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What to Do with Leftover Food.

by Stephanie

What to Do with Leftover Food.

Today I’m talking about leftover food and what to do with it.

Many people don’t like leftover food to which I reply why ever not?

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know that I love leftovers.

Sometimes I forget I have leftovers from dinner the night before and when I look in the fridge to get something to eat for lunch I’m so excited to see that food is already made for me.

I didn’t have to cook! Thank you Stephanie from the Past for making enough food for yourself to eat today.

The benefits of leftovers.

Let’s take a look at the other benefits of leftovers:

  • You save lots of money because you won’t have to buy lunch.
  • You can eat leftovers for dinner the next night which means you don’t have to cook — yahoo!
  • You won’t waste the perfectly good food that you have in the fridge.
  • You’ll be eating home-cooked, real food and not a burger and fries from that weird corner burger joint that hasn’t changed its gross cooking oil in a year (it happens more than you might think).
  • You don’t have to leave the office in -100 degree weather to get lunch.

What to do with leftovers.

I know many people don’t like leftovers because they don’t like eating the same thing more than once.

But I encourage you to put on your creativity hat and make leftovers fun.

The first thing to consider is how long leftovers last in the fridge.

It depends on the food:

  • Chicken: about 4 days max
  • Grains like quinoa, rice, and oats: 6 days max (it will start to get a bit slimy after that)
  • Beans and lentils: 3-5 days
  • Pasta: 3-4 days
  • Veggies: 2-3 days (again it depends on the veg)

One thing to note is that you can freeze a lot of food. Some of the textures of the vegetables might change, but if you feel that you have a significant amount of food that you know you’re not going to eat right away, then freeze it for another time. 

Eat leftovers for lunch.

Going out for lunch is fun; don’t get me wrong. but it can be expensive and you don’t always know the quality of the ingredients in your meal.

When you bring leftovers to work for lunch, you’re eating real food that you made with your own hands (or your partner’s hands).

It will (hopefully) be made with whole foods that are full of nutrients, and you’ll have a better chance of feeling great, not bloated, and tired when you get back to work.

Personally, I like to make one or two extra servings of dinner each night so I can eat the same thing the next day for lunch. The ideal situation is that I can put the leftovers in a glass container that holds the perfect amount for lunch. Just heat and serve.

Make Tacos.

Tacos are the perfect way to use up leftover food.

If you’re anything like me, you save the smallest amounts of random food to use for later because you don’t want to waste it. Put that random bit of food in a taco shell with leftover chicken and/or lentils, along with some greens and salsa and you’ll have a yummy dinner or lunch.

Combine leftovers together.

Yesterday I had lunch full of random little bits: I had leftover tomato lentil soup, a bit of leftover penne, and some crushed tomatoes that were leftover from making the lentil soup. I put them together in a pot, added some frozen spinach and I had a warm and cozy lunch!

If you have leftover chicken, but nothing else, slice it, add some greens and other veggies and have a chicken salad.

If you have leftover rice or quinoa, you can freeze it to use another time or add it to your tacos. Fry it up with some green onions and other veggies for a pilaf or fried rice dish or warm it up and throw a couple of eggs on it.

Eat leftovers for breakfast.

Truthfully breakfast is my favourite time to eat leftovers.

I’ll eat most dinner leftovers for breakfast and throw a couple of eggs on it.

The other week I had leftover butternut squash curry and quinoa for breakfast with a couple of fried eggs on top. So delicious and filling for the whole morning!

I love savoury things for breakfast, though–you might be into something a bit sweeter.

My whole point is to try to be creative with leftover food so that you don’t have to throw it away. You don’t have to have the exact same thing the next day.

Separate the leftovers so you can eat them with something else later in the week.

Give leftovers a chance!

Photo by Edgar Castrejon


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Filed Under: Lifestyle

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Follow me on Instagram • @lealoulemonade

So many people say that groceries are expensive. ⁠
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Ok yes, right now they're a bit over the top. ⁠
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But many times the expense can come from not using up what you have in the cupboards and fridge.⁠
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My tip today is to use up the food you have *before* you make a brand new list for the week.⁠
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Go through your fridge - what do you need to eat up? ⁠
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The sub-tip to this is that you don't have to have a recipe for everything. Many foods might seem random, but they go well together on the plate.⁠
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Are there a bunch of random veggies you can roast together to eat with a protein or put into a salad or soup?⁠
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Do you have cans of beans or salmon in the cupboard you could eat up? ⁠
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Always check what you have and then make a list and head to the store to buy food to fill in the gaps.⁠
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If you really need help DM me to see how we can work together.
Meal prepping can be fun I promise! Especially whe Meal prepping can be fun I promise! Especially when you’re prepping fun and delicious food.

