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Michelle Devore's avatar

Michelle Devore

County of San Diego - Winter

"To be food wise and save food and money in our household"

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,203 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    1.0
    advocacy action
    completed
  • UP TO
    98
    food items
    properly stored
  • UP TO
    6,167
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    145
    pounds
    food waste prevented
  • UP TO
    3.3
    pounds
    food waste recorded
  • UP TO
    308
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    16
    zero-waste meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    8.0
    zero waste recipes
    cooked

Michelle's actions

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 11
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 8
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

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 3 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 3 leafy greens.

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 8 guests.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 12
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 13
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

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 3 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 6 potatoes.

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 5 bananas.

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 6 apples.

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 3 meals using leftovers.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Cooking

Swap This for That

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

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 3 cartons of milk.

COMPLETED 23
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 18
DAILY ACTIONS

Shopping

Tap the Salad Bar

For recipes that call for small amounts of different vegetables, shop at the salad bar to get exactly what you need.

COMPLETED 10
DAILY ACTIONS

Shopping

Shop the Bulk Bins

Grains, nuts, and other dry goods are often sold in bulk bins that allow you to purchase only the quantity you need.

COMPLETED 13
DAILY 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 18
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 28
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 3 food item(s).

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Planning

Meal Prep Mania

I will meal prep 5 meals.

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 51
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?


  • Michelle Devore's avatar
    Michelle Devore 12/15/2020 8:42 AM
    Today we meal prepped for the next three days. I was able to use food from all the meals to create less waste and was much easier. Planned the meals together to optimize ingredients and make purchasing easier. 

  • Michelle Devore's avatar
    Michelle Devore 12/15/2020 8:38 AM
    Today was a good food saving day... we put some leftover scraps in a bag on the side/freezer. A friend mentioned using them for soups or compost. Going to try this out. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Planning Food Donation
    What are some of the barriers that prevent individuals, groups, or organizations from donating leftover food?

    Michelle Devore's avatar
    Michelle Devore 12/07/2020 10:26 AM
    Well our family eats most of our leftovers but on holidays, especially Thanksgiving, we make extra plates to give out. I know most people refuse to take leftovers, like they are ashamed. But honestly if given and packaged properly, it's a great option for food left. 
  • 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?

    Michelle Devore's avatar
    Michelle Devore 12/07/2020 10:24 AM
    I typically frown but then I look at what it is. I think my initial reaction is because the "rule" is it is expired but I know that so many things can still be used. My husband does not want anything past the expiration date but to be honest, I have made several things he's eaten past the expiration date!!!!

  • Michelle Devore's avatar
    Michelle Devore 11/17/2020 11:20 AM
    Challenge is going well. Weighing what we are wasting is having us rethink what gets tossed or what can be recycled. Egg shells for example to make a compost. Try to use everything we can and use up leftovers instead of tossing them. 

  • Michelle Devore's avatar
    Michelle Devore 11/09/2020 8:24 AM
    I think the challenge is going well. Our family is trying to implement some new eating habits at the same time so we are trying to be conscious of what we buy and use. A bit hard with two picky teenage boys who are growing and starving all the time but we're putting these new things in place.