I’m doing a new Empty the Storecupboard Challenge to use up older stored foods, and hopefully save some money. It’s a great way to prevent food waste, and if you plan well it can cut your grocery bills too. Do you want to join in?

You can keep up with all the posts in the Storecupboard Challenge section of this site.

The Empty the Storecupboard Challenge rules

It’s a very simple challenge, in theory. You make a list of the food stocks that you need to use up, and then all you have to do is make at least three meals a week from them until the food is gone. If possible, try to get some variety into your meals and aim to make them tasty and (ideally) healthy.

My personal challenge this time around has an extra requirement, because I’m trying to have at least six portions of fruit and vegetables every day. If I can’t make the main meals healthy then I’ll have to add vegetable side dishes or fruit-based desserts to keep the count up.

My Spring 2017 list of storecupboard stock

There’s plenty of old stock to use up, so here we go:

• 250g 125g brown basmati rice
• 500g 400g 300g 200g 100g cous cous
• 400g 300g 200g 100g penne pasta
• 100g fusilli pasta
• 500g 450g 400g 350g 300g 250g 200g 150g 100g 50g oats
• 100g quinoa

• carton of black beans
• 1 can butter beans
• packet of falafel mix
• 500g yellow split peas

• 4 3 2 1 small cans sweetcorn
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 2/3 1/3 tube of tomato puree
• 2 1 small tins mandarin segments in juice
• 1 tin sliced peaches in juice
• 1 large tin of prunes
• 200g 160g 140g 120g 90g 60g 30g seedless raisins

• 1 sachet miso soup paste
• 1 small jar coconut curry paste
• 100g 75g 50g 25g custard powder
• 2 1 tins tagine chickpeas & vegetables
• 1 tin spicy pinto beans in sauce

• 150g 100g 50g dried breadcrumbs
• 6 3 papads / poppadums
• 75g 50g 25g 15g unsalted pistachios (in shells)

I’ll be crossing the list above off as we cook and eat each ingredient.

The first evening meal has already been made: falafel with yogurt and mint sauce, and couscous with salad leaves, beetroot, mandarin segments, sliced apple and chopped pistachios. It was eaten very quickly because it looked so tasty, so unfortunately I forgot to take a photo.

Look out for a few other pics – if I remember – on social media with the #EmptyTheSC hashtag, and please share your own storecupboard dishes and recipes too.