i cook for myself (f30) and partner (m40). more often than not, i cook too much & we cannot finish. it is mainly my fault because cooking calms me and relaxes me so i do it sometimes when its unnecessary. the other issue is i an a picky eater so sometimes i am not in the mood to eating what i made yesterday so i make something new while knowing i have leftovers.
he is not so picky but i make too much. another reason i make larger servings is because i dont want the fresh veg to go bad so i quickly cook it up in meals to prevent that.
does anyone have any tip? freezing is something i considered but my freezer is full. still, if anyone has suggestions, including freezer suggestions, id appreciate it!
i am quite frugal but i have a guilty secret! i end up with too much leftovers and have to throw it away. anyone have tips!
byu/Alone_watching inFrugal
Posted by Alone_watching
14 Comments
Eat out your freezer for a while and then freeze leftovers in the future
Souper cubes because they create stackable bricks of frozen leftovers which are easier to keep neat.
We eat leftovers for lunch, and about once a week we have leftovers for dinner.
Buy smaller quantities of veg, then you won’t have to worry about wasting it.
Re: “cooking calms me and relaxes me so i do it sometimes when its unnecessary.”
Can you research deliberately high-labor recipes? Ones that take a lot of time to make a small volume of food? For example, homemade ravioli would, it seems to me, take a lot of time.
Re: “so sometimes i am not in the mood to eating what i made yesterday so i make something new while knowing i have leftovers.
Can you instead thaw something that’s in the full freezer?
Re: “another reason i make larger servings is because i dont want the fresh veg to go bad so i quickly cook it up in meals to prevent that.”
But surely you could avoid this by buying fewer vegetables?
Sometimes you just have to stop cooking and eat leftovers for a while. That’s the state I’m in – no new food goes in the fridge until I’m done turning Christmas leftovers into freezer meals. Look for non-cooking activities you enjoy to pass the time e.g. time in nature, time with friends, volunteering
Find a friend or neighbor that would like your leftovers. It won’t save you money, but at least you won’t be wasting the food. And then you will build goodwill when you need a favor.
We have a 7 cf chest freezer in the kitchen for convenience of commonly used items and pre-packed frozen portions. The big freezer in the full finished basement is for bulk and seldom used. I don’t need 12 bags of various flours or a dozen chicken packs upstairs. The freezer in the side by side is for breakfast items and frozen fruits.
If I liked a dish on Monday, it will usually be the same taste on Tuesday and Wednesday. If that doesn’t work for you, a chest freezer is a good option. You can freeze ingredients, too, without cooking. Leftovers are a yummy part of bulk cooking. Two people just aren’t going to eat a whole head of cabbage in one meal. Two servings to the fridge for the next day, the rest frozen in two ounce portions.
Maybe not the most frugal of options initially but it has saved me so much over the years – buy yourself a second freezer. Really handy for buying things in bulk, as well as storing leftovers and meal prep.
This only saves you money if you actually use what’s in your freezer and doesn’t just become a cemetery of forgotten foods 😂
I take leftovers to an elderly neighbor who loves that I do
Reheat, repurpose, regift!
Freeze! You can freeze meals and ingredients. I freeze vegetables prepped, herbs, tomato paste, bread, butter, wine, raw chicken, rice, meatballs, tomato sauce,… Everything. Souper cubes like others mentioned can help.
reduce your grocery shopping
When i got my first motorhome i opted for a chilly box instead of a fridge. Before i left home i added frozen and chilled things to the chilly bin.
To keep things cold, i could take things out but could not add in anything that was not already cold or frozen. This meant no keeping if leftovers.
Cooking without leftovers was a real challenge. Requires paying close attention to how much you cook in the first place snd how hungry you are. Take notes.Experiment. Learn.
There are two approaches to having leftovers.
1) Keep part of the meal something that diesnt look or act like a leftover if you dont eat it. Like an apple. Or crackers.
2) Plan a role for leftovers.
Choose recipes that deliver a meal tonight and lunch tomorrow.
Or choose freezable recipes and cook enough for a second meal for later in the week. Dish up just enough for meal one. Maybe there is enough left fir both meal 2 and a lunch. Or maybe meal 2 is short so add extra vege at meal 2 time.
Souper cubes or the Costco dupes, freeze and vacuum seal. Use them for lunches and dinners when you don’t feel like cooking.
Buy less and cook smaller amounts, obviously. And go through your freezer for at least one meal per day until you start making room.