Resource library

Every free source this manual relies on, grouped by subject, with who publishes it and what it is good for. Paid courses appear only as references.

Every link below was fetched live on 2026-10-16; the next full check is due 2027-10-16. Each source is listed under the chapter that first draws on it. Federal pages give the US defaults; extension pages are one service's method, and the chapter that cites each says so. UK sources are labelled UK. No link carries a referral or tracking code, and we receive nothing from any publisher.

Your starting week

• 2019 Wasted Food Report: Estimates of generation and management of wasted food in the United States in 2019, U.S. EPA. The household figures the brief asked for.
• Estimating the Cost of Food Waste to American Consumers (landing page and full report PDF), U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development. The current federal household cost figure and EPA's own correction of the "$1,500" statistic.
• Food Waste FAQs, U.S. Department of Agriculture. The source of "30 to 40 percent".
• From Farm to Kitchen: The Environmental Impacts of U.S. Food Waste (Part 1), U.S. EPA ORD. Where EPA's "over one-third" comes from, and household diary findings.
• Get Smart: Take the Challenge (with recording worksheet), U.S. EPA. A government household waste-audit method.
• Global food losses and food waste, Extent, causes and prevention (summary page), FAO. Where "a third of food is wasted" comes from.
• How to Make a Food Spending Plan, Penn State Extension. A monthly budget step that sits before planning.
• Mastering Mealtime: How Meal Planning Can Save Time and Money. University of Illinois Extension, Eat. Move, Save., by Kelly Boeger, MS RDN LDN. A schedule-first, one-to-two-week method.
• Menu Planning (Spend Smart. Eat Smart.), Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. A five-day, inventory-early method with a worksheet.
• ReFED Food Waste Monitor, Residential sector, causes, 2024, ReFED Insights Engine. Causes of household food waste by tonnage.
• Spend Smart. Eat Smart, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. A self-guided site organized Plan → Shop → Cook, with tools and printables.
• The Estimated Amount, Value, and Calories of Postharvest Food Losses at the Retail and Consumer Levels in the United States (EIB-121). Buzby, Wells and Hyman, USDA Economic Research Service. The original 31% and the per-person basis of "$1,500".
• UK Food Waste & Food Surplus, Key Facts (July 2025 update). WRAP (UK nonprofit), Page:. UK household amounts and the best quantified breakdown of reasons found.
• Wasted Food: U.S. Consumers' Reported Awareness, Attitudes, and Behaviors. Neff, R.A., Spiker, M.L., Truant, P.L, *PLoS ONE* 10(6): e0127881, published June 10, 2015. Why U.S. households say they discard food.

Kitchen inventory

• Are You Storing Food Safely?, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Consumer Update. FDA consumer storage basics, date wording and an outage rule.
• Freezer Management, NCHFP. Freezer inventory practice.
• Freezer Storage, University of Illinois Extension. Quality freezer times for main dishes and staples.
• Freezing and Food Safety, USDA FSIS. Freezer safety principles, packaging, freezing speed, refreezing, cooking from frozen, freezer outage, and the freezer chart.
• Keep Your Food Safe During Emergencies: Power Outages, Floods & Fires, USDA FSIS. Power-outage times and keep/discard lists.
• Know where to put what in your refrigerator, Jeannie Nichols, Michigan State University Extension. Refrigerator zones.
• Mix and Match Meal Planning Strategy, Nebraska Extension (UNL Food), originally by Alice Henneman, reviewed and updated 2021. A stock-the-basics approach for people who decide late in the day.
• Organizing food storage areas, Stephanie Marino, Michigan State University Extension. Steps for clearing out and organizing storage, plus inventory and FIFO.
• Preventing Wasted Food At Home, U.S. EPA. EPA's consumer guide to planning, shopping, storage and cooking to waste less.
• Refrigeration & Food Safety, USDA FSIS. Refrigerator temperature, quality-versus-safety bacteria explanation, door storage, weekly cleanout, and the cold-storage chart.
• Refrigerator Thermometers - Cold Facts about Food Safety, FDA. The case for an appliance thermometer, quick-chill rules and an outage rule.
• Safe Home Food Storage (B-5031), Peggy Van Laanen, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Pantry conditions and FIFO.
• Shelf-Stable Food Safety, USDA FSIS. Pantry storage conditions, can damage, pantry chart, and the home-canning pointer to NCHFP.
• Shopping Tools. ISU Extension, Spend Smart, Eat Smart. List method and seasonal buying.
• Tips for Keeping Safe at Home, FARE. Household storage, cooking and rituals.
• Use a Grocery List to Save Time, Eat Healthier!, Nebraska Extension, by Alice Henneman, reviewed and updated 2021. The master list.

