Why? Well, if you regularly scrape your leftovers into your caddy the chances are you helped to grow those vegetables.
That’s right – the food scraps you put in your caddy are used to magically grow more mouth-watering plants. It’s like being some kind of wizard of vegetables.
From spuds to sprouts, lots of vegetables are grown on Northern Ireland’s farms. Each has its own health benefits to offer but there are some that top the list when it comes to boosting our bodies, according to nutritionist Jane McClenaghan.
Green leafy vegetables like spinach. Low in calories and packed with nutrients like magnesium, folic acid, vitamin C and K.
Brassicas like Cabbage and Brussels sprouts. Full of folate that helps support liver detoxification. These green vegetables pack an antioxidant punch.
Orange-coloured veg like carrots. Carrots are a source of beta-carotene and lutein, thought to boost vision. Perhaps they really can help us see in the dark!
While your body is absorbing the nutrients in these vegetables, the leftovers or peelings should be thrown into your food caddy where they will be collected and turned into organic fertiliser. This is then spread on farmland to help grow a new crop.
(We’re not saying you have to help grow all vegetables though. Honestly, if you hate broccoli, just imagine your food scraps are helping to bring a bunch of carrots into the world!)
So the next time you’re enjoying Sunday lunch, you can tuck into the vegetables on your plate and know that they were nurtured by you. It’s the best excuse to enjoy a roast dinner ever.
The infographic below explains in stages how the waste in our food bin is turned into a fresh crop of vegetables.
If your rubbish bin is overflowing with leftovers, vegetable peelings, and tea bags, why not put it on a diet? It’s easy to do. Recycling your food waste instead of putting it in the bin only takes a little effort and is an easy way to help protect the environment and save your local council money they can spend on local services.