Making the most of the ingredients in your kitchen is a great way to save time and money - and prevent unnecessary waste!3 Zero-Waste Recipes to Try

Making the most of the ingredients in your kitchen is a great way to save time and money - and prevent unnecessary waste. Using these recipes as inspiration, challenge yourself to go a whole day of using just what’s in your pantry, and ingredients you frequently throw away.

Breakfast: Chocolate banana peel pancakes

If you're like most people, you probably toss your banana peels. Did you know that these peels are fully edible, and pumped with antioxidants? This makes them a great addition to these healthy breakfast pancakes.

• 2 organic or well-washed bananas, peel on
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 egg
• 6 tbsp rolled oats
• 2 tbsp milk or plant milk
• 1 tbsp butter or oil
• Toppings of your choice

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth

2. Heat oil or butter in a frying pan on medium heat

3. Spoon the pancake batter onto the heated pan, and fry until bubbles form on the surface. Flip, and cook for another minute.

4. Stack pancakes onto a plate, smother with favorite toppings, and enjoy.

Lunch: Past-its-best yogurt pizza

Didn’t get through your yogurt before the Best Before date? There’s no need to throw it away - if the yogurt still looks, smells, and tastes fine, it’s perfect for making this super easy pizza dough. Top it whatever you have in the fridge - think leftover cooked meat, veggies, or the end of a block of cheese.

• 150g yogurt
• 150g self-raising flour
• Pinch of salt
• Your favourite pizza toppings

1. Preheat the oven to 425F.

2. Mix flour, yogurt and salt together to form a rough dough - flatten into a flat pizza base.

3. Top with your favourite toppings.

4. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the dough and toppings are brown and bubbling.

5. Cut into slices and serve.

Dinner: Mashed potato pie

Made too many mashed potatoes and have some leftover veggies in the fridge? There’s an easy - and delicious - way to put it all to use: a warming pie! The quantities used in this recipe are flexible, depending on how many leftovers you have, and how many people you have to feed. Feel free to change the recipe to suit your needs.

• Oil for frying veggies
• Leftover vegetables: we used a broccoli stalk, a carrot, and a zucchini
• 1 clove garlic
• Approximately 100g lentils
• Approximately 250ml veggie broth
• 200g chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned
• Mashed potatoes

Cheese, grated (such as gouda or cheddar)

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.

2. Saute all vegetables on a low heat until softened.

3. Add lentils, veggie broth and tomatoes. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer until lentils are soft.

4. Pile the mixture into a baking dish, then smooth mashed potatoes on top of the mixture to top the pie. 

5. Bake the pie until the top is gold and bubbling - about 20-30 minutes.