Do you eat leftovers?
By CherBear04
@CherBear04 (483)
United States
March 10, 2008 1:22pm CST
My husband and I were discussing our families and how they were growing up. I never ate leftovers, my mom would save the items but no one would ever touch them. The only thing that was ever eatten that was left over was lasagna - which always tastes better the second day. We also never ate expired food - even if it had only been expired for one day. It was looked at as disgusting, not fresh, and un-edible. We also never took home left-overs from the restaurants we ate at, as we knew we wouldn't eat them the next day.
My husband however grew up in a family where they ate leftovers all the time, nothing went to waste and they would buy the stuff that was on sale because it was going to expire that day or the day after. They always saved their leftovers from restaurants.
I remember the first time I went to his parents house and stayed the night we went out to eat and the waitress asked if I needed a box and I said no, and they all just stared at me as if I was insane and told her to bring me a box anyways. The next day they all pulled out their restaurant leftovers and made new meals with it and I remember sitting there thinking "this is disgusting, why would you eat soggy left over food from a restuarant, I mean i can understand home cooked meals,, but restaurant food??!?!" I ate it out of politeness but it wasn't enjoyable for me.
Then he came to my parents house and stayed and he thought we were crazy for not saving our meals, he told them to save it and ate the leftovers the next day much to my family's surprise.
Now that we've been married we've sort of come to a compromise when it comes to left-overs and food. Well it's more of me that has learned; I'll eat leftovers for up to a week as long as it's not restaurant left-overs, those are only good til the next day for me.
What about you? Do you eat your leftovers?
4 people like this
23 responses
@CherBear04 (483)
• United States
10 Mar 08
We've learned to not make as much food so that we don't have as many left overs. It saves time and energy anyways! We realized that we don't need huge portion sizes, especially since we're trying to lose weight! So it's all worked out, I just think left over restaurant food is ickkyyy.
1 person likes this
@rockvixen (894)
• United States
10 Mar 08
We both came from a family who did eat leftovers and since it's been that way forever, I find nothing wrong with it. Now restraunt food however, is where we draw the line. That is the only place we don't keep the food from. Otherwise it's just food that is cooked or made at home. But again I agree on keeping restaunt food as leftovers, it's gross.
1 person likes this
@CherBear04 (483)
• United States
10 Mar 08
I don't mind leftovers anymore, it just took a while to get used to! I generally don't care for leftover food, especially if it's the one time we eat fast food (we usually don't), it's just disgusting to have McDonalds reheated ew.
1 person likes this
@Lindalinda (4111)
• Canada
11 Mar 08
I grew up in a family where food was valued and nothing was wasted. I kept the same habit with my own family but the leftovers are reborn the very next day in the form of a new dish or frozen to make soup stock. For instance I find corn on the cob always produces leftovers. I strip the kernels off the cob and the next day I make shepherd's pie which calls for Kernel corn. If a spoonful of green beans or peas is leftover I freeze it and use it next time I make vegetable stock. Noodles, I cook a few more the next day and serve it with a fresh sauce. If beans or broccoli is left over I make a minestrone soup. Potatoes I slice up thinly and make a frittata with eggs, onions and red peppers. Baked potatoes I scoop out and mix the scooped out potatoes with sour cream and cheese, fill them up and bake them again until bubbly . Roasted meats I dice and make a stew. Leftover chicken I make into a chicken pot pie. I am not too keen to take home restaurant leftovers, except for the meat. I find all the veggies in particular in Chinese food don't lend themselves to make a tasty meal the next day and I don't like them just re-heated. I also like to use or process any leftovers the very next day.
1 person likes this
@moneyandgc (3428)
• United States
11 Mar 08
Both my family and my husband's family eat leftovers. We were brought up not to waste food.
My husband is better at eating leftovers than I am. Not because I think it is gross, but because eating the same thing two days in a row doesn't usually sound good to me. There are exceptions of course. There are some foods I could eat more than two days in a row!
As for restaurant food. We almost always bring it home but it only gets eaten like 15% of the time. When I get chinese food delivered I can never eat it all, I will sometimes eat it for lunch the next day.
Expired foods; we don't eat them.
@Ldyjarhead (10233)
• United States
11 Mar 08
I definitely eat leftovers at my house, and if there's something from a restaurant meal worth taking home, I sure will.
I don't like to waste food unnecessarily. Even if I weren't on a fixed income, waste is just that, waste.
I don't often get to have leftovers from what I cook, though. My husband will usually raid the refrigerator for lunch and will eat what we had for dinner the night before.
1 person likes this
@skyessoycandles (35)
• United States
11 Mar 08
When I was growing up. I wouldn't really eat much leftovers. Unless, it was chili or italian food.
Now since I have been living out on my own.I have noticed I eat more of it. My husband like to grill out on Sunday. So we make enough to eat on all week long.
Then when I order Chinse food we normally have leftover because I cannot eat it all in one setting.
I would have to draw the line. I don't bring home food from Burger King or places like that because the food taste nasty heated back up.
1 person likes this
@sudiptacallingu (10879)
• India
11 Mar 08
Yes, we eat leftover but usually these are not given to the children. My mom used to eat them but never gave them to me. Similarly now, both hubby and me have them but we try not to give them to our son. Another thing is that sometime I cook extra for two days at one go. With the freezer on, the food doesn’t spoil and it saves me time, energy and precious fuel. Would you call these leftovers too? And then sometimes we bring food from the take-aways. Like if we are out shopping and too tired to eat, we bring food, freshen up and then eat at home comfortably. We cant consume all the food and the leftovers go to the freezer for next day consumption. We do it regularly. Not finding this disgusting, are you?
