How to rotate your emergency food so nothing goes to waste
Stored food only saves you money if you eat it in time. Here's a simple way to rotate your reserve through everyday meals, so it stays fresh and nothing ends up in the bin.
Eat the oldest items in your reserve as part of everyday meals, well before their date, and replace them on your next shop. Your reserve stays the same size, and nothing goes to waste.
You bought that food to be prepared, not to throw it away. But tins at the back of a cupboard are easy to forget, and long-life doesn't mean forever.
Rotation fixes that. Instead of a reserve that sits untouched until it expires, your stored food becomes part of what you normally eat, and gets replaced as you go.
First in, first out
The idea is simple: use the oldest first.
- When you buy new food for your reserve, put it at the back.
- Take from the front for everyday meals.
- Replace what you use on your next shop.
Your reserve stays the same size, but it's always fresh.
Start early for things you eat slowly
Dates aren't the only thing that matters. A 1kg bag of rice might be in date for months, but if your household only gets through a little each week, you need to start using it well before then.
SupKit works this out for you. Its Use First list looks at how much of each kind of food a household of your size typically gets through, and tells you when to start using it, not just when it expires.
Use-by and best-before are different
| Label | What it means |
|---|---|
| Use by | A safety date. Eat it by the end of this date, following any storage instructions. |
| Best before | A quality date. It's usually fine after this date, but may not be at its best. |
Most food in an emergency reserve has a best-before date. Milk, some ready meals and chilled food have use-by dates, which matter more.
When something is close to its date
If you can't use it in time, give it away. Food banks and community fridges welcome tins and dried food that's still in date. SupKit lets you mark items as used, donated or thrown away, so you can see how well you're doing.
Questions
How often should I rotate emergency food?
Look at your reserve every month or so, and use anything coming up in the next few weeks. SupKit reminds you automatically.
Can I eat tinned food after its best-before date?
Best-before dates are about quality rather than safety, so food is often fine afterwards. Use-by dates are about safety, so don't eat food after its use-by date.
What if my family won't eat what's in the reserve?
Stock what you already eat. Familiar food is easier to rotate, and much more comforting when you need it.
