Help Reduce Food Waste by Being a Leftover Star!

I used to cook only enough food for the people I was serving. So, I rarely had leftovers. I have since changed and will cook larger quantities so that I purposely have leftovers. Not only do we like leftovers in my house, but they also mean that one night, I do not have to cook from scratch. All I have to do is reheat the leftovers or transform them into a quick meal. Food waste is another consideration. The USDA estimates that in the US, 30-40% of the food supply is wasted. Although food waste is a larger problem than any one of us can solve, we can all do our part to reduce food waste in our kitchens, where it is estimated to cost the average family over $ 2,000 per year. This Cooking Tip will help you do just that.

Let’s first examine some general principles, and then we will look at specific food items.

• Avoiding food waste starts with shopping. Prepare a shopping list before going to the store, focusing on the foods you will be able to use within a reasonable time frame.
• Be cautious about buying in bulk. First, larger sizes of food items are not always less expensive per serving than smaller sizes. Be sure to check not only the item price, but also the price per ounce. Second, if you end up having to throw food away because you cannot use it before it goes bad, you are also throwing money away.
• Some stores sell less attractive fruits and vegetables for a lower price point. Just because they do not look perfect does not mean they are any less tasty and nutritious than items without physical imperfections. This saves you money, but can also prevent those items from being thrown away.
• Store your food properly at home.
  • Ensure your refrigerator is cooling properly. It should register no higher than 40°F. This will prolong the life of the food stored there.
  • Put food that should be eaten more quickly where you can easily see it.
  • If you have freezer space, utilize it to store foods for longer periods. The temperature inside the freezer should be at 0°F or lower.
• Understand food dates. Contrary to what many think, food does not have to be thrown out simply because the date on the package has passed. The FDA states that 20% of consumer food waste is due to a misunderstanding of these dates. Refer to this previous Cooking Tip for more information.
• When dining out, ask the restaurant to pack up any leftovers you do not eat. Very often, the restaurant portions are so large that you can easily get two meals out of one dish. Enjoy it in the restaurant and then reheat the leftovers for another meal at home. Not only does that reduce food waste, but it also cuts the cost of your dining-out bill in half.

Let’s turn to the subject of what to do with leftovers.

If you have leftovers of a meal item, such as lasagna, reheating and re-serving it at a subsequent meal is an obvious way to use them. Most leftovers should be used within three or four days. For more extended storage, utilize your freezer. Although this Cooking Tip has to do with Thanksgiving, the advice applies to all leftovers.

Apart from just reheating and having your leftovers as another meal, this is your chance to be creative and create something new without a recipe. It’s a wonderful feeling to eat a satisfying meal that you’ve thrown together from food in your refrigerator that might otherwise have been thrown out. Treat it as a challenge!

Quiches or frittatas – Many types of leftovers (meat, cheese, veg) can be repurposed into a delicious quiche or frittata. Refer to this Cooking Tip for additional instructions on how to do this.

Stir-Fry – Leftover veggies, rice, and meat can find new life in a stir-fry. Add a flavorful sauce and you have a wonderful meal.

Fried Rice – This dish is best made with day-old rice, making it a great way to use up leftover rice. Add vegetables, a sauce, eggs, and meat, if desired.

Chicken or other meats – Leftover meat can be used in a myriad of ways. Use the meat in soups, salads, sandwiches, pasta dishes, tacos and meat pies.

Bread – Stale bread can be used to make bread crumbs, croutons or even find new life in a bread pudding.

Eggs whites and yolks – If your recipe only calls for one or the other, do not throw the unused part away. The easiest thing to do is to add them to an omelet or scrambled eggs. Egg whites can also be used to make meringues.

Rice – Leftover rice is perfect for fried rice or rice pudding.

Fruit – Fruit past its prime is great for adding to smoothies or for making a fruit sauce or compote.

Pizza – Do you make your own pizza? So many leftovers can be put on pizza – onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, chicken. Also, instead of grabbing a jar of pizza sauce, try using any leftover sauces you already have, such as pesto or harissa.

Sauces – Speaking of sauces, minimizing leftovers is a reason for making your own rather than purchasing jarred sauces. Not only will they be fresher, but you only need to make what you need. Whether homemade or purchased, most leftover sauces can be frozen. Freeze them in ice cube trays and then remove to a storage container. When you need a quick and easy meal, grab a few cubes of your favorite sauce, heat and serve with pasta or rice. If I make a pasta sauce for dinner, the leftovers of that sauce often turn up on a pizza later in the week.

Tacos/Quesadillas – Do you have some leftover meat but not enough for a full meal? Use it for tacos or quesadillas by adding veggies and cheese.

Buttermilk – When you go to the store to get buttermilk for a recipe, it is very difficult to find it in a small container. What do you do with what is left over? Add it to your biscuit recipe or your mashed potatoes. Additionally, if the recipe calls for buttermilk in a baked good, consider trying powdered buttermilk instead. You only have to use what you need, and the remainder can stay in the refrigerator for a long time. See this Cooking Tip for more information on this great ingredient.

Coconut Milk – Did that great Asian recipe only call for a part of a can of coconut milk? Do not throw the rest away. Use it to make coconut rice, add it to mashed sweet potatoes, or use it in smoothies or oatmeal.

Composting – If you have the ability to compost leftover food, it is also a great way to turn some items into food for your garden. Be sure to read up on what can and cannot be composted.

This only scratches the surface of what to do with leftovers. Channel your inner creativity and become a leftover star. What do you do with your leftovers?