On the Thanksgiving weekend we were lucky to have an impressive turnout for the showing of Just Eat It at Centre 64. Following the film, those interested were invited to sign up for the Just Eat If Challenge and take a more in-depth look at their food waste habits.
Team LJ consisting of Chris and Darcie (pictured above), rose to the occasion and swept through the challenge with minimal waste. How did they do it? The challenge itself was new to the couple. However, the process of minimizing waste in their household is something they have been working on over the last few years. The recipe for success in their eyes came down to “meal planning for the week and grocery shopping specifically for that plan” notes Darcie. She takes some time on the weekend to read through recipe books (a favourite pastime) that inspire the week’s menu. Both Chris and Darcie also noted that excess ingredients left at the end of the week is often conjured into a delicious and creative meal, leftovers become lunches, and vegetable waste is saved to make soup stock.
Aha, this makes total sense! I started thinking about how I could work these systems into my life. Leftovers are no problem, but vegetable portions and pieces usually make it into the compost bin. Adding a soup stock bag in the freezer that continually gets those portions and pieces sounds easy enough to me. When the bag is full just throw together a soup stock and freeze portions to use as needed. This way I will be giving those pieces an extra chance at life before being discarded in the compost. Awesome!
For winning the Just Eat It Challenge Team LJ was awarded The Waste Not Want Not Cookbook. If you are interested in checking out how the Just Eat It Challenge worked check out our Just Eat It Challenge Page. Questions? contact Andrea at kimcran@wildsight.ca