As of right now, I am on my 5th week of my individual PSP project with a two-week
long break due to spring break and midterm week, during which I have not had the time to sit
down and meal prep. Generally, I am very pleased to see how much money I’ve been saving on
food as I’ve been meal-prepping my lunch for each day, which is the most important meal for
me, as I like to keep my breakfast and dinner quite light. Meal prepping has helped me improve
my digestion overall because it has helped me stay disciplined in terms of how much I’ve been
consuming and what I am consuming. As I prepare meals each week, I am conscious of how
much content (salt, sugar, etc.) is going into the food I am eating. I have also noticed a
significant decrease in the food I am wasting. None of the meals are never not eaten. In my last
PSP report, I forgot to mention my progress on my collective PSP, which has been modified to
volunteering at a local food drive and community kitchen by the name of POTS (Part of the
Solution) which is located in Fordham in the Bronx. I have been going every other Saturday and
have spent at least an hour serving food to community members and assisting them with their
daily groceries provided by POTS food pantry. I’ve known about the organization since high
school and have gone to volunteer a few times in the last couple of years. However, I wanted to
be more consistent in the time I spend volunteering in my surrounding communities. I’ve lived in
the Bronx almost my entire life and seeing the lack of funding and access the borough falls
victim to every year, I wanted to increase my sense of outreach and impact.
In order to gain some feedback, I have told my mother, who makes home cooked
meals every day for my family, about my individual PSP project in the hopes that she might give
me some advice on how to meal prep more effectively as she does something of the sort almost
daily. According to my mother, she really likes the idea of meal prepping as she’s seen me eat
much healthier in the last few weeks. One thing that she told me to alter was the place I have
been sourcing my groceries. I have been shopping for my ingredients from Target which I have
realized may not be the best, sustainable place as they contribute to a lot of food waste. My
mother recommended a local farmer’s market near my residence where she knows the owner.
From what I hear, the owner uses any leftover produce that does not get sold, as compost for
their garden and allows my mother to take some for our own garden, which are currently in the
process of setting up. This allows for richer, more nutrient-filled soil leading to better produce.
My father, who is a gardener, also gave me the same feedback.
Date
Meal
Prep Time (approx.)
02/02/2023
Spicy Pasta
with Pink
Sauce
2 Hours
Price
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
one box of rigatoni: $0.99
Heavy whipping cream:
$4.99
Shredded parmesan cheese:
$2.69
Tomato and basil pasta
sauce: $3.79
Cilantro: $0.95
Leftover mozzarella: $0.00
Spices: $0.00
●
●
Leftover onion: $0.00
Leftover garlic cloves: $0.00
TOTAL: $13.41
02/04/2023
Spicy Pasta
with Pink
Sauce
90 minutes
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
One box of rigatoni: $0.99
Leftover heavy whipping
cream: $0.00
Leftover shredded parmesan
cheese: $0.00
Leftover Tomato and basil
pasta sauce: $0.00
Leftover Cilantro: $0.00
Leftover mozzarella: $0.00
Spices: $0.00
Leftover onion: $0.00
Leftover garlic cloves: $0.00
TOTAL: $0.99
02/09/2023
Spicy Pasta
with Pink
Sauce
90 Minutes
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
One box of rigatoni: $0.99
Leftover heavy whipping
cream: $0.00
Leftover shredded parmesan
cheese: $0.00
Tomato and basil pasta
sauce: $3.79
Cilantro: $0.95
Leftover mozzarella: $0.00
Spices: $0.00
Leftover onion: $0.00
Leftover garlic cloves: $0.00
TOTAL: $5.73
02/11/2023
N/A
N/A
02/16/2023
Fried Rice with
Chicken
90 Minutes
N/A
●
●
●
●
●
●
Chicken Breast 6.5 lbs (from
Costco): $21.99
Rice (32 oz): $2.19
Spices: $0.00
Leftover onion: $0.00
Leftover garlic cloves: $0.00
Frozen vegetables: $6.79
TOTAL: $30.97
02/18/2023
Fried Rice with
Chicken
90 Minutes
●
●
Leftover Chicken Breast 6.5
lbs (from Costco): $0.00
Rice (32 oz): $0.00
●
●
●
●
Spices: $0.00
Leftover onion: $0.00
Leftover garlic cloves: $0.00
Leftover frozen vegetables:
$0.00
TOTAL: $0.00
02/23/2023
Spicy Pasta
with Pink
Sauce with
Chicken
90 Minutes
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
one box of rigatoni: $0.99
Leftover Chicken Breast 6.5
lbs (from Costco): $0.00
Heavy whipping cream:
$4.99
Shredded parmesan cheese:
$2.69
Tomato and basil pasta
sauce: $3.79
Cilantro: $0.95
Leftover mozzarella: $0.00
Spices: $0.00
Leftover onion: $0.00
Leftover garlic cloves: $0.00
TOTAL: $13.41
02/25/2023
Spicy Pasta
with Pink
Sauce with
Chicken
90 Minutes
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
One box of rigatoni: $0.99
Leftover Chicken Breast 6.5
lbs (from Costco): $0.00
Leftover heavy whipping
cream: $0.00
Leftover shredded parmesan
cheese: $0.00
Leftover Tomato and basil
pasta sauce: $0.00
Leftover Cilantro: $0.00
Leftover mozzarella: $0.00
Spices: $0.00
Leftover onion: $0.00
Leftover garlic cloves: $0.00
TOTAL: $0.99
03/02/2023
Cajun chicken,
rice and
asparagus
90 minutes
-
leftover chicken breast 6.5
lbs: $0.00
Leftover rice: $0.00
Salt, pepper, cajun
seasoning: $0.00
Olive oil: $0.00
Asparagus 1 lb: $10.00
Onions: $0.00
-
Garlic: $0.00
TOTAL: $10.00
03/04/2023
Cajun chicken,
rice and
asparagus
90 minutes
-
leftover chicken breast 6.5
lbs: $0.00
Leftover rice: $0.00
Salt, pepper, cajun
seasoning: $0.00
Olive oil: $0.00
Leftover Asparagus 1lb:
$0.00
Onions: $0.00
Garlic: $0.00
TOTAL; $10.00
03/09/2023
N/A
N/A
N/A
03/11/2023
N/A
N/A
N/A
03/16/2023
N/A
N/A
N/A
03/18/2023
N/A
N/A
N/A