A CLYDEBANK community programme has issued a brand-new cookbook for Bankies looking to save a little money and reduce food waste.

ISARO Community Initiative is a local social group that looks to bring strengthened mutual cultural understanding and greater global awareness to Clydebank.

The initiative came up with the idea for the cookbook to reduce food waste in order to help the environment, but also to bring savings to local families that may need financial help during such unprecedented times.

Rose Sehakizinka, the project’s coordinator, said: “We’ve been learning about the impact of food waste on the environment and the economy.

“We thought that the best way to share our learning and inspire others is to produce a cookbook, so we called it The Melting Pot – sprinkled with a dash of community togetherness.

“It has recipes covering Arabic, African, Indian, Pakistani and Romanian cuisine. It has a section on utilising leftovers effectively and is packed with tips on ways for home cooks to reduce their carbon footprint through sensible shopping choices.

“To name a few favourites mentioned in the book, it would be goulash or lentil curry.”

According to figures from the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), an organisation that works with governments, businesses and communities to deliver practical solutions in reducing waste, the UK throws away 6.6 million tonnes of household food waste per year, and almost three quarters of that is food that could have been eaten.

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“The environmental impact alone is immense,” Rose continues, “for example, in Scotland, edible food waste comes at a cost to the government of £1 billion.

“Education at the community level through workshops and community-based groups like ISARO can significantly reduce each households carbon output.

“Families are under immense financial pressure and the pressure of being in lockdown with children who are growing and bored and constantly hungry.

“Shops are running low on ‘essential items’, and people are trying to limit the number of trips to the supermarket they make.

“This means that out of fear, people are having food insecurity and are constantly planning and portioning or even rationing food at home to ensure there is enough to go around and last until the next shopping trip or delivery.

“The Melting Pot Cookbook recipes and tips can be a powerful resource to help families prepare enjoyable meals with a limited budget.”

And for anyone worrying about food running low or their current meal habits, Rose has a few tips: “Go outside your comfort zone and try new recipes.

“Put leftover food to good use, be smart about food storage and have a use-it-up meal day where you will use all that food in the fridge that might otherwise get overlooked.

“Plan meals as a family and make sure everyone agrees on the meals before purchasing or cooking, as this will cut down on unwanted food.

“Try cutting meat out of your diet more often as this will encourage you to try new foods, and food without meat can be stored for longer and eaten for lunches over the next few days.”

To find out more about the ISARO Community Initiative and to download The Melting Pot Cookbook, visit isaro initiative.org.uk/project/climate-challenge-initiative/.