

Melissa Soto
"To set time aside weekly to prepare healthy meals for my family and reduce the amount of food waste. "
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 181 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO26pounds of CO2have been saved
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UP TO5.0minutesspent learning
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UP TO6.0zero-waste mealsconsumed
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UP TO18poundsfood waste prevented
Melissa's actions
Planning
Learn About and Choose a Meal Plan Style
I will explore different meal plan techniques and choose one that works for my household.
Planning
Create a Weekly Meal Plan
I will reduce food waste and save money by planning a weekly menu of meals and ingredients for my household of 5.
Planning
Plan to Use My Garden or CSA Produce
I will check to see what will be ready to eat in my garden or CSA box this week and plan recipes that use these ingredients.
Planning
Make Time for Meal Prep
I will set aside time to prepare meals in advance.
Shopping
Stick to Your Grocery List
I will only purchase the items on my grocery list and avoid impulse purchases.
Cooking
Cook From Root to Leaf
I will try root-to-leaf recipes, which utilize all parts of the vegetable, such as beet greens, carrot tops, and herb stems.
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?
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Melissa Soto 8/22/2024 6:19 AMMy biggest challenge is trying out new recipes. Has anyone found a new recipe during the challenge they liked and are willing to share? -
Melissa Soto 8/08/2024 10:42 AMIt's going well. I can tell there is a difference in the amount of food that we are eating as left overs versus making a new meal. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONPlanningWhat meal plan method works for you and why? Have you tried some in the past that didn't work?
Melissa Soto 8/08/2024 10:42 AMJoined a broadcast channel for recipes to gather some new ideas. I like it because I get a notification on my phone that way it's easy to remember and if I am interested, then I click on it and it takes me directly to it. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONShoppingWhat are some of the things you typically buy that you weren't on your list? How do you think you might limit some of those purchases?
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REFLECTION QUESTIONPlanningAn average American throws out about 240 lbs of food per year. The average family of four spends $1,500 a year on food that they throw out. Does this surprise you? Where would you rather use this money? How has meal planning helped you avoid waste?
Melissa Soto 8/08/2024 10:40 AMOn week 2 of creating a meal plan. What I have found out is that we save so much more food this way. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONPlanningHow easy has it been for you to plan your garden or CSA produce into your meals? Do you ever let your seasonal food go to waste?
Melissa Soto 8/08/2024 10:39 AMI was only able to plant tomatoes and cucumbers this year as the rabbits ate everything else. We took our first haul of cucumbers this weekend. I plan to make pickles and jar the extra cucumbers this season. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONPlanningDo you have days when you don't have time to spend making food? How has meal prep helped one those days?
Melissa Soto 8/08/2024 10:38 AMI meal prepped breakfast for the next two weeks! Sausage burritos and sausage egg and cheese muffins-
Marifer Lopez 8/08/2024 11:53 AM
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REFLECTION QUESTIONCookingAre you more likely to "hide the vegetable" in a dish or make it shine as the main ingredient? Why?
Melissa Soto 8/08/2024 10:37 AMMake it shine! If I can prep the vegetable and put it in the front of the fridge, I am more likely to grab that then something that is unhealthy.