Throwing food away

daisyroots_2 · 2 September 2007 at 1:56PM

When visiting other people, I am shocked when I see someone get up from the table at the end of a meal and immediately scrape all the uneaten food into the bin. We never throw anything away unless it is actually bad; if I've cooked too much, it goes in a covered container and into the fridge. Cold vegetables are a particular favourite - broccoli and mayonnaise sandwich anyone:cool:? In fact I often deliberately cook too much so that we have leftovers: if I get a load of peppers/aubergines/courgettes etc., cheap from the market for example, I will roast them all in olive oil, and they'll go in sandwiches, salads, etc., for days till they're all used up. I find they keep longer in the fridge once they are cooked.

Perhaps it's because my Ma started married life at the height of rationing, and her Ma started married life in WW1, which makes me third generation frugal, but I cannot bear to see good food thrown away.

I'd love to hear from anyone who automatically bins the leftovers from every meal. Is it because you didn't like it ? Or because you think it will go off in the next 10 minutes ? Or because you don't know what else to do with it ? Or do you think that keeping food for the next meal is only for people who can't afford fresh food for every meal - in other words, do you think saving food is what poor people do, and you want to feel rich ? What is your opinion of people like me who rarely throw food away ?

Edit: I did mean scraping all the uneaten food from serving dishes and pans, not plates particularly, though that as well. I was also asking about people who buy food, but chuck it away unopened, or half finished and still good. Forgot to mention this originally, but I know someone who does this and it puzzles me.

frogga · 2 September 2007 at 2:10PM

I would keep leftovers but not if they've been on someones plate, or is that not what you meant? If there is any left on a plate I give it to the dogs. If there is too much food cooked and I didn't serve it up I'd save it for another day. waste not want not!:j

thriftlady_2 · 2 September 2007 at 2:13PM

I keep everything -I've just collected the bones off my kids' plates to put in the stock pot;)

odds-n-sods · 2 September 2007 at 2:22PM

A bit judgmental here, I think. Some people weren't raised the same way you were. And some people simply don't like leftovers.

I wouldn't take food off the plate, like thriftlady, but if she is happy doing that and it isn't a dangerous practice, it is none of my business. Each to his own, not being OS isnt' wrong, its simply a lifestyle choice!

embb · 2 September 2007 at 2:31PM

You mean you scrape the leftovers off plates to use again? I'm shocked actually lol - I was brought up to finish everything on my plate so no plate leftovers in this house, it's a case of putting just enough on and not loading it up too much. If I've made too much however and there's stuff left in the pan I will keep them in the fridge or plate it up as a meal and keep that in the fridge for OH to have the next day.

Debt_Free_Chick · 2 September 2007 at 2:37PM

I have absolutely no problem in scraping leftovers off the plate to reuse either. I'm intrigued by those who are "shocked" or "don't like it" or see anything wrong with it. I mean .... it's only been on a plate, eh?

Wasting food is a real bugbear of mine. You might as well chuck a fiver in the bin and save yourself the effort of cooking it and dishing it up in the first place

:rotfl:

I often find that those who waste the most food are the same people complaining about two-weekly wheelie bin collections, as the bin is not big enough, and maggots in the bin! :rotfl:

I do sometimes prepare/cook portions that are simply too big and I get annoyed at myself for that. But there aren't many dishes that I can't reheat, reuse or simply eat cold for lunch the next day.

Sorry, but wasting food is completely unnecessary and, IMHO, absolutely scandalous

daisyroots_2 · 2 September 2007 at 2:45PM

Just to clarify: I serve small-ish portions, and then we help ourselves to seconds from the saucepan or side dishes (depending how posh we're being) so rarely does food go from the plate back into the fridge. But it does happen, and while I'd never keep food from a visitor's plate, family is different. I mean if you kiss someone often enough, you've got all their germs, anyway !

piglet6 · 2 September 2007 at 2:45PM

I'm the same as Frogga - we keep stuff that has not been on individual plates, but as there are only 2 of us here and we serve up our own portions, I can't remember the last time we had leftovers on individual plates, so its not really a problem! :rolleyes:

Mr P's parents are exactly the opposite. They throw everything away as soon as they have finished at the table. I think that Daisyroots is quite accurate in that they want to feel that they don't need to eat leftovers, i.e. they can afford fresh food each meal. However, rather than looking down on those who do save leftovers, I think it is because that they were both brought up in households where money was scarce and leftovers were the norm, so now (in their early 60s, after a lifetime of working and saving hard) they are able to afford to not have to eat leftovers, if that makes sense?!

However, I have to admit it can be quite painful to watch. Mr P and I love leftover takeaway the next day (and have been known to order a little extra, just to guarantee that there will be leftovers!:p) so to watch half a takeaway go straight into the bin is tricky for us... Even more so, when on occasion we have had cold meats/salads from Marks & Spencer (their favourite food shop - again, I think, coming back to the fact that they enjoy the fact that they can now afford to shop there) and we have watched the end of packets of cold meats/half tubs of coleslaw or potato salad go straight in the bin because "there's only a couple of slices of ham left - not enough for a meal tomorrow"!! :eek:

We are gradually converting them, though

- and we are much quicker off the mark these days...we normally relieve them of their leftovers (and then live off them for several days afterwards!:rotfl:).

Piglet

krispyg76 · 2 September 2007 at 2:46PM

Don't make too much in th efirst place. Gemma will say to me is that all the mash you have made etc but by the time she has finished her dinner she feels full cos of everything else there is on the plate.

Huge portions are not neccessary.

I find I waste more food when we buy a bag of potatoes or carrots and then don't use them all, I prefer to buy as I need.

free4440273 · 2 September 2007 at 3:03PM

the fact that one has to buy staple produce like carrots, potatoes, tomatoes etc in 'bulk' because it's more 'economical' does not help much either. another reason to ignore Tesco's and the like and shop at a local grocers.

balmaiden · 2 September 2007 at 3:12PM

Rarely have any leftovers on the plates as I tend to be able to gauge what each person is likely to eat. Infact I know if Oh leaves anything it is because he is feeling unwell!!

But I usually have veg left over in saucepans incase anyone does want more, if not they always turn up the next day in a different guise.

As for taking left overs off plates, no, not for me, but, as op says each to their own and anyway as I said this is a rare occurence in this house.

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Throwing food away

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