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 have this issue too with almost all leftovers! I hate the smell and texture of it, i know I’m a weirdo with food so I voted you’re unreasonable but so am I 😁

You can, but you choose not to.

It is wasteful and unnecessary, it is also illogical and inconsistent unless you never eat out, eat takeaway or eat pre-prepared food.

Just eat it, have a small portion and ignore the "this is gross" voice in your head. There is no reason that eating food you normally eat a few hours later would make you sick. Keep telling yourself it is your brain playing tricks on you. Either it will work eventually, or you will need some sort of therapy/hypnosis to get over this illogical phobia/aversion.

@Funkyslippers you had 3 more full meals yourself out of 1 take away dish? Or in a take away for a family, 3 people had a 2nd meal? Don't ask me why I am being so pedantic about understanding!! Just curious. I had beef and black bean + rice from the Chinese last night (about 2/3) and the last 1/3 for lunch today. No way could it stretch further.

OP, I am big into using leftovers/ meal prep/ batch cooking it sounds like something psychological is blocking you. Did you have a bad experience with something being badly gone off? My sis used to hate raw chicken fillets that had been frozen, defrosted then cooked. She said they were only good if used straight from fresh. She now freezes them, I asked her what changed, she said she had to buy/ do the food shop and could only go to the butcher once a week not several times a week like in my house growing up.

Not sure what you want from this thread if you 'absolutely can't' left overs then you'll just have to buy lunch or cook every single day of your life. I mean it's you who has to pay more than most people in the uk for food

Oh no I love nothing more than leftover roast dinner! Tastes amazing the next day!

I’m the same as you op. I’ve never been able to psychologically stomach left overs, I’ve tried so many times but it (as my 14 year would say), gives me the ick! I have to eat my food freshly cooked. If it’s left overs I end up throwing so much food away so for me it isn’t cost effective.
I do have a disordered eating issue though and am on the waiting list for an asd/adhd assessment and as a few have mentioned this already, maybe there is a connection there?

Lack of confidence with safe storage and reheating can be a factor if you are worried you’ll poison yourself - lots of people are funny about reheated rice.

It's not something I've ever really thought about. We just eat them. I've just realised that today is all about left overs. Just had leftover pasta bake from last night for lunch and fished out a frozen bolognase sauce left over from last week, I'll add kidney beans, sweetcorn and chilli powder to make it into a chilli and serve with rice

I have this issue too with almost all leftovers! I hate the smell and texture of it

I don't understand this reasoning. There is no universal smell or texture of 'leftovers'. There's the smell/texture of pasta/curry/roast dinner/etc.

I think it's precious and indicates a lack of understanding about food preparation and hygiene.

I bet you'd be able to force it down if the option was eat it or starve.

Sometimes I will make a cottage pie with the leftover meat from a braised silverside joint. Sometimes I buy a big one so I can do that. You would have no idea your scrumptious supper was made from leftovers. Similarly if I served you stuffed peppers with rice with leftover bolognaise served through you would have no idea.

The only leftovers I can’t eat are chicken or turkey if it has to be reheated. Cold chicken and turkey - fine. Reheated chicken and turkey - makes me gag. Something horrible happens to the flavour.

Irishfarmer It was an Indian restaurant meal for 2 people but the portions were very generous. We'd already had a starter and poppadums before the main course so OH and I didn't eat much of our main. We had leftover curry, rice, naan bread and bombay potato. The following day I had even more of the curry & bombay potato plus I added a little rice too as we'd finished the leftover rice the day before.

To be fair, all these people coming on here banging on about food waste. I only cook for me and my two boys and there's rarely any food waste in our house. Yes, I might choose to cook everyday but dont assume everybody makes massive batches. I purposely DON'T for the fact I know I hate food that's been cooked then reheated.

TheKeatingFive there is if you have sensory issues.

I think it's precious and indicates a lack of understanding about food preparation and hygiene.

I hold an NVQ in food hygiene. Trust me it's more psychological and sensory than anything to do with hygiene. Your ignorance is showing.

there is if you have sensory issues.

Why would those issues override the fundamental differences in the smells/textures of individual foods?

Roast meat is fundamentally different to a pasta bake. Whether it's leftover or not is immaterial to that point.

@Funkyslippers fair enough so you had a fair few sides I that'd stretch for me too. I have GD right now which imo rules out Indian, because without naan/ poppadum's (along with rice) I am not interested!!

@RosesAndHellebores what a strange thing to say "I bet you'd be able to force it down if the option was eat it or starve." I'm pretty sure all of us would force down food we don't like if the other option was to starve.

Same for me too. I can't meal prep because of it. I don't think the meals taste the same either the day after even re heated. Just makes me feel weird thinking about it.

YANBU I’m the same when it comes to a packed lunch.

It definitely sounds psychological/sensory so just cook enough to eat for one meal and don't worry about it.

I batch cook and use leftovers all the time - there's very little that can't go in a pasta sauce, in a pie or on a pizza! We had a Spanish pork dish on Sunday and the leftovers made into a pasta sauce last night - it was delicious.

Boxing day supper is about my favourite meal of the year - bubble and squeak, reheated pigs in blankets and stuffing, gravy and cold sliced pork/turkey, pickles - lovely.

Everything tastes better the next day!!!

So you never ate leftovers growing up OP?

I used to be like this, still a bit funny but if I think there will leftovers I won't serve them up so to speak and then always place them in clean plates or containers for next day although it's not often.
However I do batch cook like veggie bolognaise and chilli and pasta sauce and store separately in the freezer so they are not leftovers they are new frozen meals.

But I can appreciate how you feel for sure.

Just trying to get my head around the idea of there being leftovers. Doesn't happen in this house!

I’m not a fan of leftovers either. I like to cook daily with a specific exceptions, ragu and chilli which I make and batch freeze. Some curries and casseroles taste better if made the day before, but most things don’t to me!

Nothing to do with anything other than I prefer the taste of freshly cooked food.