Join the movement to reduce waste with the Save Food, Spend Less Challenge!

Hennepin County | Ramsey County | Washington County

Save Food, Spend Less Challenge 2026

October 1 - October 31, 2026

Washington County Employees Feed

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Michelle Belland 10/13/2026 1:37 PM

Not much is wasted here. Scraps go to the farm animals but we have been canning and dehydrating like food will disappear tomorrow. We grew a garden but honestly life was busy this summer and it suffered from lack of water, weeds took over can we did not the crops we planned on. However direct sales from farms, fruit trucks, farmers markets and flea markets kept us busy. We found a new a new love for the Amish market. (I live in rural MN). Our latest canning project was beef stew. Also made packets of peppers and onions for stir fry/fajita/sheet pan dinners. It's going to be great to not have to prep much if at all.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Storage

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?
Angela Dahlstrom 10/13/2026 1:31 PM

I have multiple houseplants and often use BTI tea for my plants. I had 6 gallons made and ended up only using 3 gallons. It is on the spendy side so I did not want to waste it and found out I can freeze the BTI tea and then thaw and use the next watering.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Shopping

Reflecting on how your grocery trips have gone in the past: do you fill up your cart? Do you think you can fit everything you need into a smaller cart or a basket?
Angela Dahlstrom 10/13/2026 1:28 PM

I find I need to write and follow a list, otherwise I tend to grab impulse items that I don't necessarily need.

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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?
Hannah Keller 10/13/2026 12:55 PM

I created my household's favorites meal list and organized by type of meal - soup, grain bowl, salad, sandwich, noodles, etc because we usually like to switch it up a lot and eat different styles. But this also helped us get a little more planful in what we want to eat each week. Example: Mondays are always a busy night so now we plan for it to always be a pasta or quinoa salad I can prep in advance, so I don't need to cook. It helps us actually eat what we bought!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Planning

An 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?
Claren McLaughlin 10/13/2026 10:19 AM

Meal planning has actually helped us not buy too much! Its much easier and cheaper to just get the ingredients we know we'll need for the week and avoid wasting food.

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Vivien Fowler 10/12/2026 5:02 PM

I started to use the "Anchor + Versatile" rule, i.e., I would purchase 2-3 anchor items (a main protein) and 3-4 versatile, long-lasting produce items (such as carrots, cabbage, pepper or spinach) that work across multiple meal types (soup, stir-fry, or wrap).

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Planning

What did you find you are tossing the most? How can you change your habits to avoid wasting this food?
Angela Dahlstrom 10/12/2026 8:30 AM

I often times purchase salad, thinking it is a healthy purchase and I will eat it, but find once I am home that is the least eaten food, and often end up throwing it away.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Shopping

Are you someone who typically chooses what you buy based on what is on sale? How can you make sure you don't buy more than what you need?
Angela Dahlstrom 10/12/2026 8:29 AM

My first impulse is to buy in bulk, but I have found more often than not that leads to waste by perishable food not being consumed on time. I have been more aware that does not save money and am purchasing only what I need.

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- Jenny Kedward 10/12/2026 9:24 AM
  
  Totally! If I find that the bulk purchase for fruits and veggies is still cheaper, I'll give away the extras to neighbors or family.
  
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Vivien Fowler 10/11/2026 3:41 PM

I feel that cutting back on restaurant meals and takeout in favor of home-cooked food and leftovers not only eliminates waste, but it definitely saves money. ✨

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Vivien Fowler 10/10/2026 9:27 AM

This challenge has motivated me to read more, so I just borrowed "The Waste-Free Kitchen Handbook" by Dana Gunders and I’m looking forward to diving into it this weekend!

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