What makes people refuse to eat leftovers?

[Minnesota!]

People who don't eat "leftovers" would have some hungry days at my house.

I put the word in quotes b/c I don't think of what I'm serving as leftovers. I almost always cook for double meals. We rarely have the same meal two days in a row, though -- I do different sides and rotate among the sides and entrees. There a few things that I reinvent -- pork tenderloin becomes pineapple fried rice, spaghetti sauce becomes baked spaghetti with a lot of cheese which tastes totally different, etc. I rarely freeze cooked food other than pounds of barbecue and once in a while a chicken pie.

this is how I cook, too..

My meals are homemade from scratch (even after working all day). I don't like processed foods. I also happen to not like leftovers. I don't think reheating is cooking. I don't even own a microwave.

And I am quite financially responsible.

same here. we had been without a micro for a long time. The only thing I ever used it for was to heat up my bed buddy neck wrap when I was sick. However, our nanny cooks lunch for my youngest a few times a week and her grandma just died and left her a microwave. she brought it to my house to make things easier at lunch. I have no problem with it. But I agree...food cooked in a micro tastes nasty and in no way will I ever cook in it. I don't even reheat in it - all stove/oven. I just think the micro makes things gross tasting!!

 

[elaine amj]

Some ppl get grossed out by leftovers or worry about food safety.

My MIL pretty much rarely eats leftovers for that reason. She always worries about getting sick from the food. My DH eats some leftovers but not a huge amount. He also gets a bit nervous about food safety.

I have a cast iron stomach and eat all kinds of leftovers. I don't follow guidelines for myself as a result. I do pay attention for my DH and kids and am much more careful with anything they eat. So I'm pretty much the garbage bin. Anything I get nervous about feeding them, I eat.

For your DD's guy - I'd pay more attention to overall financial habits than worry about his dislike for leftovers. That sounds more like the way he was brought up than anything else. My DH is one of the most financially frugal guys I know, but he does not care much at all for leftovers.

At that age, I was serious when choosing to date guys and paid attention to overall compatability. I even paid close attention to how his friends treated him! Financial sense was a huge consideration for me - and it sounds like it is important to your DD as well.

 

[LuvLDM]

Some food simply doesn't taste good when reheated. Equating not liking leftovers to being financially irresponsible is just silly.

Maybe he was just being polite when he said yes to the soup but didn't really expect to be given enough that he had to freeze some.....

 

[LuvLDM]

Exactly! And this is what I've told her. It just brought up a flag to me. I'm a thrifty person myself, but my daughter is even more thrifty than me (hard to believe, I know, especially considering her age...but she was brought up that way). She's having a hard time with this...because she also sees it as a sign.

They are not even in a relationship but you see red flags because the guy doesn't like leftovers & wasn't interested in your yummy soup?


If I were the guy I might see red flags when the girl I was dating overreacted to me turning down her moms soup, then mom googles "people who don't eat leftover", then mom wants to discuss his dislike of leftovers on a discussion board.

 

[John VN]

While the...not eating leftovers is not a deal breaker, sounds good that she is taking things slowly. Doesn't sound like he's a gem.

Before I flew to TX. to take care of our 2 DGSs for 9 weeks last year, I made DW's favorite vegetable soup and split pea soup. She had them for that length of time and we had the rest when I got back home. This past Saturday, I did a turkey breast for DFIL and us and it will take 2 weeks for DW and me to finish it off. Going to have month old unfrozen leftover BBQ chicken tomorrow.

 

[MrsPete]

My meals are homemade from scratch (even after working all day). I don't like processed foods. I also happen to not like leftovers. I don't think reheating is cooking. I don't even own a microwave.

And I am quite financially responsible.

Sure, you can pick one or two things in your life that're a "splurge" and still be financially responsible. But it sounds like this guy is living large in many ways -- probably beyond his means -- and can't afford it. If this leftover thing is a part of a larger pattern of poor money management, he may struggle with money all his life.

