With recycling, waste and environmental issues constantly in the media, the Year 12 Food and Hospitality students were given the challenge to shop for and cook a 'Zero Waste Meal'. This is a meal that is only made from products that have been purchased in either re-usable containers/bags or foods that do not have packaging.
Students did their own 'Zero Waste' food shopping at The Adelaide Central Markets after planning a few possible recipes. Stores such as 'Whole + Some' and 'House of Health' were a focus for students as they sell many food items in bulk, therefore allowing students to BYOC (bring your own container) and purchase what was needed.
Many fresh fruits and vegetables were also purchased using re-usable produce bags.This was a challenge for students as many people do not think about all the waste made when cooking with packaged food items. 'Zero Waste' cooking is about thinking even further than recycling, as many students researched into the issue they found out much of our 'recyclable' rubbish in Australia is not able to be recycled, it was about shopping without buying products that were in recyclable packaging.
Some amazing meals we produced were butter chicken with naan, pork roast with cauliflower puree and lamb, carrot and chorizo salad with flat bread. All food scrap waste was put into the compost bin or fed to the worm farms.
Kara Steward
Senior Food & HospitalityTeacher
