Maria Leon

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.

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 10 apples.

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 2 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 6 bananas.

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

Utilize beet greens, carrot tops, and herb stems to make a delicious pesto, sauce, or dressing. I will try 1 root-to-leaf recipes.

I will meal prep 7 meals.

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.

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

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.