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Mackenna Kull's avatar

Mackenna Kull

Team SDG&E

"Reducing food waste to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. "

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 2,172 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    4.0
    advocacy actions
    completed
  • UP TO
    6.0
    documentaries
    watched
  • UP TO
    22
    food items
    properly stored
  • UP TO
    1,614
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    104
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    33
    pounds
    food waste prevented
  • UP TO
    8.2
    pounds
    food waste recorded
  • UP TO
    70
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    6.0
    zero-waste meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    11
    zero waste recipes
    cooked

Mackenna's actions

Shopping

Eat Before Shopping

Those who grocery shop on an empty stomach spend 64% more than not-hungry shoppers. Resist impulse buys by shopping with a full stomach. Eat a snack or a meal before going grocery shopping.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Cooking

Revive Limpy Produce

Rescue limpy produce like leafy greens or carrots by soaking in an ice bath.

COMPLETED 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Cooking

Fruit Smoothies

Freeze fruits nearing their end and use in smoothies. You can even try freezing avocados (see Resource)!

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Shopping

Skip the Cart

Bigger carts make us feel like we need to fill them! Use a hand basket to improve grocery store discipline and prevent over-purchasing.

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Planning

Date Labels Demystified

I will not toss food once it is past the best buy date. "Expiration" dates misleadingly refer to quality, not safety. Use your senses and best judgement.

COMPLETED 11
DAILY ACTIONS

Planning

Fridge Inventory

I will keep a fridge inventory to stay up to date with what I have in my fridge before I go grocery shopping.

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Food Waste Tracking

Food Waste Tracking

Ready. Set. Record!

For each day during the food waste tracking week, record your food waste. This action accepts one entry per day, so be sure to enter one total for food waste across all of your meals, or weigh all of your food waste once at the end of each day. Please use ounces for unit of measurement.

COMPLETED 62
DAILY ACTIONS

Cooking

Swap This for That

Missing an ingredient for a recipe? Check this list to find the best substitutes.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Cooking

Cook From Root to Leaf

Utilize beet greens, carrot tops, and herb stems to make a delicious pesto, sauce, or dressing. I will try 2 root-to-leaf recipes.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food Systems

Stay Connected

Sign up for the San Diego Food System Alliance Newsletter to stay up to date on what's happening in the region

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food Systems

Advocate for More Food Options

I will advocate for local and/or organic food options at work or on campus.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Policy to Action

I will read about about state and federal legislation that can impact food waste reduction and recovery.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Watch Save The Food San Diego Videos

I will watch 3 Save the Food San Diego videos.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Cooking

Repurpose Leftovers

Give leftovers a new life! For example, use leftover rice to make fried rice. I will try a recipe that repurposes leftovers 3 times.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Storage

Bananas

To keep bananas from browning quickly, break up the bunch and separate. Don’t store bananas with apples, which speed up ripening. If the stems came covered in plastic wrap, do not remove the plastic until ready to eat as this will slow the release of ethylene gas. I will properly store 10 bananas.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Planning

Eat the Leftovers

I will plan an Eat the Leftovers night by creating a tasty “smorgasbord" or using a recipe that repurposes leftovers. I will eat 2 meals using leftovers.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Planning

Meal Prep Mania

I will meal prep 4 meals.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Dumpster Diving Discovery

Watch this video and get a glimpse of what is actually getting thrown away in our trash cans and dumpsters.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food Systems

Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty

I will watch 1 documentary(ies) about food sovereignty: the right of local peoples to control their own food systems including markets, ecological resources, food cultures and production methods.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Watch John Oliver Food Waste Episode

Watch a Last Week Tonight with John Oliver episode on the topic of food waste and learn about the scope and scale of the issue.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Let's Get Social

I will share a Save The Food social media post.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Participant Feed

Reflection, encouragement, and relationship building are all important aspects of getting a new habit to stick.
Share thoughts, encourage others, and reinforce positive new habits on the Feed.

To get started, share “your why.” Why did you join the challenge and choose the actions you did?


  • Mackenna Kull's avatar
    Mackenna Kull 11/09/2020 8:24 AM
    Last night I looked into worm composting for my little patio. I really want to get one but worms gross me out. Any suggestions? 

  • Mackenna Kull's avatar
    Mackenna Kull 8/12/2020 12:49 PM
    Smorgasbord of left overs for dinner!!! Featuring a vegan grilled cheese on a hamburger bun, left over corn and coleslaw, and potatoes that were on their last end but cooked to perfection.


  • Mackenna Kull's avatar
    Mackenna Kull 2/19/2020 12:22 PM
    Does anyone know a good recipe for cauliflower greens? Please & Thank you!

  • Mackenna Kull's avatar
    Mackenna Kull 1/28/2020 10:39 AM
    Last night I made a new vegan mac & cheese recipe. It was so gross. I washed the noodles and ate them with red sauce. #saved

    • Sarah Feteih's avatar
      Sarah Feteih 1/29/2020 10:28 AM
      This is one of the most creative solutions to #SaveTheFood that I've seen! Way to go, Mackenna!

    • Carey Winston's avatar
      Carey Winston 1/28/2020 11:35 PM
      😱Oh no!!! Glad you were able to save them! 

  • Mackenna Kull's avatar
    Mackenna Kull 1/15/2020 7:20 AM
    Three days in a row! Let's see if we can keep this weigh in streak :) 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Planning Date Labels Demystified
    What is your first reaction when you see an item that is past its "Best By" date? Where do you think this reaction comes from?

    Mackenna Kull's avatar
    Mackenna Kull 10/31/2019 3:27 PM
    My first thought is... I should eat this soon because I don't want to waste food! Other probably think eww and toss it- this reaction comes from our culture that has taught us to toss food is it is past its quality date. We seem to think we can afford quality food and don't have to eat food past its date in our society because there is plenty more at the grocery store. 

    • Carey Winston's avatar
      Carey Winston 10/31/2019 5:53 PM
      I first always hear my Mom’s voice, “You wouldn’t want to risk it. It isn’t worth a belly ache.” 

  • Mackenna Kull's avatar
    Mackenna Kull 10/21/2019 10:26 AM
    Thinking about the Wasted documentary. I feel inspired to cook with more of the vegetable trimmings. 

  • Mackenna Kull's avatar
    Mackenna Kull 10/16/2019 11:40 AM
    Wow! I just watched Dumpster Diving Discovery. I wish stores could re-purpose the food about to "expire".