Stop chucking food away - you need to plan your eating better

Students waste nearly 800g of food a week, according to research - follow these tips to waste less food without letting your diet suffer

In the UK, nearly 50% of food waste occurs in homes, and despite our thrifty reputation, students are no exception. Recent research at the University of Exeter found that students waste nearly 800g of food per week. Meanwhile, five-to-15kg of food is wasted every night from the University of Edinburgh's catered accommodation, Pollock Halls.

We need to reduce household food waste to protect the environment. But there's a risk that the quality of our diet could take a hit as a result. Dr Jennie Macdiarmid is a senior research fellow in human nutrition at the University of Aberdeen. "If we can reduce our food waste, we will reduce our environmental impact," she says. "But we need to make sure that it does not compromise the quality of our diet. In an effort to reduce waste, we don't know if people might buy less fruit and vegetables, and consequently whether they might eat less of them. We must keep an eye on any possible unintended consequence."