Here's how to make a meal out of your food scraps

Bread crusts, potato peelings and leftover rice are three types of food waste which can be given a new lease of life and turned into alternative dishes.

Penny-pinching gurus from NetVoucherCodes.co.uk have revealed five ways to turn food scraps into tasty dishes and ingredients that will also help you save money.

1. Crusts of bread

The ends of bread loaves are perhaps the most common form of food waste and can be easily turned into breadcrumbs.

Place the crusts into a food processor which will break the slices down to create crumbs.

Depending on what size you want the crumbs, leave them in the processor to make them smaller.

These breadcrumbs can then be frozen for later use.

2. Chicken bones

Instead of throwing chicken bones straight in the bin, you can use everything that the chicken has to offer.

Place the carcass of a chicken in a saucepan along with water, add in vegetables such as carrots and onions for extra flavour, bring to the boil then simmer for around three hours.

3. Softening vegetables

If you have vegetables which you probably wouldn’t serve to accompany a meal, instead of throwing them in the bin or compost you can create a vegetable soup.

Simply boil the vegetables in some vegetable stock and, once all the vegetables are cooked through, use a blender to create a smooth soup ready to eat.

4. Potato peelings

Cook them in a deep fat fryer to provide the perfect alternative to chips.

If you prefer your skins a bit thicker, try peeling your potatoes with a knife instead of a peeler.

5. Rice

Make sure your rice is cooled properly, to stop the risk of salmonella and once it’s been cooked, put it straight into the fridge if you have any leftovers.

This excess rice can be turned into egg fried rice.

Whisk eggs in a frying pan until semi-scrambled then pour in rice and any vegetables or meat.

Add a bit of soy sauce and cook until rice is heated through.