Mari-Liis Ilover: the increase in food prices reduces food waste and makes you cook smarter

First, I need to get one thing off my chest. I know it’s an extremely unpopular opinion at the moment, but I find that food does not have to be too cheap. Statistics show that we are wasting food in abysmal quantities in our homes, and one of the reasons for this has certainly been the price. If the prices are higher, we probably care a lot more about how to use up everything we buy, and think about the quantities as well. You don't need to buy more than you can eat. Obviously, no one likes a price increase, but on the positive side, I still want to highlight the fact that respect for food is increasing and food waste is decreasing.

My family and I are more involved in food topics than the average person. Good food is very important to us. Every once in a while, we try some pricier groceries as well – either from domestic small producers or something particularly exotic. We should indeed allow ourselves to enjoy good food, but in everyday cooking, there are a few practical tricks to use to save money.

Make the food yourself. Use ready-made meals as little as possible. If you feel you lack the cooking skills, take a cooking course or perhaps even watch inspiring videos on YouTube that can teach you a lot. I know it takes time to cook everything from scratch (though not always), but for the sake of your health and for the deliciousness and price of the food, you could take the time and prepare a larger amount at once. For example, you could make a large pot full of aromatic bone broth or stew a large piece of meat to melt in your mouth. Both of these can be put in the freezer and used in various delicious dishes later.

I am convinced that good food does not have to be high-end or expensive. However, the food must be of high quality, tasty and rich in nutrients. Eating bread, pasta and boiled rice for a week can probably save you a lot of money, but where is the deliciousness in that to make life more beautiful? And what would your health think of such a “diet”? An easy way to assemble a healthy dish is the following formula: half of the food is coloured vegetables, the rest is half carbohydrates (potatoes, rice, pasta, buckwheat, groats, etc.) and half protein (meat, fish, eggs, beans, lentils, tofu, etc.).

Choose seasonal vegetables for cooking, including root vegetables that are cheap, particularly when bought unpackaged. They can be used in nice casseroles, soups, spreads, salads, snack platters, etc. Right now, for example, a kilo of cabbage, or carrots or pumpkin costs less than a euro in Prisma. They all have so many good uses. See the ideas in the following recipes, for example.

When buying meat, give a chance to some more affordable pieces that at first glance do not necessarily inspire you much, but in fact have a lot of potential. Such pieces usually have more connective tissue, the taste of which is more wholesome and richer than that of tenderloin, for example. Or perhaps there are bones in the meat, which give a particularly good flavour to broth and casseroles. I have always said that it is easy and even boring to be a gourmand and only eat fillet. Using cheaper cuts of meat means not only savings, but also an open sense of taste and some creativity.

Be bold and use different grains. Groats, buckwheat, millet, corn groats and the like are all nutritious and delicious, and offer so many uses from casseroles to pan mixes and salads. And the prices are wallet-friendly.

Set up a shelf in your kitchen cupboard to store canned food, long-preserving dry ingredients, etc. It is good to buy these in larger quantities at a time of discount offers. Beans, chickpeas, canned tomatoes, coconut milk, olives, tuna, oils, salt, sugar – if you always have these at home, you can probably avoid quite a few of the unnecessary trips to the store to spend money. Do the same with your freezer – during discount campaigns, stock up on vegetables, berries, shrimps and other goodies to have stocks at home that last for a while.

I will share two recipes that do not cost much, but taste delicious. The cooking process takes perhaps a little longer than the average, but the result is definitely worth it in terms of both price and taste. After all, cooking is like stress therapy: you cook away in your kitchen while listening to music or thinking your own thoughts, and get the gratitude of the eaters and the joy of good food in return. It’s a win-win!