When I was asked to sign up to the No Waste Within campaign I had no problem saying ‘yes!’ because it epitomizes not just the way I feel about food waste when blogging, but food waste completely.

No Waste Within is a campaign started within the food-blogging community to cut down on the amount of, and ultimately eliminate, food waste created by the development, cooking, styling and photographing of recipes. In the case of The Happy Food Kitchen I can assure you all the food you see on this blog and also my Instagram was completely eaten by my family or visiting friends. I only make and snap food which we really eat – in fact most of the time it’s hard to get a picture of it before someone tucks into it! I don’t employ any special techniques to make my photos such as hairsprays for shine and non-edible bulkers. I want you to make my recipe and end up with a same plate of food as you see on my site.

You may also notice me referring to freezing or using up leftovers – because that’s what I really do! If I have rice leftover from a meal I freeze it for a quick side next time or make vegetable fried rice for the kids with it. If there is mash spare then it will be used as a pie topper or in fish cakes.  Either way it won’t go in the bin. Look out for more compilation posts from me detailing this.

I also make sure to check the contents of my fridge before shopping and meal planning. This way I can construct meals around what food is close to its use-by date or needs to eaten. Often this means throwing a lot of it together to make a soup or curry. Often these inventive meals are actually my favourites! Far from being a problem, I think approaching food which needs to be used is inspirational and forces you to think outside the box a little.

I am more than happy to sign up to the following pledge:

“I promise that no food waste was created by the development, cooking, styling and photographing of this recipe and that, where it wasn’t possible for me to enjoy it myself, I have redistributed, re-purposed, retained or recycled the food.”

There are certain dishes which really feel like they nourish your soul – and this Vegetable Laksa is one of them. The Malaysian spices and flavours take you to a warmer place and there is something comforting about the creamy but clean soup-sauce.

Although this looks like it has a lot of ingredients don’t be put off, they can all be found in supermarkets. Because you blend the paste it is actually just a case of shoving in all the ingredients and blitzing it. And most of the veggies don’t even need peeling! You can use what you have to hand in the fridge, a brilliant way of using up smaller amounts of veg. So if you don’t have something in this list don’t worry – just sub in something else! This also means you can use up seasonal veggies too.

Vegan (if you leave out the fish sauce) and gluten free it’s a brilliant dish to make for friends and you can adjust the chilli heat to suit so it’s also brilliant for kids too. If you want to make it for the family then keep the chilli content of the paste low and provide chopped fresh chilli for everyone to add at the table. You could also add tofu, prawns, shredded meats too, whatever you have or fancy!

If you can start the day right you are more likely to make good choices for the rest of it. But lots of people struggle with breakfast as they don’t like traditional breakfast foods or feel they don’t have time to make anything while rushing out the door. That’s where these easy meal prep, sugar-free Carrot Cake Breakfast Muffins are brilliant because they are ready to go  – and who doesn’t want to eat cake all day!

I like to pop these beauties into the kids lunch box as well as mine as they travel so well. They contain three fruits and one vegetable to provide sweetness and moisture as well as a nutrient and fibre boost. The spelt flour is wholesome and boosts the nutritional value of the muffins while keeping them light. Spelt flour is packed with, fibre, protein and lots of minerals and vitamins including iron, magnesium, zinc and B vitamins. Together with the oats this will keep you feeling fuller for longer. Make these vegan with an egg substitute and nut milk.

I find these are released better in a silicone muffin case or baking parchment ones rather than plain paper cups – the low fat content means they have a tendency to stick to the paper a little.