Stalking wasted produce!

It appears that New Zealanders are mimicking the infamous stance of former US president George H W Bush, during his tenure as the 41st president.

Bush frequently mentioned his distaste for broccoli, famously saying: "I do not like broccoli. And I haven't liked it since I was a little kid. Now I'm president of the United States, I'm not gonna eat any more broccoli!"

Each year, more than 282 tonnes of broccoli stems are being added to this country's household landfill waste.

LeaderBrand's Richard Burke, a large grower of broccoli, says that this is a staggering amount of waste and a huge waste of money.

"It might come as a surprise, but broccoli stalks are edible and they taste great," he says. "A third of us (37%) are throwing them away! It's such a waste."

Food scraps make up almost half the weight of the average Auckland household's rubbish. Recently, new figures came out that indicate New Zealanders throw out more than $3 billion worth of food each year - more than $1,500 per household per year.

Burke says all the talk about the increase in the cost of living could be helped if people made a few simple changes. He suggests buying in-season produce or not throwing away edible parts of veggies, would see people get better value out of fresh produce.

"Eating every part of the vegetable that you've bought makes financial sense," he adds. "Why not try maximising every inch of this nutrition powerhouse to make meals go further. It tastes great, adds texture to your meal, plus, you'll also be helping the environment."

5 + A Day - a charitable trust committed to increasing the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables for better health in all New Zealanders - trustee and principal scientist and team leader at Plant and Food Research, Dr Carolyn Lister says broccoli stems are just as important as the head, or floret of the plant.

"Broccoli stems and florets are an excellent source of nutrition, they're an important part of a healthy diet to support your wellbeing in the winter months," she says.

"The stems and the florets provide valuable nutrients such as vitamin C, which supports immunity, and folate which helps the body form red blood cells, plus they're a great source of dietary fibre which keeps you feeling full for longer."