Lynn Zellen

Comerica Bank

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
377 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

30

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

63

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

42

meatless or vegan meals

consumed

Lynn's actions

Food

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will use smaller plates and/or serve smaller portions when dishing out food.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will enjoy 2 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Keep Track of Wasted Food

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will keep a daily log of food I throw away during the EcoChallenge, either because it went bad before I ate it, I put too much on my plate, or it was scraps from food preparation.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Eliminate Toxic Plastics

#47 Bioplastic

I will avoid buying toxic plastics, including polycarbonate, polystyrene and polyvinyl and instead replace them with bioplastic or durable options.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Participant Feed

Reflection, encouragement, and relationship building are all important aspects of getting a new habit to stick.
Share thoughts, encourage others, and reinforce positive new habits on the Feed.

To get started, share “your why.” Why did you join the challenge and choose the actions you did?

REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

Fun fact: Your brain and stomach register feelings of fullness after about 20 minutes of eating. While dishing food out, we tend to load our plates with more than we need. Using smaller plates helps to mitigate this. Aside from the environmental benefits, what other benefits might come out of eating smaller portions?
Lynn Zellen 4/17/2019 5:16 AM
Smaller portions can help you save money by reducing food waste and help you manage your weight by reducing overeating. For me, I'm more likely to eat or reuse leftover food if it has not been on someone's plate.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

How does knowing the difference between use by, sell by, and best by dates empower you to make better decisions?
Lynn Zellen 4/11/2019 1:01 PM
According to the USDA website, the only food that is federally required to have any consumption/expiration date is baby formula. Some states require eggs be dated. The rest of the dates are provided to help ensure peak flavor or texture or for store stock rotation. Why don't more people know this?

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/food-labeling/food-product-dating/food-product-dating

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- Scott Beckerman 4/12/2019 8:34 AM
  Great points. Food waste is a financial and environmental drain. No use to toss what is still perfectly good!
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

What single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What could be substituted instead?
Lynn Zellen 4/03/2019 8:42 AM
my kids use plastic straws. i could replace them with stainless steel straws.

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