Let us waste less food

MY friends, do you bring your own food containers or reusable bags when you go out to eat? I do because I want to help reduce food waste and the use of single-use plastics.

Some people feel embarrassed about bringing their own food containers or reusable bags, but I am not one of them. If I cannot finish my meal, I pack the leftovers to eat later or share them with my dogs instead of throwing them away. Some leftovers, such as barbecued meat, can even be turned into another meal, reducing the need to buy more food.

I grew up in a poor family where we children were taught never to waste food. Decades later, even though I am now financially independent, I still try my best not to waste any food.

When I go out with my son, Tzen, and his family, or with any of my nephews and nieces, we order only what we can reasonably finish, share large portions when appropriate and take home any safe leftovers.

The same rule applies when I dine out with one of my best friends. Just the other day, I ordered a plate of fried yellow noodles at a Chinese eatery while my friend opted for a bowl of beef noodles.

We were both shocked when the enormous plate of yellow noodles arrived. My friend’s beef noodles never came, so she cancelled her order. Instead, we ended up sharing the plate of yellow noodles.

After we had eaten as much as we could, a big mound of noodles remained. My friend eventually asked one of the shop assistants to pack the leftovers for me. My two dogs, Cookie and Bailey, ended up eating the noodles with their rice and chicken bones for two consecutive days.

Sometimes, when I go out with my son, I also bring home chicken bones for my dogs.

By now, my six-year-old grandson, Raidon, knows what to do after he has finished eating the chicken wings on his plate.

“Here, Grandma, chicken bones for Cookie and Bailey,” he says.

I tell him, “Even though the dogs are not here with us, they know the bones are from you, Raidon. They can smell you on them.”

Every month, I spend quite a lot on chicken and pork bones, as well as canned food, for my dogs, Cookie and Bailey, and my cat, Mimi. My dogs, especially, enjoy variety in their food and welcome the leftovers I bring home from food stalls and restaurants, provided they are safe for them to eat.

My friends, when I was young, my grandmother had a wonderful way of turning leftover rice into a crunchy puffed-rice snack.

She would spread the leftover rice thinly on a tray and leave it to dry in the sun until it was completely dry and crisp. She would then drop the dried grains into hot cooking oil, where they would puff up almost immediately.

Next, she would toss the puffed rice in warm, melted palm sugar (‘gula melaka’) or regular sugar syrup before allowing it to cool into a sweet, crunchy snack.

My siblings and I loved this sweet rice snack very much.

Thinking about it now brings back fond childhood memories. I have decided that I must make the snack on my next day off.

First, though, I need to dry some leftover rice until it is completely crisp. I must also share the recipe with my niece, Ah Hong, and her mother, Ah Lan.

Family recipes must be shared and passed on because they are more than just instructions for preparing food; they are part of a family’s history, identity and heritage. Each recipe carries memories of the people who created it, the occasions on which it was served and the love that went into preparing it.

Traditional recipes also reflect a family’s cultural roots, customs and way of life. Passing them on helps younger generations understand where they come from and appreciate the traditions that shaped their families.

The taste and aroma of a familiar dish can bring back memories of grandparents, parents and family gatherings, keeping loved ones close in our hearts even after they are gone.

Some family recipes exist only in the memories of older family members. If they are not recorded or taught to others, they may disappear when the people who know them are no longer around. Sharing these recipes ensures that the memories and traditions associated with them live on.

My grandmother also had another way of using leftover rice. She would fry it with anchovies to prepare a simple breakfast.

Once in a while, I cook fried rice too, not only for breakfast but also for lunch or dinner.

I also share leftover rice with my dogs and cat, as well as the huge flock of pigeons that gathers in front of my house every morning.

I have no idea where the pigeons come from, but they are always there, perched on the gate in front of my house.

On days when I wake up late, they make a great deal of noise, almost as if they are asking me, “Where’s our breakfast?”

Occasionally, a few sparrows join them.

My friends, according to data released by the Department of Statistics Malaysia in July this year, households in Malaysia generate up to 97.3 kilogrammes of food waste per capita annually.

Chief Statistician of Malaysia Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin said food waste had become an increasingly significant issue because of its implications for food security, resource efficiency, societal well-being and environmental sustainability.

Expired food was identified as the main cause of food waste, followed by leftovers kept in refrigerators or freezers for too

long. Other contributing factors included buying more food than necessary and cooking excessive amounts.

Do you know what makes food waste such a serious problem? Beyond the food itself being discarded, it has a significant environmental and climate impact.

Decomposing food waste in landfills generates greenhouse gases, including methane, which contributes to global warming. Food waste also represents a squandering of the water, land, energy and other resources used to produce, process, transport and prepare the food.

While many Malaysians waste food, hundreds of millions of people around the world continue to face hunger or food insecurity. This makes the careless disposal of edible food even more troubling.

My friends, let us stop wasting food. Let us buy only what we need and avoid cooking excessive amounts. We can also make better use of leftovers by planning our meals, storing food properly and using ingredients before they expire.

Reducing food waste does not require grand gestures. It begins with small, everyday choices in our own kitchens and at our dining tables.

Let us make every meal count, appreciate the food we have and remember that what we save today can make a difference to our wallets, our environment and our future.

The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune. The writer can be reached at adelinel888@gmail.com.