You know, we typically don't eat a ton of leftovers, but like PP, I cook the amount we eat that day. I grew up eating that way.

I didn't grow up poor. I grew up well off. I even have a housekeeper that does meal prep for us each night and we incorporate leftovers into our meals.

1. Some food tastes better the next day.
2. Some food we make is delicious and I want it again, so I request that the meal is doubled in order to have leftovers.
3. I hate waste.
4. Out housekeeper does bulk meal more for some items, so thr intention is to essentially eat leftovers. Especially if it's a cold (non lettuce) salad, such as Asian slaw.

People who "don't eat leftovers" 1) waste time and 2) waste money and 3 are crap cooks.

Sunday -roast 1-2 chickens. Mashed potatoes. Veggies. Nice Sunday dinner. That night I store the "gross leftiovers" and cut off all the extra meat as well then toss the carcasses into a crockpot to simmer overnight.

Purposefully made lots more food on Sunday than needed, because:

Monday: hot open faced chicken sandwiches, mashed potatoes, different veggie, salad

Tuesday: chicken pot pie, using up the leftover veggies, adding additional frozen ones as needed

Wednesday: chicken salad and homemade soup (from the stock I made on Sunday)

I get three more days of meals with minimal additional cooking, little to no waste, and nothing feels like "gross leftovers." Though if anyone turns up their noses at it they are welcome to a pb&j. That they fix themselves.

DH does most of the cooking. He says he eats left overs, but usually he doesn't . He tends to cook too much at a time. I throw out a lot of food, always leVing some hot him in the fridge, for the odd day he goes looking for the leftovers. Hate the waste.

My DH is a pretty picky eater and won't eat leftovers, for the most part. When he does eat leftovers, it's cause for comment on how awesome the original dish was. I don't make him do all the cooking because then we'd all be eating pizza or takeout every night or something equally unhealthy. I don't want my kids eating crap food just because I was trying to prove a point to my DH.

But our leftovers don't go to waste anyway because I eat them in lunches.

I love leftovers, and I especially love that they mean not cooking another meal. I like leftover seafood, and I love ordering gigantic plates at a restaurant, because that's an extra meal or 3 for me. DH isn't so big on leftovers though - it's annoying because he'll cook himself a gigantic amount of something gross that no one else will eat, and then it will sit and sit and sit until I dump it.

Anonymous wrote:Ha! Ya'll "no leftover" people are crazy. Did you know that some foods actually taste better after a day or two, after the flavors have had a chance to combine? For example gumbo, collard greens (yum, just made a big batch and have been eating them for the last several days), stews, soups, and the list goes on!

I agree. Lasagna is so good the next day. And, the next.
Also, soup - do "no left over people" not eat soup the next day? So, they make a pot and consume it all the first day?
Sorry, that is too much work. A pot of soup lasts for several days/meals at our house. And, it gets better with each serving.

Do you ever eat in restaurants or order carry out? Most of that is cooked the day before, or the day before that

Ha! Ya'll "no leftover" people are crazy. Did you know that some foods actually taste better after a day or two, after the flavors have had a chance to combine? For example gumbo, collard greens (yum, just made a big batch and have been eating them for the last several days), stews, soups, and the list goes on!

I don't really think they taste much different if reheated correctly and not overdone to start with.

Oh yes I hate wasting food and don't. I try and cook exactly the right amount. If I cook too much we all eat a bit more and if I cook too little we eat just a little less. Wasting food is something I try and minimise. If there's loads left over we do save it in the fridge and eat it the next day. I'm not fanatical about not eating leftovers it's just something I try to avoid.

Anonymous wrote:People are spoiled. If you grew up poor, you don't hate leftovers.

This. It becomes ingrained when hating leftovers is not an option.

Anonymous wrote:I don't get it. Why can't I complain about severe storms? I think we can all agree that fresh cooked food is better and what I like to eat and feed my family.

Do you need it spelled out? She was trying to point out that you are being very wasteful if you are throwing out perfectly fine food every night. Each morsel of meat, grain, fruit, or vegetable you cook took considerable natural resources to grow, process, and transport to your house and an overuse of those resources is the cause of much of the environmental crisis facing the world today and is at the root of economic and political conflicts all over the developing world. Just because you personally benefit from something doesn't mean you should always do it.

I don't get it. Why can't I complain about severe storms? I think we can all agree that fresh cooked food is better and what I like to eat and feed my family.

Anonymous wrote:I'm a DW and I cook a fresh meal for all meals or we eat out. Mostly simple stuff on weeknights though I do like cooking elaborate meals at the weekends. Leftovers are gross

Unless you are growing your own organic food, I hope you never utter a word about severe storms, extended heat waves or huge amounts of snow.

You are the problem that your children and their children will have to deal with.