Zero Waste Cooking Foundations

This unit introduces foundational principles and kitchen skills for zero waste cooking, including sustainability concepts, food‑waste analysis, pantry management, meal planning, and essential reuse techniques (stocks, breadcrumbs, substitutes). Students will practice inventory, storage, basic preparation methods, and simple beverage/service awareness to reduce waste and prepare ingredient-driven components used in later units.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze personal or household food waste by completing a 7-day waste log and summarizing key sources and quantities of wasted food using a structured template
• Apply pantry inventory and storage best practices by creating a labeled inventory, implementing at least five targeted storage or rotation changes, and documenting anticipated shelf‑life improvements
• Demonstrate foundational zero‑waste preparation techniques by producing at least four staple items (homemade stock from bones, fresh breadcrumbs, a buttermilk substitute, and components from a whole chicken) and explaining how each minimizes waste
• Evaluate and construct a one‑week zero‑waste meal plan that uses cross‑utilization of ingredients, shared plates, batch preparation, and appropriate portioning; justify choices based on waste reduction and resource efficiency