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Andrew Lerer-Marandino's avatar

Andrew Lerer-Marandino

County of San Diego

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,100 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    1.0
    advocacy action
    completed
  • UP TO
    64
    food items
    properly stored
  • UP TO
    9,560
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    30
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    215
    pounds
    food waste prevented
  • UP TO
    0.6
    pounds
    food waste recorded
  • UP TO
    450
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    172
    zero-waste meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    170
    zero waste recipes
    cooked

Andrew's actions

Food Systems

Meet My Local Farmers

I will visit my nearest farmers market to find out who produces my food, and will learn about the quality of life of those who produce my food in other regions of the world to make better choices when I shop.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Storage

Veggie Snacks

Place cut carrots and celery in jars filled with water to keep them fresh, crisp and easy to grab for up to a week. I will properly store 5 veggie snacks.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Storage

Potatoes

Store potatoes with an apple to avoid early sprouting. Keep them away from onions and in a cool, dark place. I will properly store 2 potatoes.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Storage

Nuts

Without the shell, nuts like almonds, walnuts, and pecans can stay in the freezer for 2 years or more. Pack into tinted zip-top freezer bags and freeze. I will properly store 1 bags of nuts.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Storage

Leafy Greens

Roll unwashed lettuce in a dry towel, then store in a sealed bag in the refrigerator. I will properly store 2 leafy greens.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Storage

Herbs

Store fresh herbs just like cut flowers in a jar with 1-2 inches of water and covered with a plastic bag to maintain moisture. For woody or hardy herbs like rosemary, thyme, sage, and chives, arrange lengthwise on a damp paper towel, rolled up, then sealed in a plastic bag and stored in the refrigerator. I will properly store 5 herbs.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Storage

Berries

To keep berries fresh, place them on top of a paper towel in a sealed container to absorb excess moisture and reduce chances of molding. I will properly store 1 packs of berries.

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 4 bananas.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Storage

Avocados

Allow green, unripe avocados to ripen on the counter, then transfer to the refrigerator. Once cut, keep the pit in and rub with lemon or oil to reduce browning. I will properly store 1 avocados.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Storage

Asparagus/Celery

Trim the ends of asparagus and place them in a jar or glass with 1-2 inches of water, just like fresh cut flowers. Keep them in the refrigerator. I will properly store 2 bunches of asparagus/celery.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Storage

Apples

Store apples up to 7 days on the counter, then move them to the refrigerator. Keep them away from bananas and avocados as they speed ripening. I will properly store 5 apples.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Storage

Fridge Demystified

Did you know that milk should never be stored in the side door of a fridge? Learn where to properly store food in your fridge by checking out the Resource. I will properly store 1 cartons of milk.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Shopping

Scrutinize Deals

Five bananas for $1 is a good deal only if you eat all five. Many stores offer the sale price even if you buy less than the stated quantity.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Shopping

Keep it Local

Purchase local, seasonal produce, which will likely stay fresh longer as it was picked more recently than supermarket produce.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Shopping

Shop More Often

Grocery shop more often, and buy fresh foods in smaller quantities.

COMPLETED 0
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 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Shopping

Support Imperfection

20 billion pounds of fruits and veggies go to waste on farms every year, often because they don't live up to the cosmetic standards of grocery stores. Buy ugly produce at the grocery store, farmers market, or sign up for an ugly produce CSA box.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Shopping

Shop with Recipes In Mind

Create a shopping list with specific recipes and meals in mind. Purchase only what's on the list when you do groceries.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Planning

Eat Me First

I will create an "Eat Me First" area in my fridge to prioritize food that needs to be used right away.

COMPLETED 32
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 32
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 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Planning

Food Donation

I will donate extra food. If you or your work place are hosting a catered event and have trays of extra edible food, there is no need to toss it. With a little planning your celebratory feast can help feed others.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Planning

Gleaning

I will glean backyard produce and create a recipe plan for full utilization, i.e. sharing with friends, canning, preserving, etc.

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 5 meals using leftovers.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Planning

Portion Planning

Use a portion size guide to ensure appropriate portions when cooking. I will cook 5 portion-appropriate meals.

COMPLETED 32
DAILY ACTIONS

Planning

Befriend the Freezer

The freezer is your friend! Store any leftover food in the freezer for a quick weekday meal or freeze fruits that are getting ripe to use for a delicious smoothie later. I will freeze 4 food item(s).

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Planning

Meal Prep Mania

I will meal prep 5 meals.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Planning

Dinner Party Guest-imator

I will use the Guest-imator to plan how much food to make for my upcoming dinner party with 2 guests.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 33
DAILY ACTIONS

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?

  • 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?

    Andrew Lerer-Marandino's avatar
    Andrew Lerer-Marandino 1/30/2020 2:48 PM
    I think that I missed out and had to throw out the items.  I try to make sure I use up by they expire