[Julie]

We seem to waste a lot of food. I make big batches for leftovers for a few days but then my husband and two grown daughters want to make themselves something else to eat or order in door dash. Advice?

My family loves takeout, and it’s our go-to for meals. However, I’ve noticed we often waste food from leftovers or groceries that go unused.

I want to be more mindful about reducing food waste but still enjoy the convenience of takeout. Do you have any practical tips or strategies to balance both?

I’d love to hear how others handle this!”

[Melissa]

Freeze the lefts overa instead. Take out the following week and they will eat it. I cannot eat the same things for multiple days either.

[Chris]

When I make chiki or soup, it is always too much for my hubby & me. I do freeze it, but I also take some to single older men who attend our church.

They always enjoy the homemade things I bring to them.

[Carole]

I’d say two choices. Either stop making leftovers or put them in the freezer.

[Kym]

Freeze them in one meal batches or individual servings. Take out a week or two later like you just cooked it for that night

[Kym]

Freeze them in one meal batches or individual servings. Take out a week or two later like you just cooked it for that night

[Tamara]

Give each adult person in the household a night to cook. It has to be a meal at home. No Takeout.

If they complain or refuse, as adults, they can figure out other accommodations.

[Jess]

I freeze leftovers or prepare in a different way. For instance, chicken, I’ll shred for tacos, rice bowl, stuffed squash, veggies, loaded baked potatoes, or cheese quesadillas.

Use a sauce like sweet and sour, honey mustard.

Turkey, I’ll make Turkey and Brie sandwiches, honey mustard or balsamic turkey.

[Sharon]

I cut our recipes in half or freeze half if it is something freezable. We eat one meal out once a week only.

I also meal plan so the groceries don’t go to waste.

[Chris]

I agree freeze leftovers in 1 person portions. So, they can microwave for themselves.

I make a roast. With potatoes and other veggies.

Then the second day I chop up some of the roast and smash some potatoes and a few carrots and heat it up for burritos or tacos.

Or slice it with Au Jus on sandwiches.
Then I freeze it the 2nd day.

[Christine]

I’m a fan of freezing, but I also think sometimes they just need to suck it up. This is what’s for dinner tonight, leftovers.

Not something new out of the pantry, not something you order in with your allowance money… This is what it is.

Maybe you can find a compromise, but the compromise should not only be on your end.

[Vi]

Stop cooking for them. Set a meal budget for each person the the month. Give it to them in cash.

When it’s gone it’s gone and it’s rice and beans until next month.

[Lyn]

We make single portions, then vacuum seal and freeze. Then when you need a quick meal you have something good.

[Annette]

Smaller batches or freeze for another week. I can’t eat the same dish more than 2-3 meals either and I love leftovers.

[Kelly]

When my kids were still at home, we made a weekly menu board. We would include a leftover day and an order out day.

If one of us made a big batch of something, we would portion and freeze the leftovers that night (or maybe keep just one portion out).

[Angelica]

Make less food since no one is eating the leftovers. Do your grown daughters buy their own groceries?

If not, it might be time for you to stop making them dinner and let them feed themselves.

[Sueanne]

Maybe prepare basics that can be recombined into a variety of dishes. For example, prepare a protein like shredded chicken, a couple of starches like steamed corn & fresh bread, and several herbs & veggies like lettuce, red bell peppers, sliced onion, cilantro.

One night it’s chicken dinner with corn & bell peppers, next night chicken on salad with onion & pepper, third night southwest chicken soup with buttered toast, fourth night waldorf salad sandwiches.

Largely the same ingredients all easy for the person cooking ti prep ahead of time, but with a plan for 5 different meals in place with different flavor profiles (savory, spicy, sweet) & different modes (soup, salad, sandwich, etc) so that it doesnt get old.

Another thing to do is have a sit down talk with the kids about the food budget & let them take charge of planning the meals for a week & challenge them that any money they can save is theirs to keep, but if they break the budget by Wednesday or whatever, there wont be dinner on Thursday because they’re out of money.

[Danelle]

I personally don’t like leftovers. It’s hard to explain, but reheated leftovers smell and taste different to me, especially reheated meats. I definitely don’t want anything that’s been reheated in the microwave.

I use the oven and stove exclusively for reheating and I find that to be better for maintaining the original taste and texture of foods.

For sure, I’m more likely to eat leftovers if I didn’t just have that meal the day before.

If I can get a day in between with a different meal, I’m more likely to eat leftovers.

[Sharon]

I would have everyone pick an night to cook and that way everyone gets what they want and if they order out then they pay for it all

[Bobbie]

Growing up it was common that there was a “clean out the fridge/leftovers night-supper”.

As others have mentioned, manage to freeze the leftovers right away & make a plan to use that on a not cooking-too busy night.

Alternatively, task the rest of the fam to cook once a week etc or try one of those pre-packaged no leftovers meal companies

[Mary]

I will typically only cook what we’re going to eat. Unless it’s Sunday when I make a whole box of pasta.

I don’t mind throwing some of that out if it isn’t eaten.

[Laura]

I freeze leftovers to be eatten weeks later so we’re not tired of eating the same old thing.

If my kiddos order door dash – they pay for door dash. I don’t pay for food when I’ve cooked for the family.

If DH was stupid enough to do the same, he’d be in charge of dinner for now on.

[Author]

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