Anonymous
08/24/2025 12:19
Subject: “We don’t do leftovers”
Anonymous wrote:"Microwaved old food from yesterday is better."
Sure it is, dear. lol
Certain foods absolutely are better on the second day due to marinating.
But better on my wallet and reducing waste? Win win for me.
Anonymous
08/24/2025 12:17
Subject: “We don’t do leftovers”
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Do you guys not meal prep? I make my lunches for the week ahead on Sunday. It's way better for your health.
How is that way better? Wouldn’t the relative healthiness of your lunch depend on what you made?
Meal prep isn’t leftovers though.
Because you don't usually have time to cook a new lunch every morning so making stuff like rice and beans or curry for the week is healthier than a microwave meal or eating out (sodium particularly).
Anonymous
08/24/2025 12:15
Subject: “We don’t do leftovers”
You guys must have high standards for your "cooked meals." In all my years of working, including 8 hours at the job and commutes ranging from an hour each way (walking and Metro) to an exhausting 75 minutes each way on 495/270, I never spent more than 20-30 min on dinner.
Anonymous
08/24/2025 12:09
Subject: “We don’t do leftovers”
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Do you guys not meal prep? I make my lunches for the week ahead on Sunday. It's way better for your health.
How is that way better? Wouldn’t the relative healthiness of your lunch depend on what you made?
Meal prep isn’t leftovers though.
How is it any different from leftovers? Seriously. That makes no sense. If you make extra food and then put it in a container-you do the exact same thing for meal prep. There is no difference.
Leftovers are when you make something, or order, serve it, and then put back what doesn’t get eaten and serve it another time.
If I cook something with the intention of using it a different day, that’s different. Tomorrow is the start of school, so I roasted 2 turkey breasts. I sliced them froze most of it in sandwich size portions, and left a couple portions in the fridge for lunches this week.
I also made a bunch of pesto and froze it in the tiny souper cubes. When we have pasta later in the week, I will pull out some pesto make a quick pasta salad and stick it in lunchboxes.
I might also make some soup or pasta sauce and freeze portions. Or two trays of enchiladas, one to cook today and one for the freezer. Or cook a double portion of rice and freeze one so I can make fried rice quickly on a busy day. Or make enough salad dressing to last a week.
None of those are leftovers. That’s meal prep.
If I make too much fried rice, on purpose or by accident and serve it again tomorrow, or put it in lunch boxes. That’s leftovers.
I do both, but they are different things. Generally, in my house leftovers might go in the lunchboxes, or might be something a kid pulls out for snack or second dinner after sports, but the meal that we gather around might have come from the freezer, or have an ingredient I prepped, but it won’t be leftovers from yesterday.
That’s just how we like it. I’m not 70. I’m not wasting food.
These ARE leftovers according to people who think a fresh hot meal every day is the only acceptable option. It’s not just what is scraped off of plates.
Anonymous
08/24/2025 11:54
Subject: “We don’t do leftovers”
Anonymous wrote:Stale coffee from yesterday is good too. Just need to heat it up right. And those half off day old pastries at the bakery are just as good as fresh!
This but unironically.
Anonymous
08/24/2025 11:34
Subject: “We don’t do leftovers”
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Do you guys not meal prep? I make my lunches for the week ahead on Sunday. It's way better for your health.
How is that way better? Wouldn’t the relative healthiness of your lunch depend on what you made?
Meal prep isn’t leftovers though.
How is it any different from leftovers? Seriously. That makes no sense. If you make extra food and then put it in a container-you do the exact same thing for meal prep. There is no difference.
Leftovers are when you make something, or order, serve it, and then put back what doesn’t get eaten and serve it another time.
If I cook something with the intention of using it a different day, that’s different. Tomorrow is the start of school, so I roasted 2 turkey breasts. I sliced them froze most of it in sandwich size portions, and left a couple portions in the fridge for lunches this week.
I also made a bunch of pesto and froze it in the tiny souper cubes. When we have pasta later in the week, I will pull out some pesto make a quick pasta salad and stick it in lunchboxes.
I might also make some soup or pasta sauce and freeze portions. Or two trays of enchiladas, one to cook today and one for the freezer. Or cook a double portion of rice and freeze one so I can make fried rice quickly on a busy day. Or make enough salad dressing to last a week.
None of those are leftovers. That’s meal prep.
If I make too much fried rice, on purpose or by accident and serve it again tomorrow, or put it in lunch boxes. That’s leftovers.
I do both, but they are different things. Generally, in my house leftovers might go in the lunchboxes, or might be something a kid pulls out for snack or second dinner after sports, but the meal that we gather around might have come from the freezer, or have an ingredient I prepped, but it won’t be leftovers from yesterday.
That’s just how we like it. I’m not 70. I’m not wasting food.
Anonymous
08/24/2025 10:50
Subject: “We don’t do leftovers”
Stale coffee from yesterday is good too. Just need to heat it up right. And those half off day old pastries at the bakery are just as good as fresh!
Anonymous
08/24/2025 10:46
Subject: Re:“We don’t do leftovers”
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Y’all be crazy. If you think I’m not eating the extra Peter Luger steak from last night because it’s (horrors) “leftovers,” you must think pigs have wings.
What is this "extra" steak you speak of?
My family will eat all the steak at the restaurant.
We don't do a ton of leftovers, we just plan well. But if there is leftover meat, then of course we will keep it and repurpose it. But generally, at restaurants we order a quantity we finish.
How do you gauge the portion size when ordering? And don't you ever get full quicker then you might on another night?
Dp
Agree what pp said about observing food brought to tables to gauge portion sizes.
