[Week 5] Reflection Inquiry Project October 9th, 2026

This past week was one of great progress as well as continued experimentation in the kitchen as I persevered in my commitment to prepare a variety of delicious and healthy meals for myself. I am choosing to share the three dishes that I was the most proud of. The pasta salad, the Greek bowl, as well as the chicken and rice bowl were the dishes that I felt were the most versatile out of the various meals I had this past week. The pasta salad was a reliable meal that was easy to prepare and provided me with leftovers for about 3 days. The Greek bowl was filled with fresh and healthy ingredients, as was the chicken and rice bowl. All of these meals were rich in nutrients given the abundance of fresh vegetables within each of them. 

The main obstacle I am currently facing is navigating the proper portion size, particularly as I am living by myself. The standard recipes usually make more food than what a single person can consume on their own before it spoils. As a result, I have wasted and thrown out a lot of food because I did not modify the recipe, and this unnecessary food wastage is not only costly, but also discouraging. 

Going forward into next week, my goal is to start experimenting with portion size and modifying recipes before beginning my preparation. I want to aim for zero spoilage as extra food not only results in unnecessary, additional preparation time, but also represents a waste of money, which is something I need to account for given I am a university student living on a budget.