Meghan Peterson

Washington County Staff

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
152 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

7.2

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

1.0

locally sourced meal

consumed
UP TO

3.6

pounds

food waste prevented

Meghan's actions

Planning

Sign up for Fridge Check Fridays

will sign up for Fridge Check Friday emails, sent by Hennepin County but open to everyone, to prompt me to check my fridge for food that needs to be used up and for hacks on storing food to keep it fresh.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Kids

Get Involved in the Kitchen

I will involve my 1 children in meal planning, prepping and cooking activities.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Community

Watch a Documentary About Food

I will watch 1 videos or documentaries to learn about the scope and scale of food waste in this country.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Shopping

Stick to Your Grocery List

I will only purchase the items on my grocery list and avoid impulse purchases.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Kids

Visit a Farm

I will visit a local pizza farm, teaching farm, or CSA grower to educate myself and my children on farm-to-table concepts.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Storage

Befriend My Freezer

I will freeze leftover food items or meals for later. The freezer is my food-waste-reduction friend!

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Planning

Plant a Garden

I will plant an herb or vegetable garden at my home or community garden.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Storage

Create an Eat First Area

I will create an "Eat First" area in my fridge to prioritize food that needs to be used right away for my household of 3.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Shopping

Buy From A Farmers Market

I will purchase produce and meat directly from a local farmers market and make 1 meals.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Cooking

Swap This for That

If I am missing an ingredient for a recipe I will find a substitute I have on hand and use that instead.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Participant Feed

Reflection, encouragement, and relationship building are all important aspects of getting a new habit to stick.
Share thoughts, encourage others, and reinforce positive new habits on the Feed.

To get started, share “your why.” Why did you join the challenge and choose the actions you did?

REFLECTION QUESTION
Shopping Buy From A Farmers Market

What food items do you prefer buying from a farmers market than a grocery store? Why?

Meghan Peterson 8/30/2024 1:47 PM

I love the experience of meeting the farmer and purchasing something I know they grew with love and care. Fresh vegetables from the farmers market are SO much better than store bought! I find the flavor to be so much more intense, no matter what the veggie is!

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Meghan Peterson 8/30/2024 1:41 PM

I am looking forward to utilizing these tips next summer as I build up a new garden bed and continue to improve my vegetable gardening skills!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Kids Get Involved in the Kitchen

Share about a successful planning or cooking activity you have done as a family!

Meghan Peterson 8/23/2024 7:57 AM

We made kabobs this week and had so much fun picking out our vegetables, including the ugly/less perfect ones! We even tried eggplant which was new for all of us. My daughter enjoyed cutting up the veggies and helping skewer them! All leftovers were converted to lunches for the next day- further reducing waste!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Cooking Swap This for That

How comfortable are you with making ingredient swaps? Where do you go to find substitutes if you don't have what you need?

Meghan Peterson 8/12/2024 10:46 AM

Pretty comfortable! I try to keep a variety of produce on hand that can be made into several different types of meals.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Storage Befriend My Freezer

Do a bit of research about foods that freeze and revive well. What can you put in the freezer that you didn't know you could?

Meghan Peterson 8/12/2024 10:43 AM

When I have leftovers remaining that are not going to be eaten in a timely manner, I have been freezing them. Before going on vacation I made a point to eat up what was left in my fridge/freezer and got to enjoy my delicious chesapeake tempeh "crab" cakes a second time! They are a lot of work to make so I always try to freeze some for later.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Planning Plant a Garden

Besides having access to fresh herbs and vegetables, what benefits will you see from growing your own garden?

Meghan Peterson 8/12/2024 10:41 AM

It has been really fun to learn about healthy soil and ways I can improve my vegetable garden to yield more produce next summer! I am more committed to eating produce that I have grown and proud to share it with my family!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Storage Create an Eat First Area

What kinds of food are on your Eat First shelf? Has creating an Eat First area helped you reduce food waste?

Meghan Peterson 8/12/2024 10:40 AM

I have been keeping my berries and other fruit/vegetables in this space which has brought them to my attention every time I open the fridge! As a result, we ate all of our fruit, sprouts and mixed greens last week before they spoiled!

Read More