I can’t physically eat leftovers

[IsItMeOrThemBeingKnobs]

I’m not sure if it’s just me, but I physically cannot force myself to eat leftovers.

I always have the best intentions of meal prepping/cooking more for lunches and then when it gets down to actually eating that stuff it turns my stomach. I end up having to give extra to DH.

Does anyone else get this or am I completely U and weird?!

I think it's weird. you'd starve here. Last nights dinner was a pasta bake with leftover olives, chicken, sausage and feta. DD just ate the leftovers from that for lunch, so third hand!!!!

I have just eaten leftover sag alloo and homemade chapatis.
Even better eaten alone without dc making noise at the table!

Obviously you've never known real hunger, poverty or need.

Which suggests you are either steenking rich, or psychologically unprepared for next winter.

I struggle too, so do everything to avoid them being there. Careful portion control seems to have worked for me.

Another one with asd here and I can be the same. Food in general is an issue for me!

Honestly I have the same OP. It's not every left over but sometimes the thought of eating leftover food really turns my stomach. I find it can go a bit mushy. Left over roast meat I'm fine or takeaway but saucy things I can be a bit funny with

Definitely heat up on stove or in the oven, never microwave. Glass pyrex dishes not plastic. Fresh bread or pasta with leftovers

Do you ever eat any processed food? Ready meals, pizzas, pre-packed sandwiches, pre-prepped veg? How are these pre-prepared foods any different from left overs you have cooked yourself? (apart from having a shit load more chemicals and preservatives).

What about meals out in chain restaurants? Again, these are almost always precooked and reheated to serve. Just like leftovers.

Can you reframe this? You are missing out on some delicious foods and making yourself a lot more work.

I practically could have written the initial post (and most bits of the first 2 responses). I’ve always considered myself weird for this and wonder if it is a sensory aversion of some type. I’d like to be able to batch cook ahead of having my first baby but just can’t face it (I’ll probably regret not doing it later!). I do try not to waste food by only cooking what we will eat.

@IsItMeOrThemBeingKnobs - your feelings are valid - it doesn't really matter if they are usual or unusual. As long as you are happy to cook every day, the only issue I can see is food waste - and you can tackle that by making sure you only cook exactly the right amount - which does involve extra effort on your part, but that is your choice.

As long as you aren't either wearing yourself out doing all the cooking and portion calculations, and aren't wasting vast amounts of food, I wouldn't say this was a problem that needs solving - it's a quirk of yours that you can work round, so why waste brain space and emotional energy worrying about it!

I live alone. It's NOT 'leftovers' it's DINNER for TOMORROW without cooking!!!! Yayyyy.I deliberately make at least double so I don't have to cook the next night (or linger!!)

often food tastes better too!

if you eat out, 98% of the time you'll be eating food not prepared right there and then!

Interesting those mentioning ASD as I have been referred for an assessment so perhaps that’s something to do with it. Thank you for the helpful advice and comments.

I love leftovers - unless they’ve been frozen. I freeze excess meals with such good intentions but then the idea of actually defrosting and eating it is for some reason really off putting and the food will sit in the freezer until the next time I clear it out.

i dunno why cos the few times I’ve managed to make myself eat the food, it’s been just fine. And I have no issues with frozen food in general just leftovers.

It's not leftovers though if you've batchcooked meals to eat at a later date. Leftovers imo is leftover from a meal, ie. already served up, just not eaten (like ours from an Indian restaurant the other day - we had 3 more meals out of it!!!)

We don't call them left-overs, they're 'ready meals'.

As others have said, we rely on cooking a larger amount so that cooking every day isn't necessary and it makes a big difference to having some down time. It also means we don't waste food.

The only leftovers I eat are home made curry.
Anything else doesn’t make me feel sick but I just don’t eat them.
DH is happy to and we rarely have any as I seem to be able to just cook the right amount so we don’t waste food.
OP you feel how you feel, you aren’t at school being forced to eat or you miss break. If you don’t want to eat something just don’t

I'm slightly struggling to understand what count as leftovers. Is it the gap between time of cooking and eating? Could you cook some chicken on Monday to have cold in a sandwich next day?

Exactly this. How do you ever eat out of the house, if you can’t eat any food that hasn’t been freshly prepared from scratch immediately before you eat it?

Have you ever been on holiday ? What about events like weddings or birthday parties?

I can’t imagine a life where you only eat at home.

I’m similar OP. I feel the same about any food that is close to or past it’s best before date. I consider myself a recovering emetophobe and put it down to that.

Glad you said this, as I didn't dare say it might be a sensory/ASD thing for fear of a pile on, but I have a lot of sensory issues around food (different textures together) and leftovers are definitely part of that. Good luck with your assessment - diagnosis was the best thing that ever happened to me!

Is it thinking it’s leftovers. Rather than it’s a portion you’ve deliberately made earlier. I don’t fancy random bits in fridge and weird combos but things I’ve deliberately made x portions of, portioned out in tubs and frozen or put in fridge is fine. If you eat ready meals that’s the equivalent.

I think it's odd. Personally I love leftovers and like others will deliberately cook extra so that I can have a second/third meal ... less hassle & expense and many things are better reheated (in my opinion).

You may be weird but I'm exactly the same. I have become particular about what I eat. I can only really eat freshly cooked foods and I really dislike leftovers. I just try to make smaller portions and find things that can be made very quickly. I have a few cook books and use Instagram and youtube mostly for recipes.

My DD won’t eat them (or sauces, food mixed together etc) and has sensory issues re food. Have a google of ARFID.

I'm not that keen. Unless it's casserole. Casserole is always better the day after you've made it. So much so that I now make it the night before.

Luckily the rest of the family will eat anything so leftovers are never wasted.