Learn about the impacts of food waste and create recipes that use up food that might otherwise be wasted.
Grade Level: 4-6
Learning Objectives:
- Differentiate between avoidable and unavoidable food waste
- Identify means of reducing food waste
During this activity students will:
- Learn about the types and impacts of food waste
- Create or brainstorm recipes from commonly wasted food items
- Share their learning with others
Instructions
- As a class, discuss food waste, especially the difference between avoidable and unavoidable food waste (i.e. Food we could have eaten but we throw away or let spoil vs the parts of food that we don’t usually eat) and the impacts of food waste. Have students do an investigation into what food often gets wasted and why.
- Talk about recipes you could create to “save” some of this food (also mentioning that if food is spoiled, it needs to be disposed of properly).
- Option 1: Have a lunch where students each bring lunches inspired by the recipes you created as a class, or from their own imagination. Enjoy your lunch and take some photos. Discuss why they chose to bring the dishes they did.
Option 2: Have students create meals with at least five of the most wasted food items. See who can create the most creative meal and write down the recipes. - Share your recipes with the school or with other people around you, either in a school newsletter or in a class cookbook.