Portion perfect

Get more out of your food shopping by knowing your portion sizes.

Throwing away food is throwing away your hard-earned money. Try to only make what you need and save the extras for lunch the next day.

Top tips

Find your fit

It's easier than you think to work out your portion sizes, and you don't need to be a math expert.

The food portion calculator from Love Food Hate Waste provides guidance on the average amount of food needed for each person, for each meal.

Please remember that everyone is different, so adapt the measurements to suit you and your household.

Stick to the recipe

Recipes are great for helping you to portion ingredients correctly and avoid buying more than you need. If a recipe says it serves four and you’re cooking for two, halve it or save the rest for lunch tomorrow.

Following recipes also helps cut down on guesswork, which means less to throw away.

Savvy swaps

It’s not always necessary to buy an item just for one recipe. You may have something already which can be a great swap. 

Here are some ideas: 

  • No crème fraîche? Use plain yoghurt, or soft cheese mixed with a splash of milk. 
  • Out of eggs for baking? Try mashed banana, apple purée, or a tablespoon of chia seeds soaked in water. 
  • Missing breadcrumbs? Use crushed cornflakes, oats, or even blitzed crackers. 
  • No fresh herbs? Use dried herbs, just reduce the quantity (1 tsp dried = 1 tbsp fresh). 
  • No buttermilk? Mix milk with a splash of lemon juice or vinegar and let it sit for 10 minutes. 
  • Out of tomato purée? Use ketchup or passata, adjusting for sweetness. 
  • No self-raising flour? Add two tsp baking powder per 150g plain flour. 

Plate it up

An easy switch to make is to use smaller plates. 

A healthy portion of food should fill a small plate, so this can help us train our brains to not over-serve. Sometimes we have eyes bigger than our stomachs!

It's time for your fourth chance to gain another entry into the prize draw.

Snap your serving

Activity:  

  1. take a photo of a meal you’ve portioned perfectly—it could be dinner served on a smaller plate, a neatly packed lunch made from leftovers, or a photo of a recipe you’ve adapted to suit your household size
  2. email it to love.essex@essex.gov.uk for your prize draw entry

Instructions for sending the email:

  • please use the same email address you signed up to the challenge with, to ensure your entries can be tracked and logged appropriately
  • write ‘Maldon’s Money Saving Food Challenge – Week 4’ as the email’s subject line
  • the photo should not contain any people
  • by submitting your images via email, you consent to being contacted regarding their potential use for promotional purposes. If we are interested in using your image, we will reach out with details about how it may be featured. You will have the opportunity to decline its use if you prefer
  • check the Prize Draw Terms and Conditions for full details

Data privacy statement

Essex County Council (ECC) is the controller of the personal information you provide to us. The personal information collected when you email us will be used by ECC for the administration and evaluation of Maldon’s Money Saving Food Challenge and deleted after 12 months.

You may withdraw your consent at any time by emailing love.essex@essex.gov.uk.

For more details on how your personal information is used and your rights, please visit www.essex.gov.uk/privacy [opens in new window] 

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