When in doubt, my spouse and I order half what we think we’ll both eat, with the caveat “we can always order more”. We never order more and always leave with nothing.
How do you order half what you’ll eat? Most restaurant portions are way too big. Do you order only one entree? We order two, knowing we will bring some home.
This widely varies by restaurant.
If the portions are large, we split the entree and pad the check with wine.
We do bring home food if we are eating an early dinner and know we will be hungry later, maybe it was a heavy gym day. These are gray area leftovers.
LOL @ "gray areas of leftovers". Your life must be really lame.
Anonymous
08/24/2025 10:41
Subject: “We don’t do leftovers”
This thread is leftovers from 2018
Anonymous
08/24/2025 10:36
Subject: Re:“We don’t do leftovers”
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Y’all be crazy. If you think I’m not eating the extra Peter Luger steak from last night because it’s (horrors) “leftovers,” you must think pigs have wings.
What is this "extra" steak you speak of?
My family will eat all the steak at the restaurant.
We don't do a ton of leftovers, we just plan well. But if there is leftover meat, then of course we will keep it and repurpose it. But generally, at restaurants we order a quantity we finish.
How do you gauge the portion size when ordering? And don't you ever get full quicker then you might on another night?
Dp
Agree what pp said about observing food brought to tables to gauge portion sizes.
When in doubt, my spouse and I order half what we think we’ll both eat, with the caveat “we can always order more”. We never order more and always leave with nothing.
How do you order half what you’ll eat? Most restaurant portions are way too big. Do you order only one entree? We order two, knowing we will bring some home.
This widely varies by restaurant.
If the portions are large, we split the entree and pad the check with wine.
We do bring home food if we are eating an early dinner and know we will be hungry later, maybe it was a heavy gym day. These are gray area leftovers.
I wouldn't feel right about splitting the entree at a restaurant. This is a little ridiculous.
Seriously. That is embarrassing. Do you and your husband have an eating disorder? Restaurant portions are large-sure but at nicer restaurants they actually aren’t that big. And if you are gonna do this just don’t go out.
Anonymous
08/24/2025 10:35
Subject: “We don’t do leftovers”
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Do you guys not meal prep? I make my lunches for the week ahead on Sunday. It's way better for your health.
How is that way better? Wouldn’t the relative healthiness of your lunch depend on what you made?
Meal prep isn’t leftovers though.
How is it any different from leftovers? Seriously. That makes no sense. If you make extra food and then put it in a container-you do the exact same thing for meal prep. There is no difference.
Anonymous
08/24/2025 10:27
Subject: Re:“We don’t do leftovers”
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Y’all be crazy. If you think I’m not eating the extra Peter Luger steak from last night because it’s (horrors) “leftovers,” you must think pigs have wings.
What is this "extra" steak you speak of?
My family will eat all the steak at the restaurant.
We don't do a ton of leftovers, we just plan well. But if there is leftover meat, then of course we will keep it and repurpose it. But generally, at restaurants we order a quantity we finish.
How do you gauge the portion size when ordering? And don't you ever get full quicker then you might on another night?
Dp
Agree what pp said about observing food brought to tables to gauge portion sizes.
When in doubt, my spouse and I order half what we think we’ll both eat, with the caveat “we can always order more”. We never order more and always leave with nothing.
How do you order half what you’ll eat? Most restaurant portions are way too big. Do you order only one entree? We order two, knowing we will bring some home.
This widely varies by restaurant.
If the portions are large, we split the entree and pad the check with wine.
We do bring home food if we are eating an early dinner and know we will be hungry later, maybe it was a heavy gym day. These are gray area leftovers.
I wouldn't feel right about splitting the entree at a restaurant. This is a little ridiculous.
Anonymous
08/24/2025 10:22
Subject: “We don’t do leftovers”
"Microwaved old food from yesterday is better."
Sure it is, dear. lol
Sure it is, dear. lol
Anonymous
08/24/2025 10:12
Subject: “We don’t do leftovers”
Anonymous wrote:I guess some people has tons of time to be able to cook fresh every night. Work full time with a commute and try to exercise daily. Leftover days are so much easier for me. I actually get some down time. Maybe I am low brow but using Sundays grilled chicken in burritos on Tuesday or my lunch salad taste just fine to me.
Your situation is understandable.
The real pushback here - as I see it - is against those who say leftovers actually taste “better” than fresh. They prefer leftovers to fresh. They if given the choice would rather eat the pasta dish prepared yesterday than the one just out of the oven.
l'ardente 40 layer lasagna might be “fine” the next day. It’s “better” when they serve it. It is simply “better” when it is served. This goes for most but not all meals.
Anonymous
08/24/2025 10:02
Subject: Re:“We don’t do leftovers”
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Y’all be crazy. If you think I’m not eating the extra Peter Luger steak from last night because it’s (horrors) “leftovers,” you must think pigs have wings.
What is this "extra" steak you speak of?
My family will eat all the steak at the restaurant.
We don't do a ton of leftovers, we just plan well. But if there is leftover meat, then of course we will keep it and repurpose it. But generally, at restaurants we order a quantity we finish.
How do you gauge the portion size when ordering? And don't you ever get full quicker then you might on another night?
Dp
Agree what pp said about observing food brought to tables to gauge portion sizes.
When in doubt, my spouse and I order half what we think we’ll both eat, with the caveat “we can always order more”. We never order more and always leave with nothing.
How do you order half what you’ll eat? Most restaurant portions are way too big. Do you order only one entree? We order two, knowing we will bring some home.
This widely varies by restaurant.
If the portions are large, we split the entree and pad the check with wine.
We do bring home food if we are eating an early dinner and know we will be hungry later, maybe it was a heavy gym day. These are gray area leftovers.