Did you know that a staggering one-fifth of the world’s food goes to waste every year? That’s about one billion meals a day! Most of this wasted food ends up in landfills, releasing harmful greenhouse gases that accelerate climate change. The good news? You can make a real difference right in your own kitchen. Keep reading for smart tips and delicious recipe ideas that will help you cut down on food waste, save money and do your part for the planet.

Click or scroll through our gallery to discover the easy things you can do to waste less food and save money at the same time – counting down to the easiest tip of all.

We've all grabbed a handful of pasta or rice, tossed it into the pan without measuring, then realised we've cooked enough to feed a small army when we only needed enough for two. While leftovers can be handy, consistently overcooking leads to unnecessary food waste and can throw off meal portions. To avoid this, always check the pack instructions for recommended serving sizes. Using a kitchen scale or measuring cup can help ensure you cook just the right amount every time.

As long as it's washed well or wiped thoroughly with a damp cloth, vegetable peel can be left on – including celeriac peel, parsnip peel and squash peel. If you do need to peel potatoes for mash, keep the peelings and make homemade crisps; simply toss the peelings in oil and sea salt, then roast them in a hot oven until browned and crispy.

Many recipes call for a squeeze of lemon or lime, or the zest of an orange, but none of these fruits need to go to waste. Grate the zest before juicing, pop it into an ice cube tray, add a squeeze of juice, then freeze. You can freeze citrus juice in the same way, too. Slices of fruit can also be layered up between sheets of greaseproof paper in a plastic freezer box. Citrus fruits take forever to biodegrade for compost, so freezing ensures there's no waste.

Salad is high on the list of food waste culprits. If you buy bagged salad leaves, go to the back of the shelf to find the bag with the longest shelf life. Then, remove the salad from the bag and store it in a lidded box between sheets of kitchen paper. Delicate leaves bruise and deteriorate easily, so choose sturdier options rather than watercress or baby spinach. Best of all, you could buy a whole lettuce on the root, which will keep longer. Just cut off the leaves as you need them.

Broccoli is one of the most nutritious vegetables you can eat, but we usually consume only the florets, neglecting the stem – which is a shame, as it’s full of flavour. Next time, instead of discarding it, peel the tough outer layer and slice the stems thinly to enjoy raw in salads. Alternatively, sauté the slices until they develop a slight char for a flavourful side dish. You can also pickle them in a simple brine for a tangy treat.

There are so many uses for ripe tomatoes, but we love the Sicilian take on pesto, also known as pesto alla Trapanese. It makes a highly scented, rich sauce to serve with pasta. To make it, blend two ripe tomatoes, a handful of toasted almonds, two garlic cloves and a handful of fresh basil. Slowly drizzle in 2fl oz (60ml) olive oil and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. It'll keep in the fridge for up to three days, and it freezes well, too.

It goes without saying that paper packaging is better for the planet than plastic, but it’s also better for prolonging the freshness of ingredients. After you’ve been shopping, remove your fruit and vegetables from any plastic packaging and wrap them in paper towels before refrigerating. This method absorbs excess moisture, preventing spoilage and keeping produce crisp for longer. For instance, placing a paper towel in a container with spinach helps maintain its freshness. Similarly, storing mushrooms in paper bags instead of plastic ones prevents them from becoming slimy.

A well-organised store cupboard means you'll know exactly what's in there and avoid doubling up on ingredients you already have. Decant dry goods into clear, labelled containers for ease – and try to arrange the cupboard so you can see everything, with nothing lurking at the back in a dark corner.

Times are changing, but in the past the need for perfect produce meant that tonnes of fresh fruit and vegetables that were deemed 'ugly' or 'wonky' went to waste. Today, most major retailers sell these so-called 'ugly' fruit and vegetables; they taste the same as the pretty ones and invariably cost less. Search them out in your local shop.

It’s tricky to cook the perfect portion of rice – there's almost always some left over. The good news is, there are plenty of creative ways to use surplus grains. You can turn leftover rice into crispy arancini balls by mixing it with cheese, egg and breadcrumbs and frying until golden, or you could make a fancy fried rice dish by stir-frying your rice with vegetables, eggs and soy sauce. You could also add rice to soups or salads, or use it as a base for a grain bowl. 

