It seems I am the only person in my home that will eat leftovers. Would you throw cold hard cash in the garbage pail or down the garbage disposal? Of course not, but allowing leftovers to go uneaten or allowing dairy products and produce to go bad is the equivalent of throwing money away. To demonstrate this, try this experiment for one week:
Each time you throw a meal size serving into the garbage, set aside $2 (the approximate cost of a Lean Cuisine meal). In the same fashion, set aside the equivalent cash for each container of milk, sour cream, half consumed bottles of pop, half eaten pop tarts, bags of chips and stale or moldy sandwich bread you dispose of. You will be appalled at the amount of money you are throwing away! I guarantee if you do this for several weeks you will reduce your grocery bills.
Plan on having a leftover meal a week to use up those leftovers or freeze and take in your lunch instead of purchasing a frozen meal. Do not purchase perishable items unless you have a plan to use them before they expire. As potatoes or onions near their shelf life, cut and freeze for hash browns or to use in casseroles in the future. Place a large container in the freezer and place tablespoons of vegetables or roast beef into it.
By Diana from Prospect, KY
This page contains the following solutions.
To reduce the amount of food waste in my refrigerator, I keep a running list on my fridge door. I use a pad of paper with a magnet on the back, place it on my refrigerator, and list foods that needs to be used up, such as leftovers and "odd" items.
My husband and I are trying to eat less, but do not want to feel deprived. When I cook chicken or turkey breasts, I use a long knife and slice horizonally through the meat to make three thin slices of each breast.
Put a list of the item that need to be used soonest in your favorite internet search engine, followed by the word recipe. You will find a recipe for your items or an inspiration to create one.
