The New Taipei City Environmental Protection Department has announced the 2025 &ldquoCherish Food&rdquo Recipe and Creative Lesson Plan Contest Guidelines, encouraging citizens to creatively practice food conservation, promote sustainable living, and respect the environment. The contest is divided into two categories: &ldquoCherish Food Recipe&rdquo and &ldquoCherish Food Creative Lesson Plan&rdquo, with registration open now until 5:00 PM on May 27.

The Environmental Protection Department explains that the recipe category encourages participants to design two simple yet creative dishes inspired by the concepts of &ldquowhole food consumption,&rdquo &ldquoimperfect produce,&rdquo &ldquoseasonal eating,&rdquo and &ldquolocal sourcing.&rdquo The goal is to make tasty meals that are easy to prepare at home, empowering everyone to become a &ldquozero-waste chef.&rdquo

The lesson plan category invites the public and educators to design 2 to 4 lessons based on the Ministry of Environment&rsquos 10 food-saving actions: &ldquoSpeak up, Make smart choices, Pack leftovers, Use imperfect produce, Eat whole food, Eat local, Respect ingredients, Love the earth, Share generously, Promote actively.&rdquo These lesson plans should be presented through in-person teaching demonstrations to convey the food-saving message.The 2025 New Taipei &ldquoFull Han Saving Food&rdquo Recipe and Teaching Plan Contest opens for registration from May 1 to May 27. The grand prize of NT$20,000 is waiting for you! (Photo: New Taipei City Government website)

The department notes that the contest offers attractive prizes: the top three winners in each category will receive NT$20,000, NT$10,000, and NT$5,000, respectively. An additional four honorable mentions will each receive NT$2,000. More information and online registration are available at the official contest website: https://www.cherishfood.com.tw/join_index.php

To help participants better understand the contest details, an information session will be held at 2:00 PM on Friday, May 2, in Meeting Room 307 at New Taipei City Hall. All interested citizens are welcome to attend.The 2023 New Taipei City first prize in the &ldquoSaving Food Recipe &ndash Parent-Child Fun&rdquo category was awarded to the dish &ldquoNutritious Shrimp Pancakes.&rdquo It represented the city in the northern regional finals held by the Ministry of Environment and won the Full Han Saving Award. (Photo: New Taipei City Government website)

The Environmental Protection Department adds that the top recipe winner will be recommended to compete in the Northern Regional Finals hosted by the Ministry of Environment. The top lesson plan winner will have the chance to represent New Taipei in a nationwide exchange with food-saving experts from 22 other counties and cities.

Ultimately, the core of food conservation is not just about avoiding waste &mdash it starts at the source, by reducing consumption from the outset. Every choice we make as consumers is a vote for the future. The department encourages citizens to blend sustainability concepts with local characteristics to create easy-to-follow recipes and teaching plans, making food conservation a shared lifestyle.

For contest rules and updates, please visit the Environmental Protection Department&rsquos website: https://www.epd.ntpc.gov.tw/Article/Info?ID=12135

All citizens are encouraged to participate!