricks from the Good Food team on how to reduce food waste.
Easy zero waste recipes
1. Spicy baked cauliflower wings
Zero waste chef and campaigner Max La Manna is on a mission to help people waste less food in the kitchen, and this delicious recipe makes the most of the cauliflower leaves as well as the florets for extra crunch. They are dredged in a spicy buffalo hot sauce for the ultimate weekend treat.
Discover more of Max La Manna's vegan low-waste recipe collection.
2. Fridge-raid fried rice
Melissa Thompson's five-star rated fried rice recipe makes the most of leftover cooked chicken (or any other meat), along with a rainbow variety of veggies - which you can substitute depending on what needs using up from your fridge. Combine with leftover rice, eggs, sesame oil and oyster sauce for an easy, weeknight family dinner.
Don't let anything go to waste with our leftover rice recipes.
3. Waste-nothing loaded potato wedges
Giving your potatoes a good scrub means there's no need to peel them for these zero waste potato wedges - plus it adds extra flavour, texture and fibre. Use up the odds and ends of a variety of leftover cheeses then top with crispy chorizo for a delicious Friday night treat.
Find out how to waste fewer potatoes.
4. Fridge-raid one-pan pesto pasta
Got a jar of pesto lying around in your fridge that needs using up? We love this recipe, as not only does it use up the remaining scraps from your pesto, but also any leafy greens that are starting to look past their best. The result is a creamy pasta that's whipped up in a flash - perfect for busy weeknights.
Get inspired with more spinach pasta recipes.
5. Thai curry noodle soup
This low-calorie and low-fat dinner transforms the veggies in your fridge into a spicy, creamy curry with a tablespoon of Thai green curry paste. Straight-to-wok noodles means it's on the table in 20 minutes.
Discover our budget-friendly noodle recipes.
6. Korean bibimbap
The beauty of this dish is all veggies taste great when liberally doused in the sweet and spicy Korean gochujang sauce. Layer up your bowl with leftover cooked sushi rice, your choose of veggies and top with a fried egg and sesame seeds.
Get the most of out this condiment with our gochujang recipes and find out how to ferment vegetables to make them last longer.
7. Leftover porridge pancakes
Save leftover porridge from the bin with this easy pancake recipe - also great for using up a ripe banana. Top with whatever fresh fruit you need to use up, yogurt and a drizzle of maple syrup.
Next make our porridge bread with any more leftovers, then find out more ways to use up leftover yogurt.
8. Spicy sweet potato hummus
Blend cooked sweet potato with tahini, smoked paprika and garlic for a vegan low-waste recipe to serve at a party or as a healthy snack. If you've got leftover wraps, you can transform them into homemade tortilla chips for dunking, or get creative by swapping the sweet potatoes out for other roasted veggies.
9. Waste nothing chicken & dumpling stew
Roast a larger chicken at the weekend so you can transform the leftovers into this warm and comforting stew. The carcass is used to make a flavourful stock, topped with fluffy thyme dumplings for a weeknight treat.
Now try our roast chicken for weeknight leftovers and even more leftover chicken recipes. Plus, discover more ways to use up Sunday lunch leftovers.
10. Fridge-raid soup
This budget-friendly option blitzes leftover veggies into a hearty soup with cannellini beans. Top with crumbled feta, chopped olives, chilli flakes and a drizzle of olive oil for an easy, high fibre meal.
Discover our most popular budget family meals.
More zero waste ideas
Ways to use up leftover ingredients
Leftover croissant recipes
What to do with leftover lamb
Ways to use up leftover pumpkin
What to do with leftover bread
Top ways with leftover egg whites and yolks
What are your food waste tips and tricks? Let us know in the comments...
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