How long food keeps

• "Danger Zone" (40°F - 140°F), USDA FSIS. The 2-hour / 1-hour rule and the danger-zone definition.
• 4 Steps to Food Safety, FoodSafety.gov / HHS. Clean, separate, cook and chill as consumer steps.
• AB-660 Food and beverage products: labeling: quality dates, safety dates, and sell-by dates, California Legislature. The first large state rule that ties "USE by" to safety.
• Cold Food Storage Chart, FoodSafety.gov, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The consumer refrigerator and freezer chart.
• Docket FSIS-2024-0021, Food Date Labeling, Regulations.gov API. The follow-up status.
• Food Date Labeling (Request for Information), Docket No. FSIS-2024-0021. FSIS and FDA, Federal Register Vol. 89, No. 233, pp, 96205-96207, FR Doc 2024-27810. The federal review of "Best if Used By" and other phrases.
• Food Date Labeling Act of 2025 (S. 2541; companion H.R. 4987), 119th Congress, U.S. Congress. Proposed uniform federal phrases.
• Food Product Dating, USDA FSIS. Definitions of date phrases, infant formula, can codes, and egg carton dates.
• Food Safety During Power Outage, FoodSafety.gov / HHS. Item-by-item keep or discard charts.
• FoodKeeper App, FoodSafety.gov / HHS. What FoodKeeper is.
• FSIS - FoodKeeper Data (dataset catalog entry and the live JSON file), USDA FSIS via Data.gov. A downloadable dataset exists, its date, and the values used in the Disagreements section.
• Home Food Storage Chart, Nebraska Extension, food.unl.edu. A three-column chart (pantry 50-70 °F / refrigerator / freezer).
• Leftovers and Food Safety, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. The core leftovers rules: cook, cool, wrap, store, thaw, reheat, refreeze.
• Molds on Food: Are They Dangerous?, USDA FSIS. Which moldy leftovers to discard and which to trim.
• Preparing Food for a Crowd (HGIC 3540), Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home & Garden Information Center. Stricter make-ahead advice and the cumulative-time idea.
• Preventing Food Poisoning, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC version of the four steps, riskier foods and refrigerator guidance.
• Selecting and Serving Produce Safely, FDA. Raw produce handling.
• Storing Fresh Fruits and Vegetables for Better Taste. Adel Kader, Jim Thompson, Kathi Sylva and Linda Harris, UC Davis Postharvest Technology Center with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, Publication #21590. An evidence-based counter-or-fridge list and ethylene handling.

The people at your table

• 10 Reasons to See an RDN, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, eatright.org. When to refer.
• 10 Tips for Parents of Picky Eaters, HealthyChildren.org, American Academy of Pediatrics, AAP Committee on Nutrition. The pediatric source for one-family-meal planning.
• Avoiding Cross-Contact, FARE, Food Allergy Research & Education. The cross-contact definition and home and restaurant practice.
• Cooking for One or Two, University of Illinois Extension. Halving measures and single-person shopping.
• Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025 to 2030 (PDF, 10 pages), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. The current federal dietary guidance and its food-group serving goals.
• Food Allergies (Nutrition, Food Labeling, and Critical Foods), FDA. The legal basis for the nine major allergens, label rules and cross-contact definitions.
• Food Allergies: What You Need to Know, FDA. Consumer steps.
• Have Food Allergies? Read the Label, FDA Consumer Updates. Label-reading for shoppers.
• Healthy Cooking for One or Two (FCS-1004), Ohio State University Extension, by Shari Gallup, reviewed by Roseanne Scammahorn. Planning questions for small households.
• Healthy Eating for One or Two, Colorado State University Extension, reviewed by Jessica Clifford. Buying rules for small households and recipe-reduction tables.
• Healthy Tips for Picky Eaters (FNS-455, PDF), USDA Food and Nutrition Service, WIC Works. The federal picky-eater handout.
• How to master meal planning, Michigan State University Extension, by Heather Dyer and Amy Shovels. An order-free method with household questions.
• Picky Eating, Ellyn Satter Institute. Normal vs problematic picky eating, and meal-planning rules for a cautious eater.
• Planning Healthy Meals for One or Two, Nebraska Extension, originally by Alice Henneman, updated and reviewed 2024. Scaled buying and cook-once methods.
• Planning Meals for a Family (HGIC 4200), Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center. A two-week cycle method that builds up to all meals, plus theme nights.
• Steps for a Safe Kitchen, FARE. A three-step home method.
• The Satter Division Of Responsibility In Feeding, Ellyn Satter Institute. The division-of-responsibility model.
• What Is Medical Nutrition Therapy?, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The definition of medical nutrition therapy (MNT) and insurance basics.

