New year, new us… and while it's quiet and dark, it's a great opportunity to deal with those freezers full of forgotten leftovers and mystery bags of what-might-be-soup. As part of our monthly tips to reduce waste, it’s time for a deep dive into the icy abyss and reclaim what’s rightfully yours before it turns into an unidentifiable freezer fossil.

By Lyndsey O'Connell (Communications Lead)

‍The Freezer Audit

If you’re anything like me, your freezer is a chaotic mix of good intentions and abandoned meal prep experiments. Maybe there’s a bag of peas that has been in there since who knows when or some unlabeled, rock-hard lump that might be pizza dough… or pasta sauce… or a long lost pet. Who’s to say?

So, here’s our monthly challenge/tip: eat as much as you can from your freezer and food shelves for the next month, while buying as little food as possible. Not only does this clear space, but it also saves money and reduces waste.

The Strategy

  • Take inventory: What’s actually in there? If you find a single, sad waffle—congratulations, that’s now your midnight snack. Write it down on a list, so you can remember what's in there and plan without having to open the door each time.
  • Meal plan around what you have: If you’re sitting on 12 bags of frozen spinach, it’s time to become a smoothie person. Saag paneer, anyone?
  • Get creative: Chickpeas in everything? Sure. Frozen bread? French toast time. A suspiciously old bag of shredded cheese? Melt it, and we pretend it’s fine.
  • Buy only what’s necessary: Fresh veg and essentials only—no restocking until you’ve made a dent in the frozen food graveyard.

The Outcome

You will undoubtedly defrost something you thought was a curry and discover it was actually applesauce - congratulations you just solved a long standing mystery! Now is your time to shine - get creative, apple crumble perhaps? By the end of next month, you’ll have saved money, avoided unnecessary waste, and finally figured out what that mystery lunchbox was holding (hopefully not disappointment).

So, let’s do this! Take the challenge, embrace the freezer excavation, and share your weirdest, most unexpected meal creations with us @voiceireland.

Bonus points if you don’t have to chisel anything out with a hammer ❄️🔨

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Photo by Dev Benjamin on Unsplash

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