We're not exactly freegans - but we've a lot to learn from them.

So Sarah being a vegetarian we get asked about our food habits often enough. I've tried going veggie before, even became a veggie for the 1st month of us going out, but it's never lasted, the subtle smell of bacon from a cafe, the scent of a summer bbq in the air, the christmas roast, or nana's Italian meatballs, all draw me happily back.  It has it's appeal, but it's just not for me.

I would however like to someday give a go at being a Freegan. Freegans, often mistaken for even strickter Vegans or something of the like, are rather different.  They eat meat, veg, ready meals, pretty much everything. I've known several during my time, and have eaten very happily freegan at their houses, and I'm still alive and well with not even a dodgy stomach to tell of.

Freegans live for free -at least in terms of what they eat.  They got salvaging in bins and skips outside supermarkets and eat off the food that has been thrown away.  Now it's important to say- WE DON'T DO THIS- right now, so don't worry when coming over for dinner, but they have a lot of resources that are useful such as this page by NY Freegan populariser, Adam Weissman about eating food that is past it's best before date: Health and Safety Issues

I have to admit I was initially a bit squeamish about eating hummus whose best before date was well in last week, or buying tomatoes that say they go off tomorrow.  But in fairness they've all tasted pretty good, and we've been completely well.

Disclaimer: we can't vouch for food safety and eat what you do at your own risk.
Here's a website on best before dates from the NHS: Food Labelling

We do this with veg, chesse and the like, and meats and ready made stuff, as long as you freeze the day you buy them, it doesn't matter the best before date.

And although we don't eat Freegan, if Skip Diving was a sport Sarah would be an olympic medalist, much of what we have in our home was found in skips and I'm sure Sarah will be putting up a post on her tips for skip diving in the not too distant future.

But for now, happy hunting!

photo credit: Shira Golding via photopin cc