Why do we buy more than we cook?

January triggers an almost automatic desire to do better. To eat better, organise better, plan better. The problem is that this desire shows up in a month when energy is low, days are shorter and patience for complex decisions is limited. We buy food as if our routine had changed, but it remains exactly the same.

Much of the shopping done this month is not for real life, but for an idealised version of ourselves. We imagine weeks with time to cook and meals planned in advance, even though that rarely happens. The fridge fills up with that expectation and, when the end of the day arrives, we choose whatever takes the least effort. Ingredients that require time are left for later, and that “later” almost never comes.

Winter intensifies this mismatch. In general, we have less mental energy to plan, less willingness to experiment and a greater need for immediate comfort. We plan meals as if we were in another season, but we cook in survival mode. Intention does not match execution, and this is where waste begins.

Then there is the act of buying, which also brings a quick sense of control. A full fridge seems like a sign of organisation and responsibility, but in practice it often means the opposite.

In January, this translates into buying ingredients that make sense in theory but do not fit into everyday life. Winter vegetables, roots and oven dishes seem like the right choices, but they require time and availability that do not always exist. When energy runs out, those foods are left behind, even when they are still in good condition.

According to FAO data, a large part of food waste happens at home. It is not food that is spoiled from the start, but food that was never used. In January, we plan more than we are able to execute, and this is directly reflected in what ends up in the bin.

The solution is not to buy less or to plan everything in detail, but to align expectations with real energy levels. Cooking in winter calls for flexibility, fewer decisions and recipes that allow variation. Dishes that work even when ingredients are no longer at their ideal point and that can solve more than one meal.

Instead of asking what we want to cook, it makes more sense to think about what we can realistically cook. This small shift brings the kitchen closer to reality and naturally reduces waste.