Store it right + save for later + use-it-up + be flexible = you are sustainable!

**RECIPE WILL BE IN UPCOMING POST**

Mei Mei website

The average American household food waste amounts to about $30 in food every week in a year- that’s more than $1500 in the trash so we’re wasting around $400 billion on food.

That’s 40% of US food produced in the trash, and 1/3 around the globe. A large amount of this is done at the individual household level, so all of us have the ability to change these statistics. Also, according to the United Nations environmental program (2021 food waste index), it’s estimated that if food waste were to be a country it would have the third largest carbon footprint in the world right after China in the US.

Knowing how much food waste negatively impacts our environment, it is often seen as one of the most essential solutions toward fighting climate change.

I really admire what the Mei Mei company, and sisters behind it, have as their mission – to work towards a more sustainable food system. My family loves their dumplings in particular and all of the things they make. In this cookbook, there are countless tips and tricks to make an impact.

Responsible Recipes has a similar mission to Mei Mei’s- it’s important for everyone to take a look and collaborate with all of the people with similar missions as everyone will make more of an impact that way.

Some of the tips for a food waste feast that they recommend include 1) looking for possibilities 2) frame your mind of habitual thinking 3) trusting your senses 4) making your kitchen work for you by arranging everything so you can see them 5) being brave and creative 6) not being hard on yourself seven knowing that small steps are part of the journey.

To do this, look at your kitchen and refrigerator first, then set up an organizational system with a box that prioritizes the most beneficial things to eat first a.k.a. looking at the sell by date. At the same time, view expiration dates with an open mind because some ingredients can be utilized in different ways than you might think. Also, you should definitely compost if you can. Freezing your food is very important as it lets ingredients in leftovers stay for many weeks. There are many tips for this in the cookbook as well.

You can also make things like scrap stock using stems, skins, and peels of many different fruits and vegetables, and simmer them. There is a specific flexible recipe on page 34 of the book. Pickling is also an option- slow poaching as well.