No to food waste. The FAO urges us to be sensible and careful with our food during the holidays

We are hours away from the New Year. Almost every housewife is preoccupied with what to treat her family on New Year's Eve. A huge amount of food is being prepared, and many of the treats and snacks are often left uneaten. We are used to seeing the refrigerators full of food the next morning after a feast, but do we ever think about how much of it becomes food waste? And this happens even though someone on the other side of the world may be starving at that moment.

Unfortunately, in many countries, holidays have become synonymous with overeating and food waste. Meanwhile, in 2011, the FAO estimated that one-third of all the food produced in the world is either misplaced or goes to waste. That equates to 1.3 billion tons per year. And it's not just the food we don't eat that goes to waste: all the resources (seeds, water, feed, etc.), money and labour used to make it go to waste as well.

On the eve of the holiday, FAO urges us to remember to treat food wisely and with care, too, while paying tribute to the people and things we value. The experts even prepared recommendations - six helpful tips to avoid or reduce the amount of food waste from holiday treats.

*Be realistic - plan ahead and don't make a meal for 50 people if only 5 are coming.

*Freeze the leftovers or give them to your guests - if you've prepared too much food, invite guests to take some with them. Anything left over, put it in the freezer immediately for later. (Food should not be left at room temperature for more than two hours.)

*Let the leftovers become tomorrow's lunch or dinner - there are tons of inventive recipes online for how to use leftovers. In fact, some dishes like stews, goulash, fattoush salad and panzanella came about so you don't have to throw away fruits, vegetables and even extra bread. Remember to keep leftover food in the refrigerator and eat it as soon as possible.

*Eat leftovers before cooking something new - quite often we instinctively try to come up with something new for each next meal, but before you cook a new meal, make sure you don't have anything already cooked and still edible to eat in the first place. Or you can turn leftovers from previous meals into a new dish. Just remember not to reheat the food repeatedly and then put it back in the refrigerator.

*Let your guests put as much as they want on their plate Of course, serving guests is great, but the host cannot always estimate exactly how much their guest will want to eat, and usually chooses to put too much. Let the guests serve themselves, then they can choose the amount they want to eat. (Advice for guests on how to avoid waste: if you're serving yourself at the table, don't take more than you can eat!)

*Give others what you didn't use yourself - if you bought extra canned goods, dried fruit, or other non-perishable foods to donate, many local charities will be happy to take them from you. You may be able to find organizations near you that accept donations online.

During the holidays, remember that it is a privilege to have enough food. Don't let it igo to waste!