How do you keep on top of your leftovers? I'm in trouble again!

[alittleteapot]

Oh dear, dp and i had another argument about the fridge last night. He's right, I'm wrong, but I don't know how to fix it. I just don't seem to be good at using things up and we end up throwing loads of stuff away, which I hate, and he hates.

I just seem to have a bit of a kind of fridge dyslexia. In general, as a new SAHM, I guess I haven't taken to the domestic goddess thing like a duck to water. But I'm willing to learn...

Do you have any particular top tips for managing your fridge and planning your meals to ensure maximum use of all ingredients and leftovers?

PS I realise this seems like a stupid question and makes me look quite stupid, it should be easy enough, but somehow i'm just not cutting the mustard when it comes to using up the custard (sorry )

Maybe you are making too much for each meal - buy / use less?

What kind of stuff is leftover so I can make a sensible suggestion!

Just want to say you don't sound stupid at all and it's good that you want to be more efficient. Things can easily get lost and go green at the back of a fridge...

meal plan

I keep all leftovers on a particular shelf in fridge so they don't get lost and forgotten.

Get into the habit of looking at that shelf to see how they can be incorporated into next meal.

I don't think it's a stupid question at all, and it's something I'm trying to "do better" this year. I think the only way to do it is to do some menu planning, however much you might hate it. So, we had roast chicken yesterday, and today I am making chicken soup. We had chili at the weekend and will be having the leftovers tomorrow. I have also resolved not to the supermarket unless I have a list of specific things to buy, and will get bread and milk from the local shop. Otherwise I tend to go into the supermarket, see something I like and buy that for that evening's meal, regardless of what's in the fridge.

Will be watching this for tips from the experts....

my advice would be to meal plan, make a list and stick to it when you shop. that way you buy just for the meals you are making, not for things you fancy making, which will then go off. If you see a special offer, or something takes your fancy, freeze it, or change your list as you go.

I used to spend over £100 per week shopping when I lived on my own, and used to throw most of it away! Shocker, I know. Now I get a veg box, plan the meals from that, then supplement as I fancy.

True, I am eating more borscht, curry and baked potatoes with coleslaw, and fewer thai chicken noodles, but I save so much money, have a small fridge with only a freezer compartment, and throw barely any food away.

We got some blackboard paint and made a Menu on the kitchen wall. Its inspiring and makes you feel as if you have a choice of meals

thanks mrsbabookaloo

yes, bigTillyMint you have a point, seriously, and DP is as bad as me when it comes to over-cooking.

I'm talking about things like potatoes, cooked veg, fruit, that kind of thing. In a way it's not just about recipes (i know you can fry up left over potatoes and they'll be scrummy) it's more about training my way of thinking about meal planning.

My latest thought is to devote a place in the fridge that is JUST for leftovers and get into the habit of checking it every morning.

The other thing that happens is I think ahead, defrost something and then for one reason or another something happens and we don't get back in time to cook it, and then i have to think quick otherwise it'll go off and get chucked (e.g., say, chicken breasts.)

with a young toddler i just don't seem to have time or head space to think clearly about all this.

That's a good point OorO - I do a weekly shop and then just use what I've got.

With a bit of practice, you get into a pattern of a regular shopping list, plus some extra's, and you know how much to buy, and you make all the old favourites plus some new ones, using stuff along the way.

Top tip: if you are a SAHM/WAHM and eat lunch at home, eat leftovers and things that are hanging about uneaten. You save a lot of money and time and keep your fridge tidy .

thanks everyone, yes all things i'm thinking of and trying to do, (cross posted Otheresideofthechannel re special place in fridge)

I started meal planning before xmas but let it slide but realise you have to build in a few meals that are movable feasts (if you'll pardon the pun) for when suddenly a takeaway is the only thing you can possibly face. So have every third meal as a store cupboard one that doesn't go off if you decide not to cook it.

Also, i'm trying to do more bulk cooking, with some meals for freezer.

Fruit is the other thing. I could do with a good recipe for fruit that's on the turn. Anyone?

My Granny used to be able to make delicious soup out of ANYTHING. would like to get there as well.

my other thing is i'm trying to keep the fridge tidy in terms of certain things together but dp is just as guilty as me at stuffing anything in the fridge anywhere, so when you open the door to have a look it's just a jumble sale of food and is difficult to spot what's where. easy to miss things if fridge not tidy...

