Mary Hottel

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 20 veggie snacks.

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 50 packs of berries.

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 30 bananas.

Roll unwashed lettuce in a dry towel, then store in a sealed bag in the refrigerator. I will properly store 15 leafy greens.

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 15 apples.

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 5 cartons of milk.

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

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.

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

I will meal prep 20 meals.

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.

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).

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

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.

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

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

Store vegetable scraps in your freezer and use them to make veggie stock. I will make this recipe 1 times.

Give leftovers a new life! For example, use leftover rice to make fried rice. I will try a recipe that repurposes leftovers 1 times.

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

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.