This weekend I read You’re Broke Because You Want to Be: How to Go from Making Ends to Getting Ahead by Larry Winget. (It’s a fairly good read, by the best way. The advice is not groundbreaking, but its frank, no-excuses approach is entertaining.) Anyway, within the book he notes that almost all people who find themselves financially secure don’t eat out often , if not all the time. I agree. Eating out is dear and it is easy to lose track. Meals add up before you realize exactly how much you have spent. It’s less expensive to cook at home. We all already know that.
As I considered it further, I assumed of a corollary to this statement that Mr. Winget might want to incorporate in his next edition. Anyone who’s financially secure eats leftover food. I realize I could also be opening a can of worms here. I even have met some people in my life who vehemently defend the the explanation why they do not eat leftovers. The children won’t eat it. It doesn’t warm up well. Storing excess food is a hassle. And it goes on.
As a leftover lover, I do not buy any of it. Since when are children allowed to dictate what’s served at dinner? If they do not like it, send them outside without dinner. There are few things that do not reheat well should you concentrate to the needs of the food and do not just blindly throw it within the microwave on high for five minutes and hope for the perfect.
I believe plenty of these excuses obscure the actual problem, which is that some people feel like there are leftovers beneath them. It’s not obscure, I believe. The USA is a land of plenty and we encourage people to decide on the perfect. Leftovers aren’t the perfect thing in many individuals’s eyes. Why eat leftovers when you’ll be able to have “new” food? Aren’t leftovers only for individuals who haven’t any other alternative? Before you say I’m getting there, let me assure you that I even have heard statements like this from real people. Since I doubt they’re alone, I’m willing to bet that a lot of the justifications people make for not eating leftovers are their PC versions of “It’s just not good enough for me (or my kids).” are.
No matter the rationale people refuse to eat leftovers, the tip result is identical. Waste. It wastes money and resources to easily throw away food. I do not see how someone who’s comfortable with such waste could be financially blissful, at the least not in the long term. It seems to me that those that carelessly throw away excess food are probably not as careful with their money either.
Throwing perfect food within the trash is in regards to the same as throwing money within the trash. You paid for the meal. To make cash from it, you’ve to eat it. If you pay $10 for an entree at a restaurant, eat half of it, after which leave the remainder, you have thrown five dollars within the trash. Is that smart? No. Will this result in long-term financial security? Absolutely not. So what are a number of the reasons to eat leftovers and how will you make them more appetizing should you or your kids really have an issue with them?
It saves money
This is one in all the most important reasons to eat leftovers. If you are taking your leftovers home from a restaurant or eat food left over from something you cooked at home, you may get full value for what you paid. Plus, you may pay less for a meal, reducing your overall grocery bills.
They make it easy for the cook within the family
As the designated chef in our house, I would love to inform you that if there have been no leftovers, the people in my house would go hungry. I don’t desire to cook every evening. I even have other things I need to do. I take every opportunity to serve leftovers. In fact, I intentionally prepare many dishes that I do know will probably be served greater than once. It allows me to maximise my time.
It gives you an ideal lunch
If you usually pack your lunch brown, you are probably uninterested in sandwiches. Why not bring your leftovers from the steakhouse for lunch? Watch your colleagues drool as they eat their bologna sandwiches.
It reduces or eliminates waste
Food that’s thrown away leads to landfill. It wastes not only the food but additionally the resources used to supply it. A cow needed to die on your steak. Is it fair to the cow should you throw half of it within the trash? Is it fair to the farmer who has spent his time and labor on these vegetables to throw them within the trash? Not to say the energy that goes into processing and preparing the food and the packaging used. It’s not nearly throwing food within the trash. You also waste all of the labor, energy and materials that went into these foods. The USDA estimates that Americans waste 96 billion kilos of food annually. Another study estimates that we throw away one out of each three groceries we buy. One out of each three bags you are taking home from the shop might be thrown away. Stop and give it some thought for a moment. Blows your mind, doesn’t it?
