The Secret Life of Leftovers
thenewatlantis.com
thenewatlantis.com
But seriously, you can just put it in Tupperware and keep it for later.
Even worse is when it negatively affects your sleep and body's restorative processes.
In other words is leisure exercise above that which helps keep the body fit, exercise that leads to food waste?
I think of this a bit like tiying your shoes and untying them over and over, or maybe it's like putting a lego set together, taking it appart, then back together...
This is an impressively detailed piece and I agree with most of it, but changing the culture around these things is very hard. There are people salvaging food which would otherwise be wasted, and on many occasions I've been one of them... it makes me glad to know there are backchannel options for those who are struggling or can put the food to good use. Sadly, the social stigma is still very high, and that will continue to be a major barrier.
As the author points out, we are never going to give up the current system voluntarily. If it is to happen at all, it will be a result of some kind of crunch. I guess the silver lining is that there's still plenty of slack in the system to feed the most desperate among us right now. In any case, my parents taught me to fold leftovers into casseroles or stews and I'm glad for it-- you never know when those skills might be more than just an ideological preference.
I think it's a shame that so many young people don't know how to cook at all, and when they do learn it usually tends toward haute cuisine made with only the very freshest ingredients. To the first part, I still remember the early days of the pandemic when many of my Facebook colleagues were panicked about how they'd eat with the company cafes unavailable. The response was a slew of tutorials from the cafe staff (every blessing to them for that) and internal groups devoted to the topic. To the second part, I think there needs to be more teaching of how to cook every day food and not just "occasion" food. Improvising from random things on hand, instead of exhaustively searching for specific ingredients in recipes. A lot of people would be healthier, happier, and less of a burden on the planet if they just had more of the confidence that comes from experience of whipping things together.
As a single person the biggest thing I like about services like Blue Apron: I can have a wide variety of fresh ingredients but without the waste of buying things like family sized bundles of herbs where I end up throwing half or more out before I can use them all.
I think that mindset drove me to be named the "leftovers king" by my extended family, as I repurpose leftovers into delicious meals.
There are a couple techniques that can help turn fridge leftovers into really good meals besides for soup. You can make an amazing Frittata using whatever leftover veg and protein you have.
Is this a thing where you are from?
I suggest here in Blighty, the waiters would be rather confused by such a request; not to mention something of a social faux pas.
In fact, it's not uncommon for the waiter to offer a box unprompted if you have a fair amount of leftover food.
Ah, this makes sense.
I recall eating in US restaurants and being given ridiculously large portions... something we half-joked - half-seriously suggested was down to the size of some of the patrons. Presumably is it instead the expectation that some of the food is taken home.
I'd imagine that it might differ based on where you are. Remember that the US is pretty close in size to the entirety of Western Europe. There are a lot of different places here.
If it had started as "Best by" then we'd have substantially less stigma around it.
The silliest though are people who do so, but happily leave a pack of opened UHT milk in the fridge for months because it wouldn't expire for another year or so.
We (UK) have use by dates, and best before dates.
They mean exactly what they say.
i.e. Raw chicken will have a use by date, eat it beyond this and you risk getting the shits. On the other hand all fruit, veg, tins and most dairy simply have best before dates.... meaning use your eyes and nose to see if it is OK.
So given the myriad of different factors*, where along the bell curve do you decide to put the cut off? The longer the duration, the more people will eventually ingest expired food and risk illness, but also less food is wasted.
From a purely economic perspective, it might come down to the cost of food waste vs hospitalizations and lost productivity.
From a user experience perspective, I’d rather only eat food before it’s expired and throw away some good food rather than throw away less food while occasionally eating unsafe food.
It’s a trade off, really, and probably not some massive conspiracy, although I wouldn’t be surprised if the agencies responsible had been “overly cautious” with the expiration dates. Perhaps to increase profits or promote higher than necessary food production to increase our food security.
* - There’s lots of factors that would change that date. For example, is the yogurt stored at the front or back of a refrigerator? It’s usually colder in the back so it might last longer there. How long did it take to get it home or to stock it? Where in the industrial chiller at the supermarket did it sit? Closer to the aisle where it’s warmer? Was the cold chain** disturbed in general? What’s the specific fat content of that style/brand/cow? There’s really a lot at play here.
That's "whatever we couldn't get rid of during the week, served on bread and with grilled cheese on top".
If the original meal was something like overcooked, underseasoned vegetable stew, that made it 300% better.
Tray and person would subsequently disappear into the back.
We always assumed today's meal was yesterday's extras.