Tips To Cut Down On Food Waste While Planning A Wedding

December is a lovely time in India. Not only is it filed with festive cheer thanks to Christmas and the approaching New Year, but it’s also a time when thousands (possibly millions) of couples take the plunge.

The big fat Indian wedding is much like the big, fat Greek wedding; filled with family, dancing, booze and lots and lots of food. If you’re planning your wedding, why not try to cut down on food wastage? If you’re not as adventurous as this couple, that choose to serve food waste at their wedding, start with baby steps.

Demand An RSVP

The RSVP section of an invitation tends to be ignored, especially by close family and friends. However, ask them to formally confirm that they will be coming so that you can pass on the numbers to the caterers.

Don’t Go Overboard

We know that your wedding is the chance to impress your boss/long lost family friend/rich neighbours, but try to keep the menu simple. Three starters, two vegetarian mains, two non-vegetarian mains and two dessert options is more than sufficient for a moderate sized wedding.

Serve Sit Down Meals

It’ll be a little more expensive, but consider having servers bring separate servings of each dish to individual tables, as restaurants do. Work out a system where guests can alert a server if more helpings of a certain food is required. That way, you can avoid guests heaping their plates high at a buffet and throwing half the food away.

Consider The Lifespans Of The Dishes

When deciding a menu with the caterer, try to steer towards dishes that will not spoil quickly. That way, you’ll be able to donate any leftover food, which brings us to –

Donate!

There are various organisations that will accept leftover food from big events and donate it to the needy. Be sure to contact them in advance so that any questions and quality/hygiene checks that they need to put in place can be taken care of. Here’s a list of charities in Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai that accept food donations.