Cooking

Become a Zero-Waste Chef

Most of us don’t want to waste food, but in the dash to make dinner, food waste might not be the first thing on our minds — until we’re poised over the trash can holding our noses and scraping moldy, three-week-old casserole into the trash vowing to do better next time. For those of us who want to break the shop-cook-waste cycle, the good news is that with practice, wasting less food can become an effortless cooking habit.

Swap This for That

Missing an ingredient for a recipe? Check this list to find the best substitutes.
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Swap This for That
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ONE-TIME ACTION
Veggie Scrap Stock

Store vegetable scraps in your freezer and use them to make veggie stock. I will make this recipe (___) times.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

Vegetable Scrap Stock Recipe
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ONE-TIME ACTION
Repurpose Leftovers

Give leftovers a new life! For example, use leftover rice to make fried rice. I will try a recipe that repurposes leftovers (___) times.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

What To Do With Lonely Leftovers
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ONE-TIME ACTION
Stale Bread: 10 Ways

Don't throw out those few pieces of stale bread. Repurpose them to use as breadcrumbs, soup thickeners, or croutons. I will try (___) stale bread recipes.

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ONE-TIME ACTION
Cook From Root to Leaf

Utilize beet greens, carrot tops, and herb stems to make a delicious pesto, sauce, or dressing. I will try (___) root-to-leaf recipes.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

How To Use Beet and Carrot Greens

Delicious Ways to Use Vegetable Tops and Stalks
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ONE-TIME ACTION
Food Preservation

Extend the life of your food by trying different preservation strategies like pickling, drying, or jamming. I will try (___) preservation techniques.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

Food Preservation Recipes

How to Quick Pickle Any Vegetable
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ONE-TIME ACTION
Fruit Smoothies

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

Fruit Smoothies

How to Freeze Avocados
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DAILY ACTION
Revive Limpy Produce

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

5 Ways to Revive Food
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DAILY ACTION
Save the Peels

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

Repurpose Citrus Peels
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ONE-TIME ACTION
Make one EatFresh.org Recipe

Choose one recipe from EatFresh.org to make today
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ACTION RESOURCES:

EatFresh.org
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DAILY ACTION
Fruits

Add one serving of fruit to your snack or meal. One serving of fruit is 1 cup of fruit or 100% fruit juice, or ½ cup of dried fruit

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DAILY ACTION
Vegetables

Add one serving of vegetable to your snack or meal. One serving of vegetable is 1 cup of raw or cooked vegetables or vegetable juice, or 2 cups of raw leafy salad greens.

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DAILY ACTION
Whole Grains

Add one serving of whole grain to your snack or meal. One serving of whole grain is 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal, or ½ cup of cooked rice, cooked pasta, or cooked cereal.

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DAILY ACTION

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