Save Food, Spend Less Challenge 2026

Hennepin County | Ramsey County | Washington County

October 1 - October 31, 2026

Bella's points

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
143 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

4.9

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

3.2

pounds

food waste prevented

Bella's actions

Shopping

Stick to Your Grocery List

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

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Planning

Keep a Food Inventory

I will take a fridge and pantry inventory to stay up to date with what I have at home before I go grocery shopping.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY 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 4.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Cooking

Cook Just Enough

I will scale down the recipe of a meal to make just the right amount for my household of 4 so we eat everything up.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Planning

Create a Household Favorites List

I will create a cookbook or recipe collection of go-to meals for my household to make meal planning easier.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Participant Feed

REFLECTION QUESTION
Storage

What kinds of food are on your Eat First shelf? Has creating an Eat First area helped you reduce food waste?
Bella Wittrock 10/07/2026 6:10 PM

The foods on my eat first shelf are foods that are going to expire within the next two weeks and fruit/vegetables that have been in the fridge the longest. It has helped me reduce food waste.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Shopping

What 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?
Bella Wittrock 10/05/2026 4:49 PM

I end up buying wellness shots, wellness drinks, juices, and other "health promoting" items. Instead, I stuck to my grocery list and decided to make those products with things I already have at home. This week, I made homemade wellness shots with ginger and turmeric and healthier banana muffins.

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- H McCrillis 10/07/2026 6:17 AM
  
  You’ve piqued my interest with healthier banana muffins.
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Planning

Are there food items you have been better about using up and not wasting since you started keeping an inventory of what's in your fridge?
Bella Wittrock 10/05/2026 4:45 PM

Yes. It's mostly been vegetables. I always tend to buy carrots, greens, and peppers. This week, I was planning on buying them before I realized I already had some in the fridge.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Planning

Was it hard or easy to create a list of recipes that everyone in your household will eat? How did it work best for you to organize them?
Bella Wittrock 10/01/2026 12:53 PM

It was very easy to make my list. I do a lot of the cooking, so I already knew what everyone in the house likes best. I organized my list by nutritious favorites-not very nutritious favorites because I'd like to encourage my family to eat healthier.

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