It shows overall financial responsibility
If you do not mind eating leftovers and are willing to waste that cash, you most likely have deeper financial problems. You are unwilling to do the work and sacrifice mandatory to bring prosperity into your life. You is probably not able to take a job that is probably not your dream job but will assist you to pay the bills. You is probably not willing to purchase change on the road or shop around for the perfect bargain you will discover. In times of economic hardship, you stands out as the one who doesn’t turn off cable TV. There’s an attitude of, “I shouldn’t have to do that because I’m better educated, smarter, richer, etc.” I’m not saying that eating leftovers will make you hundreds of thousands, but it may possibly be an indicator of your overall financial prospects and yours Be willing to do what’s mandatory to maneuver forward in life.
It’s healthier
The portions within the restaurant are huge. It’s much better on your waistline to separate the dish in half and eat it in two meals reasonably than cramming all of it in directly. It’s also higher to eat leftovers from something you made than to eat an excessive amount of directly. You may shed weight by eating leftover food.
You haven’t got to eat it on consecutive days
So you simply ate spaghetti yesterday and you do not need it anymore today. Who said you’ve to eat it today? Most foods will last for a number of days if refrigerated properly (some could be frozen for longer). Distribute the leftovers so that you just haven’t got to eat the identical thing the subsequent day. Or use the leftovers as a start line for a complete latest meal. For example, use leftover meat and vegetables as ingredients for stews or collect all of the leftovers for the week and put together a buffet on Friday evening.
Invest in containers that make transporting and storing food easier
Don’t need to take your leftovers to work since it’s messy or a hassle? Invest in reusable plastic containers of various sizes to make storing, heating and transporting food easier without the mess and hassle. If something like macaroni and cheese makes an excellent snack for youths, consider putting a few of it in small snack-sized containers to encourage kids to eat it. If they will easily cook and eat without having to go looking for plates and serving utensils, they might be more receptive to leftovers.
Learn the right way to reheat food properly
Some foods shouldn’t be cooked the second time or they may turn out to be mushy. Cook these within the oven or toaster. Some of them needs to be added to the pan. Some foods are best enjoyed cold the second time around. Experiment until you understand the right way to cook the food just as well the second time as the primary time. It is feasible.
Learn the right way to season leftovers to eliminate flavor
Some dishes should be seasoned just a little more the second time. Keep a supply of straightforward seasonings or sauces readily available and experiment until you determine which foods need which seasonings to spice them up a bit.
You spend less on gas
I hear you now. What do leftover food and gas need to do with one another? Every leftover meal you eat adds just a little more time to the trip to the restaurant or food market, saving you the gas it’s good to get there. Since gas mileage only goes up, eating at home saves as much as possible not only on the grocery budget but elsewhere as well.
Label things with the contents and after they were placed within the fridge
This makes it easy to see what you’ve and when it needs to be eaten to avoid spoilage. No more guesswork or “but I didn’t know we had that” moments.
Learn to cook and shop knowing you may eat the leftovers
If you understand that there are some things that you just absolutely don’t need to eat as leftovers, don’t buy them or prepare them unless you are ready to eat the entire thing in a single go. Only cook and buy meals that you understand someone in your own home will probably be willing to eat again. Otherwise you’ll waste money and food.
You save time
If you are very busy, a fridge stuffed with leftovers is an ideal alternative to fast food. You can just heat up and go without having to make anything latest. This is great for those evenings when persons are rushing to activities and the one other option is the drive thru at McDonalds. (And by cutting out fast food, you may save even more cash, see #1, and get healthier, see #6.)
Hopefully you are now convinced to eat leftovers. However, should you cannot take care of the concept of leftovers in any respect, then buy and order less. Share meals at restaurants or order smaller dishes like appetizers. Buy barely enough and prepare it on your family to eat once. Shopping and ordering smarter still saves money and reduces waste, but it surely doesn’t end in eating leftovers.
(Image courtesy of >Alpha)
