Cooking the right quantities to avoid waste
Cooking the right quantities, i.e. the quantities that will actually be eaten, is an essential step in preventing food waste. It's not easy to plan the right portion of side dishes for a table of 8 people, nor to adapt to the needs of a teenager who might eat endlessly (or without hunger)... Nor is it easy to know how much pasta to cook depending on the side dish! Do you always prepare too much "just in case" and end up with lots of leftovers? Can't store everything and have to throw some of it away? Do like Pyrex®, stop wasting and learn how to cook the right quantities!
HOW TO WEIGH OR MEASURE?
We focus here on the quantities needed for a dish, not a starter. The quantities indicated are measured before the preparation stage, so vegetables are not peeled and pasta is not cooked. To properly weigh or measure all ingredients:
- For solid foods, take a kitchen scale and place a container on top that can hold the necessary volume and then easily pour out the contents. For all starchy foods, you can use a glass measuring jug; for meats and vegetables, you can usea glass dish which you can then re-use for cooking.
- For liquid foods, the most precise measuring instrument is, of course, a glass measuring jug.
HOW MUCH TO COOK?
The values below are averages, to be adapted to individual needs, depending on whether the menu includes a starter or a gourmet dessert, and of course whether there are children present! They are a guideline to help you cook the right quantities per person and without wastage:
- Pasta :
o 60 to 80 g as a side dish
o 90 to 110 g as a main course
- Rice :
o 50 to 70 g as a side dish
o 80 to 100 g as a main course
- Potatoes :
o 140 to 200 g as a side dish
o 250 to 300 g as a main course
- Vegetables :
o 150 to 200 g as a side dish
o 300 to 350 g as a main course
- Soup: 300 to 400 g main course
- Tofu: 80 to 100 g main course
- Meat: 150 g main course (boneless)
- Fish: 130 to 160 g main course
WHAT TO DO WITH LEFTOVERS?
You've measured and cooked the right quantities and still have leftovers? Don't feel guilty, and store your food in the best possible way so you can reuse it without throwing it away! Take your set of preserving tins with you to separate the different types of leftover food and put them in the fridge! Looking for ideas on how to cook them differently?
Discover our tips for preserving and re-preparing your leftovers:
- Starches
- Meat
- Fish
To avoid leftovers, it's important to measure and distinguish between different types of food. Draw on your own experience, and don't hesitate to write down the appropriate quantities for each dish, as approved by your family. This attention to the right quantities will help you reduce your household's food waste, for the good of your wallet and the planet!
