How to repurpose leftovers?

Repurposing leftovers into new meals can make them a little more exciting. Depending on the seasoning of the original meal, you can add leftover meat, vegetables or seafood to fajitas, fried rice, pasta sauce, soup or a casserole . Look for ways to make it different from the original.

How do you handle leftover food?

Handling leftovers Keep foods out of the danger zone, between 4°C (40°F) and 60°C (140°F) to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria . Throw away any cooked food left out at room temperature for more than two hours. Never rely on your nose, eyes or taste buds to judge the safety of food.

How do you dispose of large amounts of food?

Lots of food waste is often still edible at the point of disposal. Individuals and commercial businesses should explore the option of donating leftover food to food banks, homeless shelters, local farms or pet food producers .

What do you do with large amounts of food waste?

Try home composting your food waste Composting is an inexpensive, natural process that transforms your kitchen and garden waste into a valuable and nutrient rich food for your garden. It's easy to make and use, if you have the facilities.

What is the leftovers strategy?

Refrigerate or Freeze Leftovers Promptly Any perishable foods sitting out at room temperature for longer than two hours should be discarded. Leftovers can also be immediately frozen for reheating later. While freezing stops the growth of bacteria, food quality can suffer if stored too long in the freezer.

What is the rule for leftover food?

Leftovers can be kept for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator . After that, the risk of food poisoning goes up. If you don't think you'll be able to eat leftovers within four days, freeze them right away.

How to be creative with leftovers?

Here are a few examples: make fruit purées or smoothies with bruised fruit, make soups with leftover vegetables, turn old bread into breadcrumbs, make a sandwich with leftover fish or meat, or prepare a salad with cooked potatoes, pasta or rice.

How do you not waste leftover food?

Aim to cook and serve the right portions for the number of people you are feeding . Freeze, pickle, dehydrate, can, or make jam/jelly from surplus fruits and vegetables - especially abundant seasonal produce. Don't leave perishable food at room temperature for more than two hours.

What is the 2 2 2 rule for leftovers?

Non-profit organisation Love Food, Hate Waste recommends the 2:2:2 rule. Two hours to get them in the fridge. Two days to eat them once they're in there. Or freeze them for up to two months .

How to use food leftovers creatively?

Creative Leftover Ideas for Common Ingredients: Leftover cooked meats can be incorporated into sandwiches, salads, or pasta dishes , while meat scraps can be #repurposed into flavorful stews or tacos. Leftover rice and pasta can be transformed into flavorful fried rice or baked pasta dishes.

What to do with leftover food (2024)

If you’ve heard the latest stats, you know that 40 percent of all food is wasted in the United States. And nearly half of that waste comes from households.

Some of the reasons people waste food in their homes is by cooking too much and forgetting about or not eating up their leftovers. Here are six ways to prevent wasted food by tackling your leftovers.

Don’t throw them out

Whether you’re eating at home or out at a restaurant, don’t let leftover edible food go to waste in the trash or compost bin. No amount is too little to save when your hard-earned money and resources are on the line.

At restaurants, get a to-go box, or better yet, bring your own container. Just don’t forget it on the table when you leave. After a home-cooked meal, pack up the leftovers and get them into the fridge after everyone has filled up. Label the leftovers and store them in a place in the fridge where you won’t forget about them.

Make them tomorrow’s lunch

Saving leftovers is a quick way to pack a low-effort lunch. Just pop them into the right-sized container, and you’re ready to go! If there is not enough food for a full meal, pack an extra snack or a side.

Reinvent them

Get creative in the kitchen. Leftover vegetables are easily combined or baked into new dishes. Reinvent grains and meats into fried rice, hash, scrambles, and soups. The web is filled with ideas on “what to do with extra …”

Freeze them

If you like the food that’s left over but just don’t want to eat more of it now or even this week, freeze it in portion sizes or family dinner sizes to consume later. You’ll thank yourself when you have a busy schedule and no time to make a meal. Just be sure to label your container so you don’t have a frozen mystery jar that requires an act of bravery to defrost.

Swap them

Industrious folks have turned leftovers into a useful crowdsourcing hobby with group food swaps or dinner swaps. These groups or events consist of a few people making extra food and then swapping it to get more variety for their effort.

Prevent them

If you really hate leftovers, make an effort to avoid them in the first place by matching the amount of food you cook or buy with the amount of food you eat. Use a portion calculator when you cook, especially if you’re trying something new. If you are out at a restaurant and eating something that doesn’t store well, split it with a partner or friend. You might even get bold and request a half-serving or smaller portion!

Making sure we eat all of the food we prepare is an important way to reduce waste, conserve resources, and save money. Start showing your leftovers some love today.