Mindful Choice Meals

Helping students waste less and eat more!

Smart Choices, Local Compost: Students Closing the Loop

Mindful Choice Meals (MCM) is a student-led food waste reduction and environmental literacy program that transforms the cafeteria into a hub for learning, leadership, and action.

45 to 80% of the food waste was UNTOUCHED

Developed in response to our waste audit findings—showing that up to 80% of school food waste is completely untouched.

Educate the school community about the rule at the lunch line

Our students educate peers and adults about Offer vs Serve USDA guidelines what’s required to take at the lunch line. You only need to take 3 items, one of them has to be a fruit or vegetable. You are not required to take milk or protein.

Choose what you want to eat, instead of pre-plating

MCM empowers students to make informed choices at the lunch line, based on a clear understanding of nutrition and USDA meal guidelines. This shift leads to remarkable results: up to 40% less food waste, 30% more food consumption, and 51% less plastic waste in participating schools.

Reduce food waste to the manageable amount to be composted locally

MCM now integrates local composting, allowing students to not only reduce waste but also process food scraps on-site or nearby—helping to close the food waste loop and create replicable, community-rooted models for citywide change.

Our partner school, PS 30 in the Bronx had a great results!