Our future first: low waste food pledge

Dr Louise Hutchinson, a Technician within the School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, made a two-fold sustainability pledge at the start of 2023: adopting a plant-based, and reducing food waste as much as possible.

Louise is also an Our Future First Champion, supporting colleagues across her School to work more sustainably.

Here Louise explains the impact her pledge had on her diet and the planet – plus a recipe you can try at home to save on food waste without compromising on taste.

“I do a weekly supermarket shop to get some food staples, like pasta, rice, herbs, spices, protein sources and more, and then go into the Co-op Supermarket on campus most days on my way to and/or from work, or the supermarket near my house at weekends.

“I see what plant-based products, such as vegetables, are in the reduced price section, because they are about to go out of date, and then purchase some, meaning hopefully they don’t go to waste.

“It’s really inspired me to expand my cooking range, and it’s fun getting to make up recipes with whatever is available that day. I find that I am eating a wider variety of fruit and vegetables too, because I am not just buying a select few of my favourites, or ones I am more familiar with cooking with, all the time. I’ve got so into doing it that I’ve even set up an Instagram page dedicated solely to the plant-based dishes I make with reduced section foods!

“I’d really encourage other colleagues to try something similar, because it can help broaden your diet, and encourages you to try new recipes. For example I have learnt that you can turn salad leave bags into different flavoured pestos, which can be stored in the fridge or frozen, so when there’s lots of salad bags in the reduced section I stock up now!"

Make your own delicious low waste pesto

Whether you want to make the plant based pledge, or just include a few more low waste, plant-led meals in your diet, why not try Louise’s reduced sticker pesto?

You can blitz salad leaves that are past their best in a food processor or mini chopper. For 100g of salad, mix one clove of garlic, 50g nuts or seeds (such as pine nuts, walnuts, sunflower or pumpkin seeds), juice of one lemon, 10g of herbs (basil works well), pinch of salt and pepper, two tbsp of grated parmesan/vegetarian alternative or nutritional yeast to keep it plant-based, and 50-100ml olive oil (depending on desired consistency). Enjoy stirred into your favourite pasta.

Sustainable food