Throwing away good food is a habit that is easy to form (0) ______ hard to break. Malaysian households throw out tonnes of edible food every single day, yet a few small changes in the kitchen can make a real difference. Here is how to begin.

To start with, begin by (9) ______ everything your family throws away for one whole week. Write it all down, because most people underestimate the problem until they see it on paper. Once you have that list, try to (10) ______ the habits behind it. These may be careless shopping, poor storage or plain (11) ______.

Next, plan a (12) ______ menu for the week and buy only what appears on it. A short list, prepared calmly at home, helps you shop far more (13) ______ than a hurried trip after work does. Never enter a supermarket when you are hungry, because an empty stomach increases (14) ______ and fills your trolley with things you do not need.

You should also check the (15) ______ dates on tins and jars before you pay for them. At home, keep older food at the front of the fridge so that these (16) ______ are used first, and freeze whatever you cannot finish. Learn to cook with broccoli stems and chicken bones as well, which look (17) ______ but add real flavour to a soup.

In conclusion, if you cannot (18) ______ the waste in your own kitchen, ask everyone at home to help you.