Exactly! And this is what I've told her. It just brought up a flag to me. I'm a thrifty person myself, but my daughter is even more thrifty than me (hard to believe, I know, especially considering her age...but she was brought up that way). She's having a hard time with this...because she also sees it as a sign.

I wouldn't kick him to the curb for just the leftover thing, but I would watch his other choices carefully.

At that age, I was serious when choosing to date guys and paid attention to overall compatability. I even paid close attention to how his friends treated him! Financial sense was a huge consideration for me - and it sounds like it is important to your DD as well.

That's just good common sense, but not everyone has developed it by college age.

Some food simply doesn't taste good when reheated. Equating not liking leftovers to being financially irresponsible is just silly.

Sure, that's why we cook a big fat lasagna . . . but fry only one piece of fish for each person. One tastes good the next day, while the other doesn't. It would be silly to treat all food the same way.

They are not even in a relationship but you see red flags because the guy doesn't like leftovers & wasn't interested in your yummy soup?


If I were the guy I might see red flags when the girl I was dating overreacted to me turning down her moms soup, then mom googles "people who don't eat leftover", then mom wants to discuss his dislike of leftovers on a discussion board.

Go read the original post again. The leftovers aren't his only red flags.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I do think that some people do just have a 'thing' about leftovers..
Why????? Beats me!

I do not mind leftovers at all.
There are things that ARE better the next day!

However, I cringe at the 'frozen' and reheated thing.

I only buy frozen foods that just happen to freeze well.
Many don't.
And, freezing at home in my freezer is just not the same as foods that are prepared to be frozen and then frozen with the techniques and low temperatures that are used today.

I do not know if this guys 'no leftovers' thing is just one of his hang-ups, or if it is indeed linked to his dubious financial views. People do have different food preferences and idiosyncrasies.

It is his financial views that would have me .

 

[IUTBAM]

Some food simply doesn't taste good when reheated. Equating not liking leftovers to being financially irresponsible is just silly.

Maybe he was just being polite when he said yes to the soup but didn't really expect to be given enough that he had to freeze some.....

I only brought up the financial responsibility due to the interesting article I found. It does seem to make sense to me, but I understand where others wouldn't think so.

We weren't giving him enough to freeze. She wanted to put enough for a meal in a freezer container for him since she wouldn't be seeing him until the weekend.

 

[sbell111]

They are not even in a relationship but you see red flags because the guy doesn't like leftovers & wasn't interested in your yummy soup?


If I were the guy I might see red flags when the girl I was dating overreacted to me turning down her moms soup, then mom googles "people who don't eat leftover", then mom wants to discuss his dislike of leftovers on a discussion board.

 

[si-am]

It always cracks me up when I hear people say "I don't eat leftovers", as they are usually the same people that don't think twice about loading up their freezer with stuff from the grocery store like: Marie Callenders Pot Pie (which was made prior to landing at the grocery store), Mrs. Stouffers Lasagna (which was again made prior to landing at the grocery store), TGI Fridays appetizers, PF Chang chinese food or Red Baron Pizza .... you get the idea.

All of those foods are LEFTOVERS that have to be re-heated. Somebody else made them and usually quite some time ago. When that is explained to the "non-leftover eater", I always laugh at their reaction. Priceless.

And yes ...... I consider them financially irresponsible.

I don't buy frozen or processed stuff. And I still don't eat leftovers. And I'd like to know what's financially irresponsible about it?

 

[Wishing on a star]

It's not just about the soup....
Read the original post.
There are other, possibly co-related, issues that might involve financial irresponsibility.

I know all about people who are controlling about what others eat.
I know all about people who expect others to always eat and enjoy whatever they have offered, no matter what.
If I thought that this was what was happening with the OP, I would have been all over that like white on rice.

My history of posts on that issue is well established here.

That is not how I am reading the OP's post.

