Summer is a time for light, fresh meals with fruit and vegetables taking centre stage, but also when the quicker ripening of produce can lead to more food wastage. Let’s take a look at the seasonal products offered at the supermarket in the shopping centre, and some tips that can help us avoid wasting food.

Summer: a snapshot of flavours and colours that invite creativity

Tomatoes, courgettes, aubergines, cucumbers, lettuces and peppers are the stars of the show in summer, along with a great range of fruit, including cantaloupe, watermelon, nectarines and figs, just to name a few. Tasty seasonal products available from Caprabo at illa Carlemany, all of which contain essential vitamins, minerals, fibre and healthful substances such as water, helping to keep us hydrated.

Creativity to also avoid food waste

And other tips that will also help your wallet!

With a little ingenuity we can always find a solution for ingredients that can no longer be used as intended because they have become overripe or lost their firmness and texture, or for those dinner leftovers that can be recycled in the invention of new dishes. Cold soups, omelette and sandwich fillings, fun pizza toppings, stir-fry vegetable dishes or making a vinaigrette from a gazpacho are some examples of this creative ‘food recycling’. And don’t forget that freezing food is a brilliant technique for sustainable cooking. You can even freeze raw eggs for later use, beating them first or separating the whites from the yolks and freezing them apart.

Three final tips to also help with the budget: go shopping when you’re not hungry, or you risk buying with your stomach rather than your head; restock the fridge every two or three days, to avoid keeping food for too long that ends up losing its nutritional properties; and set aside some cooking time each day to prepare your dishes fresh and ready!