1. Oats don’t have to be boring! Use whole oats and top them with prepped seasonal fruits. Figs are AMAZING on oats, btw! 

2. Hearty greens like romaine lettuce and kale can be prepped into a salad that will last about 3 days in the fridge. Only add tomatoes if they’re whole so they don’t get mushy. Homemade salad dressing is your friend! Make a big batch and it will last at least 2 weeks in the fridge.

3. Yogurt parfaits are delish, can be made in advance, and taste amazing with regular greek yogurt or coconut yogurt. Raspberries at the bottom turn into scrumptious jam as it sits overnight and nuts and seeds add a necessary crunch! They’ll last about 3-4 days in the fridge.

4. If you’re feeling peckish prepping a hearty snack will help you get to the next meal without a crash. Pumpkin bites with sesame are delish and satisfying! They’ll last about 4 days in the fridge or you can freeze them for a month.

5. Lastly veggies and dip! Prepping veggies to snack on with a hearty dip will help to keep you satisfied all day. Prep once, and eat all week!

If you’re looking for meal plan and prep help I’m accepting new clients at One Heath Services. We’ll work together to set up a plan that’s just for you so every week can be a breeze when it comes to meals. DM me for more info.
***EDIT: These are RAMPS! Oops. But you can still ***EDIT: These are RAMPS! Oops. But you can still read about all the benefits of garlic and green garlic below. Also, you can use ramps in the recipe I gave you!***

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This week I got my first batch of green garlic in the veggie box!⁠
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Green garlic, or spring garlic, is a younger version of the garlic we know well and use in our cooking. It’s milder and can be used in many recipes. You can eat the white and green parts.⁠
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It has a white base like a green onion although it’s a bit bigger and its green stems are more flat than rounded. ⁠
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The younger version of this garlic has the same amazing health benefits as its older version making it an excellent addition to your recipes.⁠
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Not to mention it’s local and can basically be grown anywhere which is fantastic news for our environment.⁠
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Health Benefits of Garlic:⁠
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⚡️Helps to reduce cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure⁠
Garlic’s sulfur-containing compounds can be beneficial to the upper digestive tract.⁠
⚡️We need to eat garlic in our meals at least 2-3 times a week in order to see these health benefits.⁠
⚡️Use it raw and cooked. Raw garlic retains its health benefits more so than when it is cooked.⁠
⚡️Dried garlic doesn’t have the same effect as raw or cooked. Tastes good though!⁠
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⚡️A Quick Recipe: Quinoa (or rice or millet) with Green Garlic⚡️⁠
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Slice the ends off of the green garlic and thinly slice the entire vegetable including the green parts.⁠
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Put a tablespoon of olive oil into a pan and sauté the green garlic for 1-2 minutes. Add quinoa (about 1-2 cups) and stir. Add a bit of salt and pepper and voila! You have a flavourful side dish. ⁠
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#recipe #springrecipes #simplerecipes
My brother-in-law Steve spent a large portion of o My brother-in-law Steve spent a large portion of our Christmas dinner sharpening my knives. I was so grateful, but also hesitant that I would cut myself.⁠
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When I started cooking with my newly-sharpened knives, I was in awe.⁠
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Sharp knives make all the difference when it comes to enjoying cooking. It's also safer if you can believe it.⁠
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With a sharp knife, you're less likely to push down harder on the knife trying to get it through an onion, for example.⁠
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It just slices through with little pressure. ⁠
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Dull knives leave room for error and slicing fingers (listen, I've cut a few fingers over the years...).⁠
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If you're having trouble enjoying cooking at home, I encourage you to either get a new knife (it doesn't have to be expensive), or get someone to sharpen your knives for you (call a Steve in your area!).⁠
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Take care of them with a little holder and treat them kindly. Having a sharp knife will bring you one step closer to love cooking at home.⁠
⁠
xo⁠
Steph⁠
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#kitchenskills #cookingtips #easycooking #enjoycooking #inthekitchen

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About Stephanie

Photo of a white woman with brown hair

Hey! I'm Stephanie. I'm a Writer, Culinary Nutrition Expert and Cooking Instructor helping families cook nourishing meals. Read more about me {here}.

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