This resource is part of our ‘Love what you eat‘ campaign for National Nutrition Week 2025.
This resource is part of our ‘Love what you eat‘ campaign for National Nutrition Week 2025.
Every part of a vegetable has value — from broccoli stems and cauliflower leaves to pumpkin seeds, carrot tops, and potato peel.
“Australia currently creates more than 7.6 million tonnes of food waste each year – enough to fill the Melbourne Cricket Grounds nine times.”
Vegetables and herbs are some of the most commonly wasted foods in Australia, often left to go soggy at the back of the fridge, or thrown out during preparation when peels, stems, and leaves could have been used. (2)
But food doesn’t have to end up in the bin. By using the whole vegetable you can reduce waste, save money, stretch your food further and discover new flavours along the way.
Keep reading for smart, creative ways to use every part of your veggies, from juicing and smoothies to becoming a ‘Soup’erstar, roasting, or tossing “scraps” into stir-fries.
“By cutting food waste, households could save more than $2,500 a year…”
Peels, stems, and even not-so-fresh veggies still have plenty to give. Here are easy ways to transform them into meals you’ll love.
Roasting brings out the natural sweetness of vegetables and makes them incredibly versatile. Once roasted, they can be tossed into salads, served as a side, folded into frittatas, blended into dips, or made into a rich, warming soup.
Try roasting veggies like broccoli and cauliflower whole. You will get get a mix of textures, from crispy leaves to tender stems and caramelised florets.
💡 Tip: If you can press your thumbnail into the skin of a vegetable, you can often skip peeling. Just give them a good wash, and scrub root vegetables before popping them in the oven. Keeping the skin not only saves time but also adds extra flavour, texture, and nutrients.
Even the parts you’d usually throw away can be full of goodness. The tough, fibrous bits of vegetables are still packed with nutritional value and a blender can turn them into something smooth and tasty in seconds. Once blended, these parts can disappear into sauces, soups, or fillings like bolognese, taco mix, or curries, adding extra fibre and nutrients without any fuss.
Use your leftover beans to create a spiced bean base to add to your salads, make a mexi bean pasta bake, make delicious burritos and tacos or even enjoy beans on toast.
💡 Tip: Cooked beans keep well in the freezer. Store them in portions so you can add them straight into recipes when you need them.
Fritters and veggie balls are a perfect way to use up that random assortment of vegetables left at the bottom of the fridge, even if they’re a little past their prime. Blending or grating them together makes them easy to transform into something tasty and new.
Enjoy them in lots of ways:
Snack on them hot or cold
Use them as a hearty topping for pasta instead of meatballs
Pop them into a sandwich, wrap, or roll for a filling, portable meal
💡 Tip: Zucchini, carrot, sweet potato, broccoli stems, and even slightly soggy greens like spinach all work beautifully when combined with herbs, spices, or cheese.
Use wilting greens to make pestos and dressings such as salsa verde and chimichurri. Here is a great pesto recipe from OzHarvest.
💡 Tip: Freeze leftover pesto, salsa verde, or chimichurri in an ice cube tray. Once solid, pop the cubes into a container or bag and you’ll have ready-to-go flavour bombs to stir into pasta, spread on sandwiches, or brighten up roasted veggies.
Leftover or wilted vegetables are still perfect for making sauces and soups or adding to smoothies.
💡 Tip: Think beyond the usual suspects when using up veggies. Even soggy lettuce can be rescued and turned into a delicious soup!
Potato peels (and even carrot, pumpkin, or beetroot peels) can be turned into crunchy, flavour-packed snacks. By seasoning and dehydrating them, you not only reduce waste but also create a tasty, nutrient-rich alternative to packaged chips.
How to do it:
Wash peels thoroughly and pat them dry.
Toss with a drizzle of oil, your favourite herbs, and spices (try rosemary + sea salt, smoked paprika, or garlic powder).
Spread evenly on a baking tray or dehydrator rack.
Bake at a low temperature (around 160°C) until crispy, or dehydrate slowly for an extra crunch.
An omelette or frittata is the perfect “clear the fridge” meal. It’s quick, versatile, and a great way to use leftover or wonky vegetables. Chop or grate what you have on hand (zucchini, capsicum, spinach, mushrooms, even broccoli stems) and add them to beaten eggs.
Make it your own:
Add herbs, spices, or cheese for extra flavour
Use as a wrap filling or sandwich layer
Cut into wedges for an easy lunchbox snack
Vegetable scraps (including onion skins, carrot tops, celery leaves and pumpkin peels) can be stored in a designated container in the freezer, when you have enough use this as the base for your own vegetable stock, or even a stock paste!
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Broccoli stems include the same amount of nutrients as the flower including Vitamin A, C, Fibre, Potassium and Folate.
Using the whole vegetable means you’re having a positive impact on the environment and saving money. Good for your wallet and for your heart. Use it all to get the most out of your vegetables!
OzHarvest has a number of recipes under their Use It Up Recipes initiative which provides practical ideas to reduce food waste at home!
OzHarvest has also developed a (free) Use It Up Tape! This tape can be used to mark a shelf in your fridge, pantry or freezer, or on containers of food that needs using up. It’s a visual reminder for the whole household. Once you can see it, you can use it up!
This recipe if perfect for using up your leftover bread and produce. You can switch up the veggies using up whatever you have in your fridge.
Another great recipe for using up leftover veggies from the fridge. Substitute with any produce you have available.
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