Explore love-your-leftovers

Week 3: Storing food for freshness Bananas and bread are two of the top wasted foods in Australia, but this can easily be avoided using these handy storage tips.

Week 2: Prepare only what you need This week is all about planning, purchasing, and preparing to avoid food waste. Plan: Planning your meals can cut your food waste fast!

You can register anytime throughout the challenge. Did you know that Organic materials make up about half of what Queenslanders throw out each week. That adds up–it’s estimated that Australian households spend between $2,000–$2,500 per year on food that is wasted.

Many single-use plastic items can be avoided by making simple changes in our daily habits and choices. Last year, an estimated 326 million people worldwide took part in Plastic Free July.

Please remind your residents to register for this hands on session , where they will make fried rice using ingredients they already have at home.

Heralded from a time when meat consumption was typically low and nothing went to waste, bone broths utilise animal waste products (think: bones, cartilage and feet) to create a frugal yet nourishing dietary addition.

Love your Leftovers Veggies = Frittata Bundle those leftover roasted veggies into a frittata by adding some eggs and cream. Use up all those leftover herbs and add a couple of tasty items such as capers or anchovies, olive oil and lemon juice to make a sparkling salsa verde to add zing to your frittata.

Martin and Kim encourage us to break out the old family favourite tableware or buy some bling from the local op shop. This is an opportunity to let your kids’ creativity shine in front of the whole family.

Moving to the Sunshine Coast several years ago, Helen wanted her family to experience the same connection to food that she did growing up, so they bought acreage where the family could grow their own produce.

Waste saving tips Preparation and good planning are the key to avoiding food excess and waste at any time of the year. Take a “shelfie” of what you already have in our fridge and pantry before heading to the supermarket Plan menus ahead and make a list of what you need Don’t overbuy – sometimes less is more Store well – don’t leave cold items, salads or meats out of the fridge for longer than two hours Use your freezer to store excess meat and cooked foods for later use Love Your Leftovers by using them creatively Check out our fantastically fun Love Your Leftovers videos for some easy ways to get creative with your leftovers and slash your food waste this holiday season.

Leftovers can be turned into quick and tasty meals and are a great way to make the most of your shopping budget. No one like to see good food go to waste These recipes have been shared by Sunshine Coast households and by the fabulous team at 4 Ingredients.

Soup: There is nothing better about a dreary day than breaking out a big pot and creating a nice hearty soup. A beautiful bowl of soup isn’t just nourishing and low in calories, it’s like one giant big HUG IN A BOWL.

Makes 1 1 cup Milk 1 frozen banana 1/2 cup muesli 3 tbsp. greek yoghurt Pop all ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth.

Serves 2 4 slices of soy and linseed bread (or bread of choice) 1 tbsp. whole egg mayonnaise ½ avocado, mashed ½ cucumber, thinly sliced Remove crusts from each slice of bread.

DID YOU KNOW: The commercial banana chips that you see in the supermarket have been deep-fried, hence why these banana chips bear no resemblance. So even though you may have thought they were healthy, these are a much healthier alternative.

TIP: I personally prefer any treats to be homemade, at least then I know exactly what ingredients are being used. ‘Yes’ this is sugary,' No' we aren’t recommending it daily, but as a ‘treat’ every now and then, your children will love it.

<a class="pixmoto-popover-anchor" style="border-style:none;" data-pix-expid="10616" data-pix-sln="ngsmartqld.com.au/campaigns/love-your-leftovers" data-pix-autoplay="true" href="#"><img src="https://assets.pixmoto.com/10616-experience-banner-v1520476613650.jpg" width="100%"/></a><script src="//play.pixmoto.com/js/popover.js"></script> Have a tiny bit of mustard left in the jar? Toss in a few ingredients and shake to make a delicious Dijon vinaigrette.

Makes 20 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, defrosted 4 tbsp. Vegemite 1½ cups tasty cheese, grated Preheat oven 180°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Learn how to make this simple and delicious meal thanks to Kim McCosker and the 4 Ingredients team. Not only can you view and enjoy their ‘how to’ video above, but also discover the step by step method and ingredient list as you watch (click icons on the right hand side).

Serves 1 1 large Lebanese bread 2 tbsp. pizza paste 1 cup grated cheddar cheese (whatever cheese you have) 1 cup mixed bits from the fridge (pepperoni, olives, capsicum, capers, cherry tomatoes etc) Preheat your pizza oven/ stone.

Serves 4 12 Roma tomatoes, halved lengthways 2 tbsp. EVOO Thyme from 6 sprigs 1 litre vegetable stock Preheat oven 180C. Place tomatoes on a paper lined baking tray, cut side up and drizzle with the oil.

It’s gluten free. It’s a healthy snack, air-popped popcorn has only 30 calories per cup or if you choose to pop it with oil on the stove, it has only 50 calories per cup, making it a great diet food.

Serves 6 2 cups stewed apples 1/2 cup sultanas 200g leftover biscuits 100g butter, melted Preheat oven 180C Spoon the stewed apples into a 20cm pie dish.

5 lychees 10 mint leaves 1/2 cup fresh pineapple chunks 10 ice cubes Pop all ingredients into a blender with 1/4 cup water. Blend together until the ice is completely crushed.

I want to introduce you to The Eat to Live Fridge. It is a fridge that, with your help, stores products for as long as possible and with as many nutrients as possible.

Throwing lunchbox food out, or discovering your child hasn’t eaten much during their school day is one of the most frustrating issues parents have.

DID YOU KNOW: In Australia, the government estimates food waste costs the economy $20 billion each year?! When fresh produce is in abundance and on sale, we tend to buy in bulk.

Serves 2 1 Lime 415g canned pink salmon, drained 1 egg 3 slices wholemeal bread, finely grated Into a large bowl, grate the lime zest, then juice the lime.

Serves 2 2 eggs 1/4 red onion, finely diced 1/2 Zucchini, grated 2 tbsp grated carrot Beat eggs and add remaining ingredients; season with sea salt and cracked pepper.

Get inspired. Transform leftovers into quick and tasty meals. Learn simple and fun ways to make the most of your shopping budget. Queen of easy (and tasty) cooking, Kim McCosker, and the 4 Ingredients team have come on board as campaign partners to support Living Smarts, ‘Love your Leftovers’ campaign.

How to shop around Customers in South East Queensland are able to choose their electricity retailer. This means you can shop around for an electricity retail offer that suits your household or small business.

I’ve also asked a few foodie friends to contribute, including Curtis Stone whose latest book What’s For Dinner is really very, very clever. Martyna Candrick is a recipe developer and photographer in our orbit.