Food Too Good to Waste Challenge

Smart Prep: Don't just pick it and forget it!

How and when you prepare food has a big impact on how much is wasted.

Learn Something New: Tips for Smart Prep

Food not being consumed before it spoils accounts for 2/3 of all household food waste. Prep your fruits and veggies as soon as you get home from your shopping trip. By prepping your food right away after shopping, it will be easier to whip up meals later in the week, saving time, effort, and money.

Food Spotlight: How to use Citrus Peels
We love citrus, but did you know it's more than just food? Check out the link for some creative ways to use the peels!

Discussion Question (click link): How do you prep food to reduce waste?

This week, challenge yourself to complete 2 of these 4 actions

• Watch Saint Paul College Food Prep Tips (20-minute video)-- Chef Instructor Nathan Sartain and some culinary arts students share how to prep food to maximize consumption and minimize waste. He also provides us with some ways to turn scraps in to meals!
• Try one of the tips from the Tips for Smart Prep (link)
• Try one of the new ways to Use Citrus Peels (link)
• Use the Meal Prep Mate (link)-- A tool for to help you make the right portions when meal prepping. This was created by the National Resource Defense Council.

Join the discussion (click link): How do you prep food to reduce waste?

Remember to Report your Food Scraps (link) at the end of the week. They are due by Monday night!

Smart Saving: Eat What You Buy

Letting food that you purchased and/or prepared spoil is a sad sight. Make sure you are aware of what food needs to be eaten first to avoid having it go bad—wasting money and resources.

Try this tool: Meal Prep Shopping List

Prep a list before you go to the grocery store. Check what items you already have that need to be eaten, then make a list accordingly. You can find one in your Action Kit.

Try this tool: Eat Me First Label

Make it easier to remember your leftoversl! Dedicate a section of your refrigerator for leftovers and place this label on it so that it stands out. You can find one in your Action Kit.

Try this tool: Leftover List

It's easy to forget what's hiding in the back of the fridge and freezer! Try taping this to the outside of the refrigerator; make a note anytime you add a food you're worried may be forgotten. You can find one in your Action Kit.

Discussion Question (click link): What creative ways do you use up leftovers and food scraps?

This week, challenge yourself to complete 2 of these 6 actions

• Share what you're cooking (link)-- Post a picture of food you're making this week that helped you prevent food waste.
• Try one of the tools we shared on Monday and in your Action Kits: Eat me First Labels; Leftover List; Meal Prep Shopping List.
• Watch the Cooking Segment: El Burrito Mercado Pico de Gallo (2-minute video)-- Local business on the West Side shares a fun twist for leftover Pico de Gallo.
• If you have company coming over, try using the Guestimator-- Tell the Guestimator what you're making, how many people are joining, and it will tell you the right portions to make to prevent leftovers!
• Consider watching the Netfilx cooking show Best Leftovers Ever! (2-minute trailer)-- Home cooks compete to transform leftovers into delicious creations.
• Try making one of these recipes suggested by our staff and other Saint Paul residents.
  • Frittata: Use up Leftover Veggies
  • Ice Cream: Use up those Brown Bananas
  • Jelly: Use up Corn Cobs
  • Migas: Use up Leftover Tortilla Chips
  • Pickled Green Beans: Use up Excess Beans
  • Pickled Watermelon Rinds: Use up the Rest of the Watermelon
  • Soup Broth: Use up Cheese Rinds
  • Suet: Use up Extra Grease & Grains
  • Vinaigrette: Use up the Last of the Mustard

Join the Discussion (click link): What creative ways do you use up leftovers and food scraps?

Don't forget to Report your Food Scraps (link) at the end of the week. They are due by Monday night!

Congratulations! You made it to the end of the challenge!

Thank you for participating in the City of Saint Paul’s second ever Food Waste Challenge! I will upload the final numbers next week to share with the group.

To do:

• Report your Food Waste (link) at the end of the week for one final time! They are due by Monday night.

I hope that you continue to use the tools you learned during the program. Here are the links to each of the week's lessons.

• Week 1: Get Smart | Week 1: Dive in!
• Week 2: Smart Shopping | Week 2: Dive in!
• Week 3: Smart Disposal | Week 3: Dive in!
• Week 4: Smart Storage | Week 4: Dive in!
• Week 5: Smart Prep | Week 5: Dive in!
• Week 6: Smart Savings | Week 6: Dive in!

We’ve also put these materials on our website at stpaul.gov/foodwaste. Feel free to share pieces you enjoyed with family and friends. The materials are also available in Oromo, Hmong, Somaali, Spanish, and Karen in the coming weeks.

Thank you! I hope to see you at the Potluck Tuesday at 6pm at the Phalen Park Pavilion.

-Lydia

This week, and beyond, challenge yourself to keep up the momentum!

• Share what you learned!
  • Tell friends and family about the importance of preventing food waste, then share tips and tricks you've learned during this challenge. Resources are available online: stpaul.gov/foodwaste
• Connect with like-minded neighbors on social media. Below are some examples of groups to try.
  • Facebook Buy Nothing Midway/Frogtown
  • Facebook ZWSP: Food Waste Warriors
• Connect or volunteer with food shelves who work to lower their food waste by using leftovers rather than newly purchased food. Below are some examples:
  • Loaves & Fishes
  • Second Harvest Heartland

Have more ideas? Share them in the comments!

Remember to take the Final Recap Survey to share feedback on the program.