How many of us end up throwing food away at the end of the week? It can be frightening to see how much food we waste however hard we try and plan ahead. Keeping food fresh will help it last longer. You could see it as a way of helping the environment, it will certainly help you keep within budget with the household expenses and you will feel happier that you are making sure your family are less likely to get stomach upsets from unwelcome bacteria.

There are plenty of foods that don't need to be stored in the fridge but you still need to take care how you store them to keep them fresh and safe to eat. Dried pasta, for instance, can be kept in the bag you bought it in, but it could stay fresh that bit longer if you transfer it into a sealed container. It will also avoid any spilling out into the back of cupboards - and remember that any food left loose, particularly on the floor or in low cupboards can encourage mice, ants and other pests.

Unless a can has a re-sealable lid always make sure you put the contents of an opened can into a bowl or suitable container and put in the fridge if you're not going to use it all straight away. Once tin is exposed to the air it can transfer onto the can's contents so don't think of putting half a tin of tomatoes straight into the fridge.

Kitchen foil and containers made from aluminium should be avoided when storing certain types of highly acidic food, such as tomatoes, rhubarb, cabbage and certain soft fruits. And always check the packaging to cling film to see which food it can be used with.

You can freeze fresh herbs in an airtight container. Most of the flavour and nutritional quality will be preserved, but the appearance might suffer slightly and it would be best once thawed to crush and sprinkle the herbs onto dishes.

Remember that when you are making a dish always keep food out of the fridge for the shortest time possible to keep it fresh and remember to cool leftovers as quickly as possibly (ideally within one or two hours) before you then store it in the fridge - remember that generally any leftovers should be eaten within two days.

Keep food cupboards clean, tidy and dry and throw out products that have gone past their sell-by date. Finally remember most products have storage instructions on the label - it's important to follow these so that the food is safe to eat and tastes at its best.