do you throw away much food?

[mikesaver]

We've gotten a lot better at this but there's still room for improvement. We've always done the leftover thing but sometimes things get lost in the back of the fridge and we forget they are there. And since we have a newborn and my father in law has some health issues, there's a lot of night's that don't go according to plan.

[rob62521]

Thanksgiving is coming...perfect time to practice not throwing out food and making stuff with leftovers! Anyone want to share leftover ideas? I know I'm making a turkey and stuffing casserole with leftover stuff.

[Donna73]

I waste wayyyyyy too much, mainly cooked meats if DH opens a pack an does'nt put it in a ziploc bag, it goes dry. Bread i always freeze and take out what i need, fresh veg gets wasted if i shop on a thursday cos we tend to have take-out at the weekends!!

[whaddadeal]

It is tough to throw out food. Produce peelings, egg shells, moldy bread, bones, and more all get mixed into the compost heap. Left-overs are frozen/stored for later. Meat/fat scraps and rendered fat get frozen and fed to the birds and other critters visiting my yard.

I try and give away processed foods that won't be used before the expiration dates - that's one I need to do better.

[Saving_spree]

I don't have to deal with this problem.As I estimate & cook

[anewday44]

It happens but not often as a shop once per week

[MoneyBagz]

I NEVER just throw away a good piece of food. If there is a piece of chicken that is still eadible, either I'd eat it or I would give it to my dog or something. I don't ever just throw it away and waste it.

[Mike75]

Yes we do

This is a problem in my home too. Kids waste too much food. But we are now teaching them to take small servings which they can finish easily.

[snafu]

Menu planning has been our most effective tool to use food effectively. Green leafy vegetables add a lot to Vietnamese style of cooking even though they have become limp. Asparagus is easily blanched and frozen for soup.
I keep a zip bag in the fridge freezer for a few tablespoons of leftover veggies which over a week will become sufficient for casserole, or pasta or rice, or to add to soup or stew.

This year I plan to make my own dog food as I dislike the filler used in commercial products.

[Slandgie]

OMG, this is one area we definitely need to work on LOL We probably throw out about 20%. Most of it is refrigerator stuff, ie produce and some meats...that's like taking $20 and burning it! ARRGGHHH!!!

[joanlovescats]

frugal ideas

I love all these ideas!!!! I feel like I am already saving money and haven't even done any of these yet! Thanks for the great tips. I think that as a family we do a good job eating what I buy and using it up before I buy more.

[gambler2075]

I used to throw out lots of food, was horrible with buying canned food and just pushing it to the back of the cabinet, where it would be discovered 2 years later, having been expired for a year... Then I started giving myself a deadline of eating EVERYTHING every 2 months. This includes cereal, canned good, spaghetti, and whatever.

Now, every 2 months I completely empty the refrigerator/cabinets of all food (by eating it, not throwing it away ) and then start over fresh.

I have found it works for me...

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[zhuwh]

i would like to say that i throw away more food in summer than in winter , the food is corroded easily in summer , so i have to throw it away .

[snafu]

One of the most flexible budget segments is food. Since we decided to do a better job of menu planning, very little needs to be trashed. The fridge meat drawer was re purposed for leftovers Re-Named plan overs. I taped a list of 'plan-over' ideas like jambalaya, pilaf, fried rice, omelette, ragout, stew, soup, chowder, tortilla, fajitas,enchiladas, blintz, knishes, crust-less Quiche, Sheppard pie,pot pie, pasties, chow mein, chile, potato delites, O'Brien, fritters, pasta plus [chicken, beef, ham, etc], casseroles, bread pudding etc. to the inside of a cupboard door.

DKs prefer leftover mashed potato because they prefer potato pancakes, knishes, O'Brien and more.

[gambler2075]

One of the most flexible budget segments is food. Since we decided to do a better job of menu planning, very little needs to be trashed. The fridge meat drawer was re purposed for leftovers Re-Named plan overs.

What I like to do is take all those assorted leftovers and combine them all together into one gigantic hodgepodge which I then puree, fill into a bread pan, and cook at 375 for 50 minutes. I call the concoction "Nutraloaf", and I got the idea here:

Dining Critic Tries Nutraloaf, the Prison Food for Misbehaving Inmates - Chicago magazine - September 2010 - Chicago

Meats, veggies, cakes, cheese, milk, orange juice, whatever. It all goes together into one incredibly nutritious mishmash that tastes very, well, unusual.

Who do I feed this to? Well, I got the idea from that article... my 4 year old isn't cleaning up his room? Nutraloaf time. 7 year old didn't do his homework? Nutraloaf time. Neighbors forget to invite me to the potluck last year? This year, it's Nutraloaf. Forget the wife's anniversary? whip up a quick batch of Nutraloaf.

Mmm.... the thought of not wasting all that food combined with the ability to set those little ones straight just warms the cockles of my heart.



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