I spent a week collecting food from garbage cans. I ate that. -The New York Times

Food waste and I have a story.

A childhood memory from the family table in Mumbai still stays with me: "Don't waste your food," my mother advised me every day. "There are too many hungry children everywhere," my father said.

Decades later, now that I live in New York, I still can't throw away those leftovers. At least not the way some of my friends do with casual indifference, or the way restaurants and stores usually do when they've overprepared.

So I decided to try Too Good To Go, one of many apps that connect diners with unsold restaurant products . 12,000 businesses such as restaurants and markets offer excess meals, often at discounted prices, to approximately seven million users worldwide.

The goal is to save money, anxiety and some greenhouse gases. Globally, wasted food is responsible for 8 to 10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions . This is because the decomposition of food produces heat-trapping methane.

This is what I got from my week-long experiment across Manhattan trying to keep some of these foods out of the trash.

Sunday, January 28th

Most meals offered on the app are sold as "goodie bags," usually at the end of the day, and you often have no idea what you're getting. This makes the experience similar to a game, and it can be strangely addictive, like a game, at least for me.

Transportation for this first day was from Remedy Diner in the morning and Rent Money Lounge in the afternoon, both on the Lower East Side.

Monday, January 29th

I made three stops that day: a coffee chain called Bluestone Lane, Lily's Vegan Pantry in Chinatown, and Gourmet Garage in the West Village.

It was a huge amount of food for that much money. Lily's vegan snacks like muffins and tuna were a delicious surprise. The Gourmet Garage bag, on the other hand, disappointed me. How about some fresh produce, guys? However, I behaved like a bandit.

Wednesday, January 31st

Indian food was good. It doesn't have the spice that suits me, but it has a home cooking feel. Two stops, at Grabstein's Bagels and Madam Ji, in Lower Manhattan.

Thursday, February 1st

Two overnight stops in Chinatown and Chelsea. One of them, a place called Milk & Hops, came across me when I was searching for "alcohol" just to see if that was an option. According to a note in the app, the gift bag "sometimes contains alcohol." My surprise was not like that.

Friday, February 2nd

A huge, flavorful portion picked up at 4pm from a Middle Eastern eatery in the East Village called Zaad. The sauce was similar to harissa but wasn't extremely spicy. A delicious affair.

Saturday, February 3rd

At this price, perhaps the best deal of the week from Aqua Best Seafood Market on the Lower East Side.

Not only are these parts of the fish full of flavor, but they also have a higher fat content than the fillet, so they won't dry out when cooked. However, most restaurants throw away these pieces because they contain a lot of bones. I am lucky.

The judgment

My biggest complaint? Container. Lots and lots of plastic.

Overall, though, it was a fun and affordable culinary tour of Manhattan. The fact that the app seems to offer more carb options than anything else might give us pause. But the business is growing rapidly and more and more diverse dining options are constantly being created.

Also worth noting: Since I've been running an average of five miles a day to and from eating trips, I may be compensating for all the starchy white carbs this week.

I hold on to that thought as I walk past the scale, pretending it isn't there.

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