Fight food waste - Do one big shop

Big is beautiful when it comes to shopping. Do it all in one go and save time and money, says Hannah Williams

I've long been convinced of the merits of the 'big shop.' You get it all in one go, stuff it in an industrial-sized, fully recycle-able bag and don't think about shopping for seven days, even if you're left living off half a pack of digestives and an egg.

We're not all international jet setters and it doesn't take a degree in strategic planning to factor in a weekly trip to Tesco's, or half an hour down your local grocers.

I decided to prove my point by taking on fickle, daily shopper, Charlie Cottrell head to head to show how a well-planned, one-off pop to the shops can save time, money and mountains of waste.

Monday

My bulging cupboards proffered a tasty salad for lunch and tuna steaks with roasted veg for dinner. Buying fresh fish on Sunday meant I had to scoff it at the beginning of the week. But if I'd wanted to hold it for later in the week I could have frozen it.

Tuesday

A blow for the cause today. While my tasty chickpea goodness lay forgotten in the fridge at home I was stung by the sandwich shop for a £3.50 cheese and chutney bloomer. Salmon fishcakes in an over priced gastropub in the evening didn't help either and by the end of the day I'd eaten my way through another £10.

Wednesday

Running low on salad, I made a sandwich to use up my tired looking bread. You can make a loaf last a bit longer by toasting it before you make your sarnies.

Friends came round for dinner so I rustled up this tasty gnocchi bake.

What Hannah bought (for two)

• Fruit juice
• Skimmed milk
• 2 tins chopped tomatoes
• 2 tins chickpeas
• 1 bottle Rioja
• 1 pack Lincolnshire sausages
• 250g Cheddar cheese
• 400g bag gnocchi
• Mixed olive hummus
• 1 loaf organic malted bread
• 2 small packs Mozzarella
• 1 banana and pecan loaf
• 1 pack veg stock cubes
• Pack of 6 free range eggs
• 2 tuna steaks
• Bag of onions
• Bag of tomatoes
• Spinach
• Parsley
• 4 avocados
• 4 mixed peppers
• 4 sweet potatoes
• 2 baking potatoes
• 400g mushrooms
• Pack of pitta breads
• 1 granary loaf

Thursday

A second attempt at the chickpea salad. Chickpeas, served with lemon, olive oil and salt, lightly blanched spinach and a pinch of cumin makes a classic dish that's often served in the tapas bars of Seville. Bangers and mash for dinner with red wine gravy.

Friday

It's the end of the week and everyone deserves a treat so I splashed out on a baked potato with garlic mushrooms and cheese. At £3.50 it is a little taste of heaven worth every penny.

Dinnertime on Fridays is always a hit and miss affair as a hearty meal is often replaced by a few drinks. But a challenge is a challenge so I rustled us up a midnight snack of roasted peppers and hummus with some pitta breads I bought in from the local shop.

Saturday

Woke up with a craving for poached eggs on toast so I admit I caved and nipped back into Sainsbury's for a sliced granary loaf. Dinner was a cheap and cheerful Vietnamese takeaway.

Sunday

The final day and I have to admit the cupboards were looking pretty bare. Brunch was simple enough a repeat performance of Saturday's offering. But in terms of dinner there was nothing else for it than to make a soup with the leftover veg. It wasn't the best meal I'd ever eaten but it wasn't bad and I even had a little left for Monday's packed lunch.

Round up

Total spent: £39.37 (for two) plus £27.18 on eating out
Packaging: Hardly any that couldn't be recycled.
Time: Half an hour in Sainsbury's and no more than 20 minutes for added extras.
Food waste: Two avocados and about four closed cup mushrooms.

I stand by my initial beliefs. The impetus to work with what I'd got made me determined to be creative and while I couldn't last a whole week without nipping to the shop for a small top up, buying more and using the freezer would have remedied that.

The food I had to throw was minimal and mostly caused by my inability to say no to the bargain offer of four avocadoes for a pound. Time wise - it's a winner, a one (ish) stop and you're free from checkout queues for seven days.

Try these inspired recipes to transform your leftovers

What do you do with your leftovers? Let us know in the user comments below.