 

[AndyLL]

Some food simply doesn't taste good when reheated. Equating not liking leftovers to being financially irresponsible is just silly.

If a decent amount of edible food is being thrown every day then IMO it is being irresponsible.

Do the non-leftover eaters realize that some of the items they eat at resturants can be leftovers? Espicially at breakfast/lunch.

 

[HannaBelle]

They are not even in a relationship but you see red flags because the guy doesn't like leftovers & wasn't interested in your yummy soup?

If I were the guy I might see red flags when the girl I was dating overreacted to me turning down her moms soup, then mom googles "people who don't eat leftover", then mom wants to discuss his dislike of leftovers on a discussion board.

Interesting, I got the impression the OP was googling "people who don't eat leftovers" out of curiosity about people in general. The "BF" was just the catalyst.

Whereas the DD is questioning the "BF's" financial acumen. If you are living off loans and only thinking about getting a job because you are out of borrowed cash, I think that is a red flag. My advice to the OP's DD is to run fast and far b/c you do not want to be financially burdened with this guy!

 

[LisaR]

They are not even in a relationship but you see red flags because the guy doesn't like leftovers & wasn't interested in your yummy soup?


If I were the guy I might see red flags when the girl I was dating overreacted to me turning down her moms soup, then mom googles "people who don't eat leftover", then mom wants to discuss his dislike of leftovers on a discussion board.

While I wouldn't dump a guy because he didn't do leftovers, I am thinking the red flags had to do with multiple other things besides leftover soup.

 

[LuvLDM]

I agree living off loans is really foolish but the guy is a young college student I don't think it means he is destined for a life of financial ruin.

I think the op is over thinking it. He didn't want the soup, big deal. He is just some guy your adult daughter is seeing, they are not even in a serious relationship.

 

[Janepod]

I don't eat leftovers unless it's pizza. I really don't enjoy eating something twice in a row and the thought of freezing it and eating it months down the road just sounds unappealing to me.

I send leftovers with my husband for his lunches at work.

I'm not financially irresponsible. I can afford to eat a brand new meal every day, so that's what I do.

My thoughts exactly. When I shop, I buy the right amount for each meal. E.g., there are three of us, so I'll buy three chicken breasts or 18 oz. of fish or whatever. And I *hate* eating food that was previously frozen. All we have in our freezer right now is ice cream and ice packs. To each his own.

 

[pirategirl34]

There is a financially responsible way to avoid leftovers, andthen there is just being wasteful. We don't care for leftovers, but I refuse to throw away good food so I only cook what we will eat for that meal unless it is something I know we will eat reheated or that I can repurpose for another meal. It doesn't waste anything, and we are happy. I usually buy things in bulk sizes and use freezer bags to divide in to meal sized portions before freezing.

 

[LBIJim]

I don't buy frozen or processed stuff. And I still don't eat leftovers. And I'd like to know what's financially irresponsible about it?

If you have leftovers and "still don't eat them", then you're cooking irresponsibly.

Jim

 

[Disney Doll]

The guy she's dating is a college student...they've been dating about a month and a half but aren't officially "in a relationship" yet (he wants it, but she's going slow). He lives in his own apartment (no roommate), drives a very nice truck, goes to school full-time, doesn't work, doesn't come from a wealthy family, and has said that he's "living on loans". He also recently mentioned to her that he needs to find a job because he's running out of money. Hmmm...okay.

Well, she feels sorry for him because he doesn't cook at all, and he eats out a lot .....

His response? "Well, IDK because I don't eat leftovers!"

If my DD were dating this young man I'd tell her to run away from him as if her pants were on fire.

In this case, not eating leftovers, in addition to all hhis other things, makes HIM financially irresponsible.

In other cases, if people have the income to support the "no leftovers" rule, then I have no problem with it.

Personally, I LOVE leftovers....eat them all the time.

 

[sbell111]

This thread is why people lie to one another early in a relationship.