Your meal list

• Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025 to 2030: Daily Servings by Calorie Level (PDF, 3 pages), HHS/USDA. Serving sizes and daily servings at 12 calorie levels, from 1,000 to 3,200.
• Food Labeling: Front-of-Package Nutrition Information (proposed rule, 2025-00778); and Extension of Comment Period (2025-08204), Federal Register / FDA. What the proposal would require.
• Food Labeling: Nutrient Content Claims; Definition of Term "Healthy" (final rule 2024-29957, Dec 27, 2024; delay of effective date 2025-03118, Feb 25, 2025), Federal Register / FDA.
• Food Portions: Choosing Just Enough for You, NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. The portion vs serving definition.
• Foods That Do Not Freeze Well, NCHFP. Quality failures relevant to batch cooking.
• Front-of-Package Nutrition Labeling, FDA. The consumer description of the proposed "Nutrition Info box".
• How to Plan Meals Ahead of Time, Oregon State University Extension, Food Hero, "Funded by USDA SNAP". An inventory-first method with ingredient search.
• How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label, U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The label-reading method.
• Making the Most of Your Cooking Time, University of Illinois Extension, Eat.Move.Save. The "Cook Once, Eat Twice" method and freezer tips.
• Meal Planning 101 (one-page PDF), Utah State University Extension, Create Better Health, SNAP-funded. A 10-step list, cycle menus and theme nights.
• Planning your Meals with Family Favorite Recipes, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, by Jody Gatewood, RD. The master-list idea.
• Previous Editions; and 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, USDA/HHS, dietaryguidelines.gov. An official statement of which edition is current.
• Serving Size on the Nutrition Facts Label, FDA. The legal basis for serving size.
• The new food pyramid, explained, University of Arizona College of Agriculture, Life & Environmental Sciences, quoting Cooperative Extension and School of Nutritional Sciences and Wellness staff. An independent description of the shape change and of what changed.
• Use of the "Healthy" Claim on Food Labeling, FDA. The criteria in plain language.

The weekly plan

• Back-to-Routine Meal Prep (3-page PDF), Utah State University Be Well, an employee wellness program, by Jana Greene, Registered Dietitian. A Sunday-prep, planned-leftover week and a rotating menu.
• Create Better Health Adult Nutrition Education 4 Lesson Curriculum, Utah State University Extension, Create Better Health (Utah SNAP-Ed). A complete public instructor guide, including a step-by-step menu-planning method.
• Food Waste Prevention Part 2: Meal Planning, Utah State University Extension Nutrition, by Meghan Adair and Carrie Durward. An inventory-first, three-step method and the "whole day, not each meal" point.
• Gearing up for Time Schedule Changes, Penn State Extension, Nutrition Links/EFNEP. A plan-only-cooking-nights method tied to the family calendar.
• How do I create flexible and simple meal plans?, Love Food Hate Waste / WRAP (UK nonprofit). A planning method designed to cut waste.
• Meal Planning for Busy Families, Colorado State University Extension, by Sheila Gains, FCS Specialist, Arapahoe County. A schedule-first, six-step method and shared-prep ideas.
• Meal Prep and Planning Saves Money and Boosts Nutrition. N.C, Cooperative Extension, Watauga County Center, by an FCS Extension Agent. Eight tips including repeat weekly meals.
• Simplifying Meal Planning with Young Kids, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, by Katy Moscoso. A dinners-only method for families.
• Smart Shopping: Shop with Meals in Mind, U.S. EPA. A shopping-list template.
• Weekly Meal Planner, Grocery List, and Recipes (11-page PDF), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Nutrition and Food Services. An inventory-first dinner planner.
• Weekly Menu Planner (2-page PDF), Utah State University Extension Nutrition. A printable seven-day breakfast, lunch and dinner planner.
• Why Do Consumers Waste So Much Food-and What Can Be Done About It?, ReFED. Consumer cost and ReFED's "Food Waste Five".

