Climate Action in Our Kitchens

“No one and nothing is left behind in the Food Shift kitchen,” says Jen Franco, culinary director of the Alameda-based nonprofit Food Shift.

The Kitchen is home to a culinary training program to transform surplus food—produce that would otherwise go to waste. The students, overcoming employment discrimination, help create nourishing meals for Food Shift’s catering and food donation program. The idea is as simple as it is profound: Prevent food waste while connecting with the community to lift people up, while saving the planet.

Now Food Shift is sharing some of their wisdom and learnings in a calendar-style kitchen guide, produced in partnership with StopWaste. Each month, the publication features a seasonal, local produce item that’s readily available, affordable, and packed with nutrients. “It’s about the approach to preparing meals, so our recipes are more like templates that appeal to beginners and professionals alike and use all of the produce, from roots to shoots,” explains Franco.

Contributions from various local Food Shift and StopWaste partner organizations add to the guide with storage tips and food waste prevention practices reflective of the community and its deep roots. One contributor, Nina Arrocena of Mandela Partners, expresses what the guide is striving for: “Let’s re-learn from those before us, so we can move towards healing for the generations after us.” Food Shift hopes their guide does just that.

The Food Shift Kitchen Guide is a collaboration with StopWaste, an Alameda County public agency. Download a free copy at StopFoodWaste.org/FoodShiftGuide.

More tasty tips at stopfoodwaste.org

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