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4.4 million apples thrown away daily

A staggering 4.4 million whole apples are being thrown away untouched every day in the UK, according to the latest figures from Love Food Hate Waste, WRAP's (Waste and Resources Action Programme) campaign to tackle food being wasted in UK homes. The figures show that in total we bin nearly £3 billion worth of perfectly good fruit and vegetables each year.

This sad fact illustrates Love Food Hate Waste campaign's figures that a third of the food we buy, or 6.7 million tonnes, gets thrown out from UK homes annually, most of which could have been eaten. Fruit and vegetables make up a huge 40% of this. The top five fruit and vegetables which get binned without even being touched are apples, potatoes, bananas, tomatoes and oranges.

You can make a difference

There are lots of ways that you can prevent the waste of fruit and veg. Storing it in a fridge will help to keep it fresh for longer is one idea and being creative in the kitchen is another! Check out our simple recipes below for inspiration in the kitchen.

Carrot and Sweetcorn Baked Potatoes

Children will love this sweetened version of a baked potato. Baked potatoes are great for using up any vegetable leftovers like carrots, peppers, tomatoes, and spring onions. Also, try baking sweet potatoes for a change.

Serves 4
4 large baking potatoes
salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon oil
2 large carrots, peeled and grated
125g sweetcorn, drained
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons sunflower or pumpkin seeds (optional) butter to serve

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) mark 4.
2. Rub the potatoes with a little oil and salt. Bake the potatoes in the oven for about 1¼ hours or until soft.
3. In a frying pan add the oil then add the grated carrot and sweetcorn (or any other suitable vegetable), cook gently for a few minutes then add the honey, seeds (optional) and seasoning.
4. Make a deep cross in the potatoes and pinch the potato to reveal the soft flesh. Mash in the butter and sprinkle with a little sea salt onto the flesh before adding the carrot and sweetcorn mixture. Serve with a green vegetable such as broccoli.

Healthy Note
Potatoes are a high-carbohydrate food which contain both protein and fibre. They also supply us with a significant amount of vitamin C and potassium. Their vitamin C content starts to drop almost as soon as potatoes are harvested. Frying or baking best preserves this water-soluble vitamin - though frying increases the calories.

Vegetable Rosti Cakes

You can make these delicious rostis any size that you like but children love little mini ones spread with cream cheese, ricotta cheese or, for a more healthy variation, top with cottage cheese. Serve as a snack or as a vegetable accompaniment. These are great for using up leftover root vegetables such as swede, parsnip, carrot and potato.

Serves 4
450g potatoes, peeled and halved
2 medium carrots, halved lengthways
250g parsnip or swede cut into chunks
250g courgettes, grated
4 spring onions
2 level tablespoons plain flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
oil for frying
Salt and ground black pepper

1. Par boil the potatoes with the carrot, parsnips or swede for 10 minutes, then drain them and leave to cool.

2. Coarsely grate the par-cooked vegetables into a large bowl and stir in the grated courgettes, spring onions, flour and egg, then add seasoning to taste.

3. Lightly oil a frying pan and cook the rosti mixture in small flat fritters or rostis and cook until crisp and golden on both sides. Flatten with a fish slice as they cook. They will need to be about 3-4 minutes on each side.

Healthy Notes
Children are repeatedly reminded that vegetables are good for them and they need to eat their greens to grow big and strong. As a parent, I know it is often an uphill struggle getting the vegetables off the plate into their little mouths. This recipe is a sure fire winner - they will love them! Also, when carrots are cooked the cell membranes are softened, thus making beta-carotene more available for absorption into the body.

Banana, Yoghurt and Apple Pancakes

This recipe is great for using up any leftover yoghurt and over-ripe bananas. You can also add a few sultanas or flaked almonds to the batter if you have them in your storecupboard. You could experiment by adding a few soft berries to the batter too.

Adding the yoghurt to the batter makes them really healthy, but you can also omit the yogurt and make the batter with just milk if you prefer. Add a touch of vanilla essence or cinnamon to the batter for extra flavour.

Healthy Note
Yogurt is a useful source of calcium and phosphorous for strong bones and teeth. It also contains vitamins B2, which are needed to release energy from food and B12 for a healthy nervous system. Yogurt helps replace valuable bacteria in the gut killed by antibiotics and boosts the immune system. It also aids other ailments such as bad breath, constipation, diarrhoea and indigestion.

Serves 4
1 egg, lightly beaten
250ml milk and yogurt (half and half) mixed
2 over-ripe bananas, mashed with a fork
150g plain flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt

1. Mix together the egg, milk, yogurt and bananas. Sieve the flour with the baking powder, sugar and salt into a large bowl, stir in the 'wet' ingredients. The batter will look a little lumpy. Transfer to a mixing jug and allow to stand for 10 minutes

2. Heat a lightly oiled frying pan over a medium heat until smoking hot, turn the heat down and pour small amounts of batter into the pan. Cook in batches on each side until golden.

3. Use a palette knife to flip the pancakes, put onto a plate in a warm place until you have finished cooking all the pancakes.