How much to buy

• Aisle by Aisle: Proteins, ISU Extension. Servings per pound by cut, and protein savings.
• Cooking Basics: Reducing a Recipe (MF3531), K-State Research and Extension, Tandy Rundus. Reduction tips and equivalents.
• FBG Section 1, Meats/Meat Alternates (yield table), USDA FNS.
• FBG Section 2, Vegetables (yield table), USDA FNS.
• FBG Section 3, Fruits (yield table), USDA FNS.
• FBG Section 4, Grains (yield table), USDA FNS.
• Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs: Introduction, USDA FNS. How yields are stated and the purchase math.
• Food portion calculator: your guide to perfect portion sizes, Love Food Hate Waste / WRAP (UK nonprofit). A portion tool and rule of thumb.
• Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C: General Tables of Units of Measurement, NIST. The legal US definitions and exact factors.
• How Much Should I Eat? Quantity and Quality, NIH National Institute on Aging. A second portion vs serving definition.
• Metric Kitchen: Cooking Measurement Equivalencies, NIST Office of Weights and Measures, Metric Program. Rounded home-cooking equivalents.
• Metric Kitchen: Cookware and Tools, NIST OWM. Pan volumes (useful for scaling), scale and thermometer checks.
• Metric Kitchen: Culinary Measurement Tips, NIST OWM. Measuring technique and conversion advice.
• Reducing the Size of Recipes, Nebraska Extension, UNL Food. Halving and thirding tables, pan swaps.
• Scaling: Up or Down, University of Wyoming Extension, Vicki Hayman. Conversion factor and what does not scale linearly.

Shopping and budget

• 5 Changes the Beautiful Bill Is Bringing to SNAP, National Conference of State Legislatures. SNAP-Ed end date.
• Aisle by Aisle: Grains, ISU Extension. Store-brand test and mixes versus scratch.
• Aisle by Aisle: Vegetables, ISU Extension. Convenience versus cost.
• Eating on a Budget Poster (N1028), University of Missouri Extension. Short checklist.
• Find Your Local Food Bank, Feeding America (nonprofit, 501(c)(3)). Reference only.
• Food Price Outlook, 2026: Summary Findings (September 2026 forecast, using August 2026 CPI), USDA ERS. One-line forecast.
• Handbook 130 (2026), IV.C Uniform Unit Pricing Regulation, NIST / National Conference on Weights and Measures. The model rule for how stores state unit prices.
• Official USDA Food Plans: Cost of Food at Home at Three Levels, U.S. Average, August 2026, USDA FNA. Low-Cost, Moderate-Cost and Liberal costs.
• Official USDA Thrifty Food Plan: U.S. Average, August 2026, USDA FNA. Thrifty weekly and monthly costs by age-sex group.
• Shopping to Save: Your Buying Guide to Good Deals, University of Illinois Extension. Store-layout tactics, unit price formula, bulk questions.
• SNAP-Ed Connection, USDA FNA. Reference only. Not linked: the address no longer loads (checked 2026-10-27).
• Stretching Your Food Dollar, Cooperative Extension, extension.org Personal Finance. Coupon caution, bulk caution, price book.
• Thrifty Food Plan, 2021 (FNS-916), USDA Food and Nutrition Service, August 2021. Assumptions about time, cooking, convenience and waste.
• Unit Pricing Guide: A Best Practice Approach to Unit Pricing, NIST SP 1181e2025, NIST Office of Weights and Measures. Consumer-facing definitions and best practice.
• Unit Pricing: Compare Unit Prices for the Best Buy. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Spend Smart, Eat Smart. A worked unit-price example and cost per serving.
• USDA Food Plans, USDA FNA. What the plans are, legal uses and the reevaluation schedule.
• USDA Food Plans: Monthly Cost of Food Reports, USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. The monthly cost tables for all four plans, the household-size adjustment and the archive.
• USDA National Hunger Hotline, USDA FNA (federal agency); operated by Hunger Free America. Reference only.
• What You Spend (grocery budget calculator). ISU Extension, Spend Smart, Eat Smart. An existing calculator built on USDA Food Plans, and its formula.
• WIC, USDA FNA. Reference only.