Don't discard vegetable tops when cooking. Carrot leaves can be added to vegetable stocks or, better still, whizzed up with olive oil, garlic and nuts to make a pesto-style sauce. Beetroot leaves can be wilted down as a side dish, while parsnip and celery leaves can be tossed in olive oil and sea salt and then roasted, making a great snack. 

All Mediterranean countries have recipes that use up stale bread, but Italian panzanella salad is one of our favourites; it just tastes of summer. Chunks of bread are tossed in olive oil and garlic, then baked to make croutons. The salad needs to stand before serving, as the bread absorbs the dressing. You can vary the ingredients, but tomatoes, basil, onions and olives are essential.

Because of their high oil content, raw nuts (apart from chestnuts) will go rancid relatively quickly if they're not stored correctly. They should be stored in the fridge or, even better, bagged up and kept in the freezer. Nuts absorb other odours easily, so remember to keep them away from strong-smelling foods such as onions and garlic. 

A pasta bake is the perfect way to use up leftover pasta and any odd bits of cheese you have lingering in the fridge. It’s a versatile dish that can be customised with whatever you have to hand. We love combining pasta with sautéed mushrooms, frozen peas and crispy bacon, then smothering the whole lot in a rich, creamy cheese sauce. Top it with extra cheese for a golden, bubbly finish, and bake until it’s golden. It’s a comforting, satisfying meal the whole family will enjoy. 

Bread is high up on the list of the most wasted foods, but there's absolutely no need to throw it out. Sliced bread can be kept in the freezer and used a slice at a time. Small pieces of leftover bread can be whizzed up for breadcrumbs and frozen – or you could make croutons, which will keep for three days in a lidded box. Alternatively, you could try a recipe with stale bread at its heart, such as French toast or bread and butter pudding.

Food preservation techniques have been around for thousands of years, extending the life of the harvest and providing food in winter. Preserving and pickling are also easy, fun ways to prevent waste. Try making homemade fruit jams or tangy chutneys, or ferment your own vegetables to make kimchi or sauerkraut. Fermented foods are delicious and packed with probiotics, which are great for gut health. Plus, the process itself can be a really satisfying kitchen project.

We invariably end up with scraps of spoiled food or trimmings in the kitchen, but it's better that they end up on the compost heap rather than in the bin. Many areas have communal food bins that are collected for compost, even if you don't have any outdoor space for a composter yourself. Buy a countertop compost bin with a firm lid (to prevent odours and flies), then pile your waste in – even eggshells. Transfer the compost outdoors or take it to your compost bank. 

Having a good selection of canned food in the kitchen ensures you can rustle up so many great dishes, avoiding a last-minute dash to the shops. Using canned fish, beans, pulses, vegetables and fruit also helps to avoid waste and save money and time, without compromising on taste. Many canned foods are just as nutritious as fresh, too.

If stored correctly, cheese needn't be thrown away. Once unwrapped and cut, wrap it tightly in cling film and store it in the fridge. With soft cheeses, such as Brie or Camembert, make sure you cover the cut sides with cling film to prevent air from getting in and causing toughness. Parmesan rind can be used to add flavour to soups and pasta sauces. Hard cheeses will also freeze well for future use in cooking, either whole or grated. 

Certain fruits and vegetables, such as bananas, avocados, tomatoes, peaches and pears, give off a gas called ethylene, which promotes ripening and can cause spoilage. If you store them with ethylene-sensitive foods like potatoes, apples, berries and peppers, the ethylene will ripen them, so be aware of this when you're organising and storing food. Also, remember that potatoes, garlic, onions and bananas should never be stored in the fridge. 

Freeze leftover meals – or blanch vegetables (scald them in boiling water or steam them for a short time) to freeze for another day. Shop-bought bags of frozen vegetables and fruits are just as nutritious as fresh, so they're worth having to hand, too. Think of your freezer as an extension to the store cupboard, and make an extra effort to label everything so you know what's in there.

