Blanca Ramirez

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.

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

Roll unwashed lettuce in a dry towel, then store in a sealed bag in the refrigerator. I will properly store 1 leafy greens.

Store potatoes with an apple to avoid early sprouting. Keep them away from onions and in a cool, dark place. I will properly store 5 potatoes.

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.

When life gives you lemons (or any other citrus peels), use the rinds to make a nontoxic cleaner.

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.

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.

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 2 food item(s).

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.

I will watch 2 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.

I will watch 2 Save the Food San Diego videos.

I will volunteer 4 hours at a local food bank to support existing community food waste reduction and recovery efforts.

Give leftovers a new life! For example, use leftover rice to make fried rice. I will try a recipe that repurposes leftovers 2 times.

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.

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

I will compost my food scraps.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.