Prep and batch cooking

• Bag Lunch Safety (HGIC 3600), Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC. Cold-holding detail beyond FSIS.
• Containers for Freezing, NCHFP. Container choice.
• Cool Hot Foods (For Safety's Sake series), NC State Extension. A numeric cooling target and depth limits.
• Eating Healthy on a Budget: The Ultimate Guide to Frugal Meal Planning, Utah State University Extension, Create Better Health, a SNAP-Ed program. A typology of planning styles plus steps.
• For Safety's Sake; and Ensuring Safe Canned Foods, NCHFP, extracted from the USDA *Complete Guide to Home Canning*, Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539 (Revised 2015). The statement this manual points to for home canning, and nothing more.
• Freezing Pointers, NCHFP. Freezer loading limits for batch days.
• Freezing Prepared Foods (HGIC 3065), Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center. Batch-cooking-for-the-freezer rules and what to omit.
• Keeping "Bag" Lunches Safe, USDA FSIS. Packed-lunch cold-holding rules.
• Leftovers, University of Illinois Extension. Leftover storage and labeling, and reuse ideas.
• Make-Ahead Freezer Meals to the Rescue, Penn State Extension. Freezer-meal workflow (it summarizes University of Kentucky's *Make-Ahead Meals*).
• Packaging and Labeling Foods, NCHFP. The portion and label rules.
• Packed Lunch Safety, Nebraska Extension, food.unl.edu. A link between planned leftovers and lunches, and a room-temperature list.
• Questions and Answers About Storing Food in the Refrigerator (FN1466), NDSU Extension. Plain-language leftover Q&A.
• Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart, USDA FSIS. The cook and reheat temperatures.
• Smart Prep: Prep Now, Eat Later, U.S. EPA. Post-shopping prep.
• Thawing and Preparing Foods for Serving, NCHFP. Reheating frozen cooked dishes.
• The Big Thaw: Safe Defrosting Methods, USDA FSIS. The three thawing methods with times.

Leftovers and using it up

• Better Leftovers. N.C, Cooperative Extension, Brunswick County Center, by Cheryle Syracuse. A method for cooking once and eating twice or three times.
• Composting At Home, U.S. EPA. One entry for backyard and worm composting.
• Food Donation Basics, U.S. EPA. A pointer only.
• How-To: Use Leftovers, HappyHealthy, Mississippi State University Extension Service with Mississippi Department of Human Services, SNAP-Ed funded. First-meal and second-meal pairings.
• In a Pinch: Ingredient Substitutions (Guide E-131). NMSU College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (extension service), Adapted from University of Missouri; reviewed by Cassandra Vanderpool. A second chart for cross-checking.
• Ingredient Substitutions (FN198), Julie Garden-Robinson, Ph.D., R.D., NDSU Extension. The substitution chart.
• Ingredient Substitutions (L730), K-State Research and Extension. A third chart.
• Making Leftovers Planned-Overs, Nebraska Extension, UNL Food. The planned-overs idea plus safety rules and ideas by food group.
• Safely turn leftovers into planned-overs, Jennifer Berkey, Michigan State University Extension. Safety rules and examples.
• Wasted Food Scale, U.S. EPA. EPA's ranking of what to do with wasted food.