Bananas freeze perfectly, even if they're very ripe. You can freeze them in their skins, or slice them up and put them onto trays to open freeze before bagging. Perfect for banana bread, muffins, and smoothies, frozen bananas also make a great instant ice cream when mixed with peanut butter. Meanwhile, their skins biodegrade quickly and enrich compost with important nutrients.

How often do you find yourself tossing out a half-used bag of herbs? There's no need to waste them; soft herbs like basil, chives and parsley can be blended with a bit of oil and frozen in ice cube trays for easy use later. Meanwhile, tougher herbs like rosemary, bay leaves and thyme can be dried and stored for later use. And if you have a small space to grow your own, that’s even better.

Roasting a larger joint of meat gives you more midweek meal options, saving time and energy. Pulled pork is one of our favourites, using good-value pork shoulder; you'll have plenty of leftovers to turn into sandwiches, stir-fries, noodle bowls and tacos. Alternatively, slow-cooked beef brisket would make fantastic shredded beef for burritos, nachos or loaded baked potatoes. Roast lamb shoulder is another great choice, offering tender meat for Mediterranean-style wraps, curries or hearty grain bowls.

Opting for loose produce instead of pre-packed produce allows you to buy only the exact amount you need, reducing both food waste and unnecessary spending. It’s all too easy to be tempted by bulk deals or large family packs – especially when it comes to items like spinach or salad leaves – only to realise later that you can't finish them before they spoil. Additionally, choosing loose produce will help you cut down on plastic waste and excess packaging, much of which is difficult to recycle.

Comforting mashed potato is a classic side that pairs perfectly with nearly any meat, fish or vegetable. But what do you do when you’ve made too much? Fortunately, you can easily transform leftovers into a brand-new dish. Spread the mash over a creamy fish pie for a comforting dinner, or shape it into fish cakes, mixing it with some flaked fish and seasoning before frying. If you’re feeling adventurous, turn it into homemade potato gnocchi – simply mix your mash with flour and egg, roll it into small dumplings, then boil until tender. 

There are several reasons why buying a whole chicken makes sense: it represents much better value for money than buying pieces, you'll have lovely leftovers to use, and you'll also be left with a carcass to make stock with. It's better to freeze the carcass and wait until you have two or three; that way, you'll get a more flavoursome broth. Plus, you can add any odd bits of vegetables from the fridge.

It might seem a bit tedious at first, but taking just 30 minutes to plan your meals for the week can make a huge difference. Not only will you know exactly what ingredients you need, but creating a shopping list will also help you stay focused when shopping. You'll be less tempted to add random items to your basket and then wonder what you're going to do with them – saving you money and preventing food waste.

Reduce your carbon footprint by shopping for produce when it's in season. It costs less, and you won't need to worry about all those food miles used to fly or ship in produce from further afield. If you can, shop locally to support small businesses – and just buy what you need. A big food shop tends to lead to more waste, so planning is important.

Make batch cooking a weekend project by preparing meals in advance for the fridge and freezer. This will not only save time during the busy week, but cooking in bulk will also help to reduce food waste and lower energy bills. From rich, flavourful pasta sauces to hearty, comforting pies and indulgent homemade desserts, the options are endless.

Your refrigerator should be at 3-5°C (37-40°F) to function correctly – any warmer, and the produce may deteriorate. Use what chefs call the 'first in, first out' system, whereby produce to be used first is kept at the front of the fridge. You should store meat covered on plates on the bottom shelf to avoid any cross-contamination, while vegetables and salad should be kept in the lower drawers. Make an effort to keep your fridge clean and organised so it's easy to see everything at a glance.

Whether the label says 'use by', 'sell by' or 'best before', use common sense (and your sense of sight and smell) to decide if a product is past its best. Foods like hard cheeses, ice cream and bread are often fine after their best before date, though you should always pay attention to their expiry and use by dates, as they relate to food safety rather than quality. When buying milk, yogurt or cream, retailers will often put the carton with the shortest shelf life at the front, so look towards the back for one that'll last longer.

Now discover the store cupboard essentials every kitchen should have

Last updated by Natasha Lovell-Smith.