1 person likes this
@idaantipolo (472)
• Philippines
11 Mar 08
Yes, I do eat left overs just as long they still are clean and can still be eaten. I usually recycle them like for ham, I slice them to small pieces and add them to my pancakes.
@kblakley (247)
• Loveland, Ohio
11 Mar 08
My family eats leftovers.......at least most of the time. It kind of depends on what it is, but I've learned to make a different meal with the leftovers. Sometimes I'll make a stir-fry with left over meat and veggies. My husband likes gumbo soup, which to him is all leftovers thrown together and made into a soup. Now I make this for him, but I'm picky about what leftovers I actually put in together, some things you just can't mix. But believe it or not it doesn't taste all that bad.
The only way I can eat leftover meat is if I mix in with something, I just don't like the taste of leftover meat unless its chicken.
1 person likes this
@heart143 (1202)
• Philippines
11 Mar 08
Yes, I do. It has been a practice in my family to eat left overs as long as it still looks good and edible. My husband doesn't eat left overs before, but now he does. He was so amazed at how I turn left overs to new dishes. He even complimented me by saying "I'm a very wise wife!
@x7heavens (365)
• Singapore
11 Mar 08
My parents and inlaws do eat leftover food they cook the day before. I dont know why but I guess it is in their upbringing, living in times where they have to be frugal. I beg to differ though. My husband has since changed his habit of eating leftover food since he married me. Even though we have to save wherever we can, but I find saving food is unacceptable. What if we get diarrhoea or poisoning? That would be unthinkable. It is just not worth the risk. I am really sorry for saying all these but I have to think the best for my children.
@candyandhoney (146)
• China
11 Mar 08
It depends.As for dumpling, the chinese traditional food, I don't like the taste when cooked again. The dumplings must be eatten as soon as they are cooked. As another point of view, the microwave is not safe anymore. So though I amnot opposed to eat leftovers, the method to heat is important, otherwise the nutrition will be lost.
@HanisakSports (2)
• United States
11 Mar 08
I always eat leftovers. When we were kids there was not much money so there was no waisting. Now, at 30 yrs old, I typically make a little extra at dinner so that I can eat a good meal for lunch the next day. We typically don't have time to cook something like chicken and roccoli for lunch so this saves time and gives me a healthy meal.
1 person likes this
@Celanith (2327)
• United States
11 Mar 08
Oh yes we eat left overs have since I was a kid and my kids did it too. Now my grandkids do it. After a couple days what I do is see what there is and often make a stew or soup using left over meat or chicken. Veggies etc. Or make a cassarole out of say spagetti with adding mushroom or cheese soup and top with cheese.
There are all kinds of ways to be creative with left overs. Sometimes we just take them out though and heat them up like left overs from Thanksgiving dinner or a birthday party.
It stretchs the budget a lot. We cannot afford to waste or throw out food. As to resturant meals we rarely have left overs from there.
@ethanmama (1745)
• Philippines
11 Mar 08
I was brought up not to waste any food unless it was already spoiling. We do eat leftovers, if there are any. If I were the one doing the cooking, I would try to cook just enough so there won't be leftovers but sometimes things don't always go as planned -- for example, somebody decides to have dinner elsewhere. I'd still save the food and probably serve it the next day -- saves me hassle of cooking one item. Of course, it depends on what the food is.
As for restaurant food, I see we're from different parts of the world and we're probably talking about different food, but some food are still very good even when reheated. Like lechon (whole roasted pork) here in the Philippines -- it's a celebration food and there are often leftovers because it's so big! It usually gets reincarnated as paksiw na lechon -- now cooked in its dipping sauce with addition of peppercorn and vinegar. Yum! Adobo (a type of stewed pork cooked in vinegar, soy sauce, peppercorns and garlic) can be reheated on its own (sometimes it tastes even better that way!) or flaked and fried as breakfast food. Oh, and leftover plain boiled rice can be converted into Yang Chow fried rice.
Of course, not all kinds of food are good when reheated, though.
@ravinskye (8237)
• United States
10 Mar 08
We eat leftovers. Mostly me I guess. I usually eat leftovers for lunch while my husband is at work. I'll give it to the kids too if its something they liked. I think my husbands family ate leftovers too because its never been an issue for us. Somethings just don't taste the same left over though.
1 person likes this
@marie_love (29)
• Philippines
11 Mar 08
When I was in college and broke,my friends and I would go to the mall foodcourt,we would buy some food, just enough that our money can pay, and we look for tables with leftovers or tables with dating couples dining, dating couples always eat less and always have leftovers,so we would get food on their table after they leave, and act as if nothing happened
1 person likes this
@sunkissed (4330)
• United States
11 Mar 08
Yes, I do eat left overs. I have no problem with it at all. I have been eating them all my life. I hate to waste any food. Sometimes I will fix it a differant way, but nothing goes to waste at my house.
1 person likes this
@steffyhoney (706)
• United States
11 Mar 08
I eat a lot of leftovers. Usually my daughters father eats anything and he usually eats the leftovers when I make something else. It depends what it is though. Some things I wont eat again the next day. Like french fries, yuck. I dont see anything wrong with eating leftovers. As long as its still good and not old.
1 person likes this