Review and adjust

• Estimating Food Waste as Household Production Inefficiency. Yu, Y. and Jaenicke, E.C. *American Journal of Agricultural Economics* 102(2): 525 to 547, 2020 (research), Abstract read on RePEc:. A peer-reviewed household-level estimate.
• Food Waste Data-Causes & Impacts ("The Problem"), ReFED. ReFED's 2024 totals and causes by sector.

Free extension and federal curricula: more

• Cooking Matters for Adults (6-week course), as published by University of Minnesota Extension, Cooking Matters (nonprofit curriculum; now owned by The Food Trust) delivered through UMN Extension. The week-by-week objectives of the national adult course.
• Cooking Matters Partner Portal, The Food Trust. Current ownership and availability.
• Cooking Matters: Save Time and Money on Menu Planning, Penn State Extension Better Kid Care, content from Share Our Strength. A free 2-hour on-demand lesson, written for child-care providers but also aimed at home cooks.
• Eating Smart, Being Active, Ohio State University Extension, Columbiana County EFNEP. A second state's order and each lesson's aim.
• Eating Smart • Being Active (ESBA), adult EFNEP curriculum, as published by Washington State University EFNEP, Colorado State University Extension (curriculum owner) via WSU. The national EFNEP lesson order.
• Food: Too Good to Waste Implementation Guide and Toolkit, US Environmental Protection Agency. The only free curriculum built around measuring household waste before and after.
• Plan, Shop, Save & Cook (PSSC), Oregon State University Nutrition Education and Outreach Programs. Format and scope of the multi-state PSSC curriculum.
• Plan, Shop, Save and Cook, UC Cooperative Extension, Community Nutrition and Health, Tulare County, CalFresh Healthy Living. The lesson-by-lesson contents of PSSC.

Food safety and storage: more

• 21 CFR 107.20 Directions for use (infant formula), eCFR, Office of the Federal Register / FDA. The legal basis for the one mandatory federal date.
• Cooking and Freezing Food Pantry Items, Penn State Extension. A USDA-sourced storage table, plus two numbers that differ from federal pages.
• Food Preservation: Freezing Cooked Foods (HYG-5308), Ohio State University Extension, Ohioline. Batch freezing method.
• Freezing, National Center for Home Food Preservation, University of Georgia. The index of the general freezing pages below.
• Freezing Ahead for the Holidays (blog), NCHFP. Prepared-food freezing in brief.
• How Long Can I Store Frozen Foods, NCHFP. Quality times and labeling.
• How to Freeze Home-Prepared Foods (GH1505), University of Missouri Extension. The most detailed per-dish freezer times found.
• Safe Food Handling (Four Simple Steps), FDA. The FDA version of clean, separate, cook and chill, plus a temperature table.
• Storage times for food in the refrigerator and freezer, University of Minnesota Extension. An extension version of the cold chart, with several values that differ from FSIS.
• USDA-FDA Seek Information About Food Date Labeling, Aim is to Provide Further Clarity, Transparency and Cost Savings for U.S. Consumers, FDA press announcement. The deadline extension and the agencies' stated purpose.

Nutrition guidance, labels, allergens and planning methods: more

• Cooperative Meal Planning, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, by Justine Hoover, RD. A rolling-plan variant.
• Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels, FDA. The DV definition and the full DV table.
• Dietary Guidelines for Americans, HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. HHS confirmation of the current edition.
• Kennedy, Rollins Unveil Historic Reset of U.S. Nutrition Policy, Put Real Food Back at Center of Health (release No. 0003.26), USDA Food and Nutrition Administration. The release date and the official summary.
• Nutrition.gov home page; and Food Shopping and Meal Planning, USDA National Agricultural Library. A USDA directory of meal-planning resources, current today.
• Real Food (realfood.gov home page), USDA/HHS. The consumer front end for the 2025 to 2030 guidelines and the "New Pyramid" FAQ.
• US Dietary Guidelines sideline MyPlate in favor of inverted food pyramid, FoodNavigator-USA. The MyPlate status as of January 2026.

