Did you know that in the US alone, 40% of all food produced goes uneaten, making up 133 billion pounds in landfills and totaling $161 billion of food waste per year? MIAbites followers are well aware that reducing food waste and the direct transfer to local food insecure is an important part of our mission in partnership with National non-profit, Food Rescue US.
Decomposing food in landfills is one of the top contributors to harmful greenhouse gas production that impacts our climate and directly causes global warming. By reducing food waste we can actually reverse climate change.
It’s with this backdrop that Choco – a new app providing free order management technology to restaurants and food suppliers- has organized the Waste is Gold campaign. This initiative touches on the interconnections of food, sustainability and technology for the future of restaurants.
Waste is Gold is an anti-food waste event featuring Miami restaurants that have created dishes made out of food waste ingredients. Participating chefs are challenged to design a dish or repurpose an existing menu item and customers can order these items on the weekend of March 26-28 via curbside pickup, delivery and dine-in.
Participating restaurants and menu items include:
Manna Life Food
Downtown Miami
Manna Life Food is a superfood juice bar and plant-based cafe. MANNA – referred to as food from heaven or divine spiritual nourishment. All our food is freshly made from scratch every single day and we only use first quality organic ingredients free of gluten, artificial flavors, additives, refined sugars or GMOs.
Falafel with residue and pulp from cold press juices
Banana peel Cochinita Pibilep up with the latest industry news on our blo.
Beehive Cafe & Juice Bar
Ludlam
Beehive Juice Bar is a small counter in the back of a South Miami health food store, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in character. Owner Carlos Schichi and his tasty vegan eats have amassed a devoted following over the years with a changing menu every single day.Beehive Juice Bar is a small counter in the back of a South Miami health food store, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in character. Owner Carlos Schichi and his tasty vegan eats have amassed a devoted following over the years with a changing menu every single day.
Pionono (March 26th): For this dish we use a vegan version of Cuban-style Picadillo we run as a special the day before. We line a casserole dish with strips of overripe plantains, fill the casserole with the rejuvenated Picadillo and finish it with another layer of the overripe plantains.
Spinach Cake with Roasted Pepper Sauce (March 27th): The Spinach Cake is a dish best made using leftover rice. It is actually preferable to freshly cooked rice. The rice is kneaded with cooked spinach and seasoned to taste. It is then formed in a pan where it is rebaked in the oven and paired with a Roasted Pepper Sauce.
Pamela Wasabi Bakery
Brownsville
Pamela Wasabi Bakery is a 100% vegan and gluten-free artisanal bakery. All our products are made by hand with wholesome, organic and exotic ingredients. Our purpose is to instill the fundamental concepts of nourishment and self-love. We want to spread the message that we are love, we are nature, and we are life. We should eat what we are, and we are beauty; hence, the bakery’s hashtag #EatMoreBeauty.
“Ugly” Cheesecake and Almond Buttercups
Pionono (March 26th): For this dish we use a vegan version of Cuban-style Picadillo we run as a special the day before. We line a casserole dish with strips of overripe plantains, fill the casserole with the rejuvenated Picadillo and finish it with another layer of the overripe plantains.
Spinach Cake with Roasted Pepper Sauce (March 27th): The Spinach Cake is a dish best made using leftover rice. It is actually preferable to freshly cooked rice. The rice is kneaded with cooked spinach and seasoned to taste. It is then formed in a pan where it is rebaked in the oven and paired with a Roasted Pepper Sauce.
The Caribe Vegan
Location varies- updates on @thecaribevegan
Melissa Guzman was diagnosed with an autoimmune illness at age 28 that led her to 7 hospitalizations within 4 months and eventually a wheelchair. During her recovery, Melissa found that a vegan diet would help with inflammation in her body and was able to make a full recovery. The Caribe Vegan is her way of sharing her story before it’s too late for others.
Build Your Own Banana Boat
Lilikoi Organic Living
South Beach
Lilikoi is committed to preparing your meals with the freshest ingredients that are locally and organically sourced. We want to provide food and nutrition that support a healthier lifestyle and a more sustainable way to live. We carefully evaluate each and every product we use keeping processed ingredients, unnecessary sugar, and genetically modified organisms out of our dishes. We here at Lilikoi are passionate about great-tasting healthy meals and the pleasure of sharing it with those around us. We thrive on excellence and genuine hospitality.
Farro risotto with mushroom soy sauce fermented with portobello mushroom stems
Visit these environmentally forward-thinking Miami area restaurants this weekend and support the effort to reduce food waste one meal at a time.
Together we can Fill Plates and Not Landfills.
To learn more about Choco, visit their website at https://choco.com/
To learn more about Food Rescue US, visit their website at https://foodrescue.us/
