Foundations of Zero Waste Cooking

This unit introduces core zero waste principles and practical kitchen habits that reduce food loss and repurpose byproducts. Students learn to audit household food waste, organize and store ingredients for longevity, and apply essential low‑waste cooking techniques (stocks, whole‑animal butchery basics, bread crumbs, swaps) to prepare simple sustainable meals while preparing for deeper production and menu planning in subsequent units.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze personal and household food waste through a documented waste audit and kitchen inventory to identify at least three key sources of preventable waste
• Apply sustainability principles to create and implement a pantry storage and meal plan that reduces spoilage and leverages existing ingredients for at least five planned meals
• Demonstrate foundational low‑waste culinary techniques—including making stock from scraps, preparing and using whole chicken components, producing fresh bread crumbs, and substituting buttermilk—to convert food byproducts into usable ingredients
• Evaluate recipes and service strategies (shared small plates, portioning, zero‑waste add‑ins and swaps) and recommend two operational changes that would reduce waste in a home or small‑scale food service setting