Shopping, food budgets, quantities and conversions: more

• FBG Appendix B: Using Column 6 of the Food Buying Guide Yield Tables, USDA FNS. Worked examples converting recipe quantities to purchase quantities, including dried grains (cups dry ↔ cooked).
• Food Price Outlook, USDA Economic Research Service. Monthly forecasts of annual food price change.
• Metric Conversion Card, NIST SP 365 (August 2024), NIST. Approximate multiplication factors.
• One Big Beautiful Bill Act implementation page, USDA FNA. Section list.
• SNAP Nutrition (SNAP-Ed landing page), USDA FNA. SNAP-Ed description and links.
• The Unit Price is Right, NIST Taking Measure blog, David Sefcik. A consumer-voice example of inconsistent units.
• Thrifty Food Plan, 2021 (landing page, FNS-916), USDA FNA. Links to the report, supplement, optimization model and disaggregated market basket (.xlsx).
• Thrifty Food Plan, Alaska and Hawaii, August 2026, USDA FNA. Reference-family costs for Anchorage and Hawaii.

Food waste, inventory, leftovers, freezing, substitutions and produce: more

• Check your fridge temperature, Love Food Hate Waste / WRAP (UK nonprofit). The UK fridge target and storage tips.
• Food: Material-Specific Data, U.S. EPA. Sector totals and how wasted food is managed.
• From Field to Bin: The Environmental Impacts of U.S. Food Waste Management Pathways (landing page), U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development. Where the Wasted Food Scale comes from.
• Love Food Hate Waste home page, WRAP (UK nonprofit). The UK consumer campaign's headline numbers.
• Plan It (planning tools), NRDC / Save The Food. Free planning tools.
• ReFED U.S. Food Waste Report 2026 (landing page), ReFED. Headline 2024 figures.
• Save The Food: home and "Did You Know" pages. Natural Resources Defense Council (nonprofit), The footer reads "© 2026 Natural Resources Defense Council", and the campaign is run with the Ad Council. The campaign's claims and tools.
• Smart Storage: Fruit and Vegetable Storage Guide, U.S. EPA. An inside-or-outside-the-fridge list.
• Sustainable Management of Food Basics, U.S. EPA. EPA's definitions and headline statistics.
• World squanders over 1 billion meals a day - UN report (press release for the Food Waste Index Report 2024), UN Environment Programme with WRAP. Global context for "a third".

Paid courses and meal-plan services we compared

We read the public pages of these courses and services to decide what a meal planning course covers and in what order. We have not taken them, reproduce nothing from them, and recommend none. They are listed so you can see what else exists; prices change and are not shown. No link carries a referral code.

• Meal Prep and Planning Made Easy, Teresa Johnson on Udemy.
• Meal Planning For Any Diet, KW Professional Organizers on Udemy.
• Organized Meal Planning For Any Diet, KW Professional Organizers on Skillshare.
• Meal Planning and Food Prep for Real Life, Amber Snow on Udemy.
• Meal Planning For Parents With Busy Families, Barb Kemp on Udemy.
• Mastering Meal Planning: Stress Less, Enjoy More, & Thrive, Raelan Agle on Udemy.
• How to Make Meal Planning Work For You, Sarah Read on Udemy.
• Nutrition Certification Diploma: Diet Planning & Meal Prep, Felix Harder on Udemy.
• How to Cook Productively - A Meal Planning System for Beginners, Ali Abdaal (host) with Kym (teacher) on Skillshare.
• Meal Planning Master Class, Foodie Turned Fit Wellness on Teachable.
• Nutrition 101: Healthy Eating Guidelines and Meal Planning, Penn State Extension.
• Stanford Introduction to Food and Health, Stanford Online on Coursera; instructor Maya Adam, MD.
• Cooking for Two, America's Test Kitchen, ATK Classes (formerly Online Cooking School); instructor Lawman Johnson.
• How to Simplify Weeknight Dinner, America's Test Kitchen, ATK Classes; instructor Jack Bishop.
• Workweek Lunch Meal Plan Program (WWL Pro), Workweek Lunch.
• Cook Smarts weekly meal plan service, Cook Smarts.
• $10 Dinners Meal Plan, Volume 1, Budget Bytes shop.
• $5 Meal Plan, $5 Meal Plan / $5 Dinners.
• Once A Month Meals membership, Once A Month Meals.