To not understand people that dont eat leftovers?

[Eliza9917]

I've seen a lot of people say this, and wondered why? What could eating leftovers possibly do to you? Is it a fear of poverty in some way?

My sister knew a girl that would roast a chicken for Sunday dinner and only eat the breasts and throw the rest away. To me, that's madness, I'd get at least 2-3 dinners and a soup out of a large chicken.

Every evening meal I make, I cook double...my oh takes it to work for lunch and I have it for lunch at home. Not so much to do with money...it's really just quicker, easier and I think food tastes better the next day.

Why would leftovers make anyone ill? I just don't understand. It's the same food you've just eaten, just a day or two later on.

It depends what it is. I use a lot of leftovers - a roast chicken becomes a risotto or chicken pie the next day, then I make stock to freeze. Half a stale loaf makes great breadcrumbs which I freeze and I've even made mini croutons out of pizza and frozen them! I always enjoy bubble and squeak next day from the leftover vegetables from Christmas lunch. And if we don't finish a curry or dhal that I've made then we'll often have it in a jacket potato the next day. I try to use what I can partly as a challenge, rather than necessity.

I love left overs too especially if it's chilli or curry or something like that. They are much better the next day. I have left overs for lunch in work the next day. I couldn't imagine chucking good food away. I have a colleague who brings her left overs in for me do have at lunchtime and I love it cos she's a good cook.

Why would leftovers make anyone ill?

If you don’t cool and reheat properly then staphylococcus bacteria grow and cause stomach upsets.

Common with rice. Easy to avoid with pretty much everything else. Just need to cook properly, cool quickly and reheat to piping hot before eating.

I find it grotesque to waste food...it's not about money..it just sickens me.

Pouty Yes, I know in theory why they could. But in reality, having done what you suggest re cooling and reheating properly, they won't. I've never known of any real people having had a stomach upset from leftover food in my entire life - and I'm in my 50s.

Rice is OK as long as it's not left out on the side for ages cooling before it's in the fridge. Cool quickly, refrigerate immediately, and eat within 24 hours (that's my rule anyway and I've always been fine!).

Reheating rice actually has no bearing on whether you'd get food poisoning from it - it's not technically the bacteria which make us ill, but the toxin they release. Reheating thoroughly will kill the bacteria, but if your rice has been left out for too long and not refrigerated properly then the bacteria will have already released toxins all over it. Reheating will not remove the toxin.

It is more important to cool the rice quickly and refrigerate it properly, so that the bacteria can't grow and produce the toxin. I'll often eat leftover rice cold in salads with no problem.

My OH is like this! He will not eat left over anything, no pasta bake, no pizza, no cold roast potatoes and meat from Sunday lunch. Drives me skatty! And to make things even more annoying he will cook a batch load of bloody pasta or fajitas mix to take to work all week.. what's the bleeding difference?!

I can’t eat leftovers. A dose of food poisoning and several food hygiene courses have made me super careful and a bit paranoid.
I won’t eat at buffets for the same reasons.

What do people mean when they say don’t like leftovers? It’s the same food you have previously eaten and liked...

Depends on the leftovers, some things just don't reheat well, but that's the minority. I often find pasta or meat in a sauce taste better the next day, more flavourful.

Do the people who don't eat leftovers not think stews & casseroles are far tastier on day2? Or don't they know this as have never tried ?!!

I was thinking that pink as I’m lucky to see bones from one chicken

My dm grew up during the war, so she never wasted anything and any leftovers were made into amazing meals and / or frozen
I hardly ever throw anything out as I see it as extremely wasteful and luckily have a decent freezer too!

To the people who don’t like leftovers, does that mean you don’t batch cook either?

I love left overs, my roast chicken makes stock and with the remaining meat turns into a lovely risotto that we then eat for the next two days. I make sure to cook more than we need for roast dinners so we have a quick meal to just heat and eat, if a cooked chicken breast is bigger than I feel I could eat I will save half for a sandwich or salad the next day. I make breadcrumbs to freeze that I top fish with for a crunchy crumb - I am getting hungry 😋

I love leftovers but the dc turn their nose up if I serve the same thing two days running.

Because hot food turned cold and left out for a few hours/days tastes rank, even worse if reheated. Nothing to do with fear of poverty

I love roast chicken breast, My daughter's dogs get the rest,

I like leftovers, mainly because it reduces the number of times you have to cook. Efficiency of time and effort and all that.

Most of the time I will cook more than is needed so that there is food available for lunch the next day, or to be converted into another meal with little effort, eg leftover chilli into enchiladas.

I think the "no leftovers" brigade fall into three camps.

1. People with hungry family members who are really good at estimating portions and everything gets eaten at one sitting. That's fine. No waste.

1. Hygiene freaks or people who just don't understand food safety. Not so understandable - it's not really that complex and really boils down to refrigerate quickly and heat through until piping hot. (With a few key exceptions like rice). I've never had food poisoning from leftovers. Only time I've been really ill with food poisoning the culprit was a prawn sandwich bought from a garage in the heat of summer.

1. The people like the inlaws who live in abject fear of being branded "poor". They wouldn't be seen dead in a charity shop, eating leftovers or buying second hand anything in case someone thinks they can't afford fresh/new. They are on a constant crusade to justify themselves and are as "good" as everyone else. I'm much more secure in my own skin and don't give two hoots about justifying myself to anyone. I

Leftovers are great. I made a huge batch of chilli the other night, there was loads left over so it's in the freezer for the next time DH is late at work and he'd prefer baked potato and chilli rather than a ready meal.

I exclusively expressed for a year with DD. I refrigerated and froze milk and gave some fresh She’s 8 and has been sick maybe 5 times in her whole life, twice due to Norovirus. She eats leftovers all the time, including meat. It’s really not hard to get your head around.
My 6.5 year old was formula fed from day 3 of his life and has never been sick ever at all so I not convinced by the breastfeeding argument.

I'd get at least 2-3 dinners and a soup out of a large chicken

Only 2-3? Sorry but how are you on MN? Didn't you know membership criteria means you have to have 26 meals from a leftover chicken or you're not allowed in

I actually do whip leftover chicken into a soup with some veg and that's as far as I go with leftovers

I always use left overs. Sometimes it is more economical to roast a joint then have it cold. I prefer to cook more so people can help themselves rather than plating up

but I just worry so much about not storing the food correctly and making everyone ill

It's not very difficult though.

Leftovers go into the fridge when you're cleaning up, then are used the next day either cold or heated up in microwave / oven.

What bit of that worries you?