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?!

But once again people are enjoying feeling morally superior and telling disabled people they need to get a grip.

More sickening than the leftovers, isn't it?

Me either, I’m not a massive fan of leftovers. Things like bolognese I’m fine with or curry.

I suppose it is unreasonable but I feel the same way. I like to have everything freshly prepared.

Sounds like it might be sensory then, to of my dcs have sensory issues around food and one also has a dx of asd has asd

I have some issues with texture etc but no problem with left overs. I love them

I disagree. I knew all those things - what I did was eat more in the first place so there weren't any leftovers.

It's why stomachs stretch - to take advantage of a glut when there might not be anything tomorrow/it could have spoiled or been taken by somebody else.

I can just about do leftovers if I can turn them into a different dish - like bolognese into chilli with beans and some fresh vegetables, meat into a curry or casserole, that kind of thing.

Not really, my sons sense of taste and smell are very sensitive. He says things smell and taste differently the next day doesn't matter what it is

Which makes sense when other people are saying things taste better the next day, well obviously not to everyone!

Have you tried to virtually eat them?

Reheated food does taste different - not necessarily bad as people have mentioned curry and casserole is often better tasting day 2.
My DD has sensory issues with food. She can tell the difference between brands. If it’s wrong she simply won’t eat.
I can tell if food is reheated. The jambalaya I had microwaved yesterday the rice was sticky and less sauce than when made day 1 as tinned tomatoes had soaked more into rice. I don’t mind and happily eat it but I don’t have autism/sensory issues. I still have preferences eg I don’t really like reheated roast meat but fine in a risotto etc.

Funnily enough and I have never given it much thought until now , i just cannot eat home cooked food that has been frozen and then thawed out ie a bolognaise or a stew .I do eat leftovers though but leftovers that are frozen .No way!

Instead of creating leftovers would it be possible for you to batch cook meals, portioning and storing them as soon as they are ready?
Or did you have a bad experience with leftovers in the past ? Food poisoning as a child maybe?
Another suggestion would be for you to take a catering food hygiene course ?some people find that having the relevant information gives them more confidence in what they eat. Most councils run food hygiene courses and anyone can sign up to them .

I can have cold roasted meat the next day (with chips), and i can do bubble and squeak (except i always end up adding apx 50% fresh to bulk it out) and that's all the leftovers i'll eat. I wouldn't touch anything else.

I don't waste food - i cook the right amount so there's no leftovers (i cook for 4/5/6/7 adults daily).

Really weird, sorry. When does the food become 'leftovers'? If I cooked bolognese today for tomorrow's dinner, would that be leftovers because I made it the day before? Or would it not count as leftovers because none of it has been eaten?

It makes no sense at all and is very wasteful.

Havent read the whole thread so dont know if this has been mentioned yet, but if leftover meat actually makes you feel ill/nauseous you might have a mast cell disorder.
www.mastattack.org/2017/10/mastattack-107-laypersons-guide-understanding-mast-cell-diseases-part-68/

It makes no sense at all and is very wasteful.

How many times does it need repeated that not eating leftovers is not wasteful if you don't have any leftovers?

Not a single person who does need eat leftovers has said they are wasteful and throwing out food.

Does not

Time, effort and money!

But when you say "left overs" do you mean re-heated portions of the same meal, e.g. too much bolognese sauce for one sitting so having bolognese again the next day, or do you mean a different dish made out of what was left over from a previous day?

For example, on Sunday we roasted a joint of beef. We often get a joint that is too big for us to eat at one go because the small joints just seem to shrivel up to nothing. However, no way was I going to waste all the rest of that beef left after Sunday dinner. On Monday I chopped it up and cooked it with a jar of black bean sauce and served it with egg fried rice. So two very different meals but you could say that Monday's was made out of left overs. Where would you stand on something like that?

It's not necessarily wasteful. OP says other members of the house eat it.

In my case i cook the right amount and 'leftovers' only ever amount to scrapings off plates. So go in the bin. I don't batch cook.

What constitutes 'left over' for me is food which has cooled down and would need reheating to be edible, or has not been served on the day it was made.

It's just the way you are. Plenty of people can't stomach leftovers even though they know they are safe to eat. I'm happy to eat them but I wouldn't eat just anything. Yes to cold roast chicken and stuffing for sandwiches or the odd leftover potato (are there ever any?) but I wouldn't finish off a few cold peas and carrots.

Ignore anyone wanging on about waste. I generally don't cook more than I need and if you find yourself accidentally doing that a lot you should dial it down.

I often have to deliberately cook leftovers. I love bubble and squeak so I cook extra veg with the roast to have the next day with cold meat and brown sauce. I cook a big lasagne because I love it cold - especially the crispy bits. Ditto cold takeaway pizza - the two of us always order one for four. Tomorrow we're going to a Turkish Cypriot place and I'll take the last two chunks of lamb home with leftover salad of tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, red cabbage and carrot and some pitta. I could force it down or give it to the poor children but I'll have it for lunch instead.

Right now I'm making a vegetable curry that only works if you make enough for at least four people. There are two of us so we'll eat it tonight and decide whether to keep it in the fridge until Thursday or freeze it. Same with a meat stew which would probably improve overnight. I like arancini made with leftover risotto rice but I can't make them. Luckily the people in the sandwich shop can.

It's not wasteful, I mostly wouldn't cook leftovers

I suspect I have ASD so maybe mine is a sensory thing. Someone earlier mentioned ready meals and I equally wouldn't eat the foods as ready meals I wouldny eat as leftovers. It's more saucy foods, they definitely taste different reheated.

If I do have leftovers and I cant eat them DP will just have them for his lunch. But I'd rather just have a nice meal one night and then beans on toast than have leftovers of something like bolognese or stir fry or salad.

Yeah i can't really face ready meals in the trays either.

Pizza is ok though ....

Leftover Indian is the bees knees 😋

There’s different sorts of leftovers.
I do the batch cook and freeze. If I’m making Bolognese or chilli I think might as well do 6 portions and freeze some to save time another day.
I also do the deliberately make extra to use in something else eg make double mash and use in a cottage pie for tomorrow or cook larger gammon joint so can have cold with chips & egg on Monday.
I really try and not overcook - I weigh pasta and rice. As I find the random leftovers are what goes in a tub in fridge and gets forgotten about.
If Op hates leftovers then as long as she cooks correct amount there are no leftovers and no waste.

Further to my previous post; we don’t tend to have left overs. Okay we’re a family of 4 DH cooks what we need from scratch each day (he’s my carer). If we do have anything left or it’s something intentionally he’s cooked too much of both him and the DD’s will happily eat it. It’s only me that doesn’t eat them.

I have had my issues for many years, they stem from a horrific childhood. I have known poverty and true hunger but I would rather starve than eat the leftovers, I have my reasons. My psychiatrist couldn’t help me overcome this issue, believe me over the years I’ve tried especially since having children I wouldn’t want my issues to be normal for them.

Sorry but this is fucked up and a luxury belief not a physical inability to eat left overs.

You can. If you think about it, when you eat out or have a takeaway a lot of the food is pre-prepared and then reheated or re-cooked when it's needed.