Leftovers again?

Ah yes the great holiday tradition of 100 ways to use leftovers! In our house this isn’t something that is solely reserved for the holidays though it is something we practice every day.
According to a report from the Stockholm International Water Institute “as much as 30 percent of food, worth some $48.3 billion, is discarded in the USA alone.” That is a staggering fact. Imagine going on your holiday grocery shopping trip and then just throwing 30% of it into a dumpster? The resources used to grown, manufacturer, package and ship the food all wasted! Not to mention throwing the money straight there with it, after all frugality and green living often go hand in hand. The holidays are a great time of year to get into the habit of using leftovers and actually consuming the food we buy on a regular basis. How many times have you found that UFO (unidentified food object) in the back of the fridge? A half container of yogurt gone bad? Meat products well past their use by date? Or packets in the cupboard that even Old Mother Hubbard wouldn’t touch? All these things can be avoided with some basic kitchen planning.

Check the fridge daily for items nearing their use by dates, pull them to the front and USE THEM. If you have leftovers make sure to eat them in the next day or two to avoid spoiling. We all know that over the holidays we get tired of Turkey, Turkey stew, Turkey soup, Turkey Sandwiches, but better to be tired of it than to get sick FROM it!: Some families find it helps to have a shelf just for “Use
today/tomorrow” items. When preparing meals or snacks you can see
instantly what SHOULD be used. If the items can be frozen and you know you won’t be able to use them in time, then freeze them now.

Once every 3 -6 months check those cupboards. We all have those jars and packets that seem to get shoved aside each season, buried at the back of the cupboard, this is especially important with those holiday food items. Ours was a jar of pickled onions bought for a family holiday gathering. I thought my father-in-law wanted them, turns out no-one did. In the cupboard they remain… If you know that you won’t be using the item, see if friends/family want them? It’s not charity, it’s good sense! Better the item be used than gathering dust.

A few simple steps to take to avoid wasting food, energy, resources and money.

dalgal | My Bio & Articles