BRITS are set to waste almost 200,000 tonnes of food this Christmas – after forking out £146 to stock up the cupboards with festive treats.
UK households are estimated to bin around £79 worth of food and drink that they buy, making up around 6.6 million bins full of waste across the country.
A majority of Brits believe that they will throw out around seven kilos of food, which would mean a staggering 194,000 tonnes of rubbish.
Cuts of turkey and ham, Brussels sprouts, roast potatoes and pigs-in-blankets are among the top foods adding to the UK’s hulking food waste mountains.
A study of 2,000 adults found that 18 per cent of those polled cook all the food they buy but then throw it away when it doesn’t get eaten.
More than half admitted that binning food makes them feel bad, with one in seven planning to be more mindful when it comes to food waste.
On average Brits will spend £34 more on their Christmas food shop than their regular food shop.
Top reasons for spending more included loving Christmas food, wanting to have too much than not enough and hosting lots of friends and family.
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Potatoes, Brussels sprouts and carrots are the festive food items most commonly thrown away.
Of those polled 59 per cent believe more food is thrown away over Christmas than at any other time of year.
The survey, conducted by OnePoll, found 15 per cent admitted to still throwing food away even if it looks and smells okay but is out of date.
One in 13 rarely use herbs and spices to make their leftovers more interesting, but 35 per cent have tried to make new recipes from the Christmas leftovers.
Ana Sanchez, spokesperson for Schwartz, which commissioned the research said: “Food waste is a growing issue, and one that intensifies over the Christmas period when fridges fill up – but not everything gets eaten.
“Loving your leftovers is something we’re particularly passionate about. That’s why, this year, we’re encouraging the nation to turn to the herb and spice rack to help hack the senses and reinvigorate meal times post-December 25th.
“If we can all get a little creative in the kitchen this holiday, the impact on food waste could be phenomenal.”
But 37 per cent of those polled think recipes for leftover Christmas food are too complicated to follow.
Creative Neuro Scientist and Futurist’ Katherine Templar Lewis added: “Making a turkey curry or using cinnamon to create a whole new dish is a really easy way to whip up excitement in the kitchen post-December 25th while slashing Britain’s food mountains.
“We need to remember that Christmas is a multi-sensory experience, with sounds, smells and colours all contributing to our experience. And the right herbs and spices can work in our favour.
“Yellow in turmeric, for example, can lift our mood, while the smell of rosemary can help combat brain fog… something that’s particularly common in the days following Christmas celebrations.”
TOP TEN FOODS THROWN OUT
These are the top foods which are quickly binned after the Christmas festivities:
1. Potatoes
2. Brussels sprouts
3. Carrots
4. Condiments – mint sauce/ cranberry sauce etc.
5. Turkey
6. Broccoli
7. Gravy
8. Stuffing
9. Cauliflower cheese
10. Parsnips
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