Hilary Haskell

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

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

I will watch 10 Save the Food San Diego videos.

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

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.

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.

I will sign up for a free composting workshop and learn more about how to get started composting.

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.

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

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

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

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.

I will ask for half-portions options at 5 restaurants and cafes to minimize food waste.

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

I will volunteer 3 hours at a local food bank to support existing community food waste reduction and recovery efforts.

I will share a Save The Food social media post.

Give leftovers a new life! For example, use leftover rice to make fried rice. I will try a recipe that repurposes leftovers 10 times.

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

I will plan an Eat the Leftovers night by creating a tasty “smorgasbord" or using a recipe that repurposes leftovers. I will eat 10 meals using leftovers.

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.

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

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

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.

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 3 avocados.

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.