Thrifty Ways to Use Leftover Food
Cutting back on expensive items and using coupons are excellent ways to save a few bucks at a departmental store or supermarket. There are many other ways to save money, like using leftover food for a delicious meal the next day. Since leftover food is given another name than just food, it has developed a sense of being not a glamorous meal option. However, using them can greatly reduce your weekly grocery expenses. Also, it is a great way to practise sustainability.
We need not delve deeper into various reasons why one must use leftover food. We are already too smart about it. Therefore, for various reasons that most of us are already aware of – environmental, social, and financial - it’s wise for us to be more mindful about maximizing the use of the food we buy. This includes being smarter about how we handle leftovers.
So, before you ditch your leftover food in the garbage, remember the following thrifty ways to use your leftover food for a delicious meal:
- Change your mindset. Condition your mind to look at leftover foods as ‘ingredients’. If you have leftover mashed potatoes in the fridge, think of them as ingredients. You will immediately plan your meal with a different thought process - what can be made out of mashed potatoes – Potato Pancakes. Add more salt and pepper to the mixture, shape it into patties, then lightly coat them with flour. Pan-fry until golden brown. Serve.
- Struggling to remember to eat leftover food? Start with dedicating a leftover night dinner every week. This will compel you to make dinner out of leftover food every week and also inculcate a habit of learning to cook food with leftovers. Over a period of time, you will master the thrifty ways to cook leftover food.
- The thriftiest way to use leftover food is to create it purposefully. We know it sounds silly. But hear us out. Creating leftover food purposefully is both a time and money saver. Buying groceries in bulk instead of only for a couple-of-time-use saves money. And having prepared some of the meal ingredients in advance saves time. For example, by cooking double the vegetables needed for one meal, you can use the extra in soup, pasta, sandwich, or even biryani later in the week. Leftover turkey or chicken can be easily transformed into sandwiches. If there is rice for dinner, then preparing extra rice allows you to freeze it for use the next day for lunch.
- Portion your next-day lunch out of your dinner the night before. This is in line with the point above. It works so well for singles and busy people. And helps save so much time in a week to run other errands or for self-care. Set aside a good amount of your dinner in a stainless steel casserole and store it in the fridge. Transfer into your tiffin and carry it the next day as your takeaway lunch to the office!
- If you have tried everything and still have some leftovers that cannot be used in a broth, fed to furry animals, or repurposed in the garden can go into compost. Nearly anything that was once alive is compostable. If you live in a small space without a kitchen compost bin, reach out to your neighbours and see if they have one. It’s a great way to connect over shared values and build a community culture, and those with compost will appreciate the extra worm food!
You would have noticed that all these thrifty ways require proper storage and keeping your leftovers as fresh as possible for as long as possible. There are certain guidelines to bear in mind to eliminate the risk of contaminating your leftover food. Foods can quickly spoil in warm conditions. To prevent foodborne illness, refrigerate leftovers within two hours, or sooner if it's hot. Before eating reheated foods, ensure they reach an internal temperature of 165°F. Sauces and gravies should be brought to a rolling boil before serving. The shelf life of leftovers depends on how carefully they're stored and handled. Get yourself well-versed with these guidelines from official government websites.
Here's hoping you will also fall in love with ‘remaking’ your food! Happy Thrifting!