New food waste cookbook from Guelph researchers offers tips on what to do with not-so-great produce

A new, free cookbook is aimed at helping people curb the amount of food they throw in the garbage.

Researchers at the University of Guelph are offering the cookbook as a downloadable PDF on the school's website.

Jess Haines is an associate professor of applied human nutrition and co-director of the Guelph Family Health Study, an ongoing research project at the school. She says The Rock What You've Got cookbook is a great resource for people who want to reduce the amount of food they're tossing in the garbage.

The recipes were developed with help from culinary arts staff at George Brown College.

One section of the book is focused on "fridge clean out." 

"I always say I have the best of intentions on Sunday when I'm at the grocery store, but I don't always stick to what the meal plan is. Life gets busy," Haines said in an interview. "I really like those sort of clean out your fridge recipes that allow us to take [the unused items] and try to use them up and good recipes."

The recipes also allow for some versatility in terms of what gets used in the recipe, which means you're not always making the same dish, Haines said.

Haines says the recipes are also meant to be fairly easy, and can be prepared quickly, so families can use them on busy weeknights.

This is the fifth cookbook being offered through the Guelph Family Health Study.