If you have bananas that are turning you could make banana loaf here

meal plan (don;t forget to include lunches) and shop online - DH and I do this together with a glass of wine in the evenings - remarkably low stress compared with mad trolley dashing.

assess leftovers after every meal ie when they are generated, not once they've got into the fridge
and if there is unexpectedly lots left over, change the meal plan accordingly (eg 'there is so much chilli left we'll eat it again tomorrow and I'll freeze the fish for another time)

freeze things like excess cooked veg for quick reheating another time

if you have defrosted stuff but not used it and it's going to go off, cook it quickly and simply (eg roast the chicken thighs or pan fry the chicken breasts) which will give you more time to decide what to do with it and/or give you the option to eat it cold in sandwiches.

do not go to supermarket except for bread and milk in emergencies

Make fruit crumble / smoothies / lemon, banana, apple, orange cake?
Carrot cake too!

There is a soup thread somewhere
here

bananas make banana loaf or banans muffins
apples make muffins
(don't forget you can freeze these if you already have cake in the house)

any other fruit looking a bit dismal gets stewed or poached, then either eaten with yoghurt as a pudding, on muesli for breakfast or frozen against the future. (Plums stewed with cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla if you have it and a splosh or orange juice are deliciuos, even rock-hard bullet ones that have gone straight from under-ripe to wrinkled)

Or make smoothies.

Things like defrosted chicken breasts, you can quickly grill or shallow fry with a bit of seasoning/flavouring then cool and wrap, pop into fridge to use in sandwiches, salads, snacking on.

oh, thanks everyone, great advice.

re defrosted chicken breasts/similar - if i cook them quickly, can i throw them into a stir fry the next day? i assume that's fine food hygienewise (always get in a muddle about all that too...)

yes, so long as they were cooked through the first time

NB special fried rice is a great way to use little bits of leftovers that arent; enough for a proper meal - roast pork works especially well

DD normally has leftovers next day - yesterday we had a roast and there is enough for today left so that she can have that again.

The veg which was leftover has been frozen for bubble and squeak at the weekend.

I even froze the leftover gravy to use next time we have gravy.

Make beggie soups with the veg that you haven't cooked and always stick something like leftover meat in a sandwich if you are at home in the day.

Plan everything though - write down what you need at the shops and do it online so that is all you get and then stick to it and you will find you have far fewer things to throw out.

We also went from shopping at Sainsbury to Waitrose as their veg etc seems to last a lot longer - although we spend more I would say we chuck out a damn site less as nothing really tuens in the space of a week.

But freeze everything - meat or veg can always be bunged in something else.

Sorry for waffling - but last week we had some onions, potatoes, eggs and a little chorizo left so I made big wedgey chips, fried the onions and peppers with chorizo and topped with apoached egg - just leftovers really from other mealks but made a meal in itself.

You can sling a lot of diced veg in risotto too so you don;t have to chuck it out.

Oh I hate it too, I get so frustrated when I waste something because I've forgotten about it. I know that you can make old fruit into crumbles etc but when I need to do it I never have time! What I've started doing is -

• buy less meat and fish, only get the right amount for each meal (or a meal and a lunch the next day, as I work at home some days). Freeze everything, then get things out only one at a time for each meal and use them all up. Of course I often forget to get them out and we end up eating beans on toast, but at least that's frugal instead of wasteful.

• only buy one or two apples, one or two pears, one or two bananas. The fruit might all run out but at least it doesn't go off.

• When I have something that needs using up, stick it right at the front of the fridge to remind me. If it's cooked veg I will eat it as a snack, instead of a biscuit or whatever (healthy too). Ham or cooked meat can go in a pasta bake. Tinned or cooked fruit - have with yoghurt on muesli.

• I always try to have eggs and cheese in, and make cheese- and egg-based meals, as there's less of a going-off problem with them and longer dates.

• I've cut down on buying things like avocados, hummus and expensive berries, basically all the stuff that tends to get half-used and then go off.

we were given a Riverford veg box for xmas and the veg was so lovely and fresh it lasted ages. So we're starting that this week. It'll come on Thursday. Should I have Thursday as my meal planning night and plan round the veg? I've also been thinking of having a timetable of foods around different carbs, so for example a potato day, a cous cous day, a rice day which are the rough structure for every week. Bit anal but just where i'm learning to do this whole thing better...

I am really tempted by a fortnightly box, have heard Riverford is very good. Will wait for advice but what a lovely Xmas present.

yes, we're getting the fortnightly box. it was SUCH a lovely present - a bit like a bunch of flowers being delivered unexpectedly, but more wholesome and useful. and the veg was lovely and varied. When we tried Abel and Cole the other year it was a bit overly turnip biased and didn't really work out for us. I have high hope for Riverford.

Actually DP got their recipe book for xmas too which includes some recipes to use up leftover veg - had forgotten that - should have a read!

meal plan and make any veg/meat left overs into soups