1 billion meals wasted daily around the world: How meal planning can help

Did you know that over 1 billion meals go to waste every day around the world? The impact of our grocery habits goes far beyond our wallets, “fueling climate change, nature loss and pollution”, according to a UN report. 

Food waste is a personal problem – and it’s a global one. 

When we throw away food, we're not just discarding groceries – we're wasting all the water, energy and resources that went into producing, transporting and packaging that food. Every forgotten vegetable is a missed opportunity to reduce our environmental footprint while also keeping hard-earned money in our pockets.

It’s time to shop smarter, eat better and toss less.

The ‘spinach cycle’: Why food waste happens (even when we mean well)

£230. That’s the value of food wasted each year for the average person living in the UK. 

You probably know the cycle: buy groceries with good intentions, cook a few meals, forget that spinach bag in the fridge, and then feel a pang of guilt as you toss it days later. Sound familiar?

Most of us don’t waste food on purpose. We’re juggling busy lives, unpredictable schedules, and the pressure to eat healthy. The result? Overbuying, forgotten leftovers, mismatched ingredients and a pantry full of question marks.

That’s where smarter meal planning can change the game – and MacroMate was built to make it effortless.

One plan, many mouths to feed

MacroMate lets you share meal plans and grocery lists with your household. That means fewer excess ingredients, no more cooking separate meals, and a team effort in reducing waste. When everyone knows what's planned, there's less chance of duplicate shopping or conflicting meal choices that leave ingredients unused.

Ingredient-conscious recommendations

MacroMate’s AI meal planner isn’t just smart – it’s thoughtful. It takes into account what you already have, your preferences and your nutritional goals to suggest recipes that make the most of every ingredient.

Instead of planning meals in isolation, MacroMate thinks strategically about your entire week. It suggests recipes that complement each other, ensuring ingredients get used across multiple meals rather than sitting forgotten in your fridge.

MacroMate is your kitchen’s best friend, helping you actually use that half-bag of spinach before it wilts.

Custom portions and smart scaling

One of the biggest sources of food waste is the mismatch between recipe portions and real-life appetites. Planning meals that match your actual schedule means fewer leftovers going uneaten. MacroMate adjusts portions based on your needs and eating habits, so you're not stuck with five servings of something you only wanted once.

Whether you're cooking for one or feeding a family, the app scales recipes appropriately, accounting for busy nights when you need quick meals and leisurely weekends when you have time for more elaborate cooking.

Batch cooking and planned overlap

MacroMate helps you reuse ingredients across meals, so that roast veggies from Monday become part of Wednesday's grain salad bowl or Friday's frittata. This overlap means you buy ingredients with multiple purposes in mind, maximising their use while minimising waste.

Beyond saving food

By eliminating last-minute grocery runs and unused purchases, MacroMate helps you spend less time meal planning, cut down on weekly grocery costs, and reduce the guilt of throwing out food. It's sustainable living made simple and convenient.

The ripple effects extend beyond your kitchen. Less food waste means fewer trips to the grocery store, reduced packaging waste, and a smaller environmental footprint – all achieved through better planning rather than major lifestyle changes.

Small changes, huge impact

Striving for zero-waste doesn't have to mean perfection. It's about being more intentional and aware, supported by tools that make positive change easier.

MacroMate offers a free 7-day trial so you can start building smarter habits today. Save your time, your money and your groceries from the bin – without sacrificing flavour, variety or flexibility.

Living well shouldn't mean wasting more.

Ready to meet your MacroMate? Download MacroMate and start your zero-waste meal planning journey today.