What makes people refuse to eat leftovers?

[CdnCarrie]

HAVING leftovers is a first world problem.

That too.

So many people on this thread would actually cook a ham for Easter dinner this weekend and throw out what is not eaten? Really? You wouldn't make ham sandwiches? You don't make turkey sandwiches the day after thanksgiving? How bizarre.

 

[disykat]

As long as his loans aren't in default I personally wouldn't care (if I was dating him).

His loans wouldn't be in default yet. He's "living off" them, which means he is currently accumulating them for his living expenses. To me, I'd expect that would mean he should be living as frugally as possible and it would be a red flag to me if he wasn't watching it.

 

[disykat]

I'll admit....I'm a major food waster, for a couple of reasons.

1) I don't know the shelf life of food, so I figure better safe than sorry and throw it out. Lunchmeat gets tossed every Monday, eggs, even freezer foods that look like they've been there a while. Heck, I've tossed canned goods. I don't know how long this stuff is supposed to last.

2) Leftovers....I will on occasion eat them the following day, but that's it - it stops at day 2. I don't know the best way to store certain foods to keep the germs out. AND, I'm a big germaphobe when it comes to things like double-dipping. If I think for a minute, that a kid may have stuck a licked spoon in that bowl of soup, I wont eat it.

IMO, this is pretty normal. That doesn't mean you don't eat leftovers, it just means you are careful about shelf life.

 

[Nayan]

That too.

So many people on this thread would actually cook a ham for Easter dinner this weekend and throw out what is not eaten? Really? You wouldn't make ham sandwiches? You don't make turkey sandwiches the day after thanksgiving? How bizarre.

When I was around 11-12 years old we went to friends of my parents for Thanksgiving. They cooked a huge spread of ham, turkey, all the sides and desserts. After everyone couldn't eat anymore they threw it all away! Even at that age I couldn't believe it. I love leftovers!

 

[MrsPete]

His loans wouldn't be in default yet. He's "living off" them, which means he is currently accumulating them for his living expenses. To me, I'd expect that would mean he should be living as frugally as possible and it would be a red flag to me if he wasn't watching it.

This is my train of thought as well.

And I do think she should be concerned about it even though she's not officially in a serious relationship with him. She's at the stage where the two of them are evaulating one another's strengths and flaws and are trying to decide whether they're compatible with one another. The question isn't whether his loans are current; rather, the question is whether they both have the same tolerance for debt -- and I personally wouldn't saddle myself to a guy who wasn't frugal with money. It'd be a constant source of irritation between us.

In contrast, if he were forced to take out college loans BUT was also working and economizing so that he could take out the smallest amount possible, that'd be a different story.

 

[Missy1961]

That too.

So many people on this thread would actually cook a ham for Easter dinner this weekend and throw out what is not eaten? Really? You wouldn't make ham sandwiches? You don't make turkey sandwiches the day after thanksgiving? How bizarre.

I don't know about that. I think a lot of people who don't like leftovers don't make extra food so there aren't leftovers. For instance, I live with my dad. We both like some foods leftover (chili, stew, ham, turkey) and some we don't. So I when I buy chicken, I portion it & freeze it before it's cooked. Then thaw and cook just enough for our dinner. But when I make stew, we eat it for dinner twice, and lunch once. We both love ham & turkey, but we just don't make it often when it's just the 2 of us, because there just so much leftover ham or turkey you can eat before getting sick of it. And I'm sorry, but it just doesn't freeze well once it's cooked. Oh, and I cook a fresh dinner most nights--no boxed or processsed food here. We survive without eating leftovers. And we're not wasting money either.

 

[Poohforyou]

I'll admit....I'm a major food waster, for a couple of reasons.

1) I don't know the shelf life of food, so I figure better safe than sorry and throw it out. Lunchmeat gets tossed every Monday, eggs, even freezer foods that look like they've been there a while. Heck, I've tossed canned goods. I don't know how long this stuff is supposed to last.

2) Leftovers....I will on occasion eat them the following day, but that's it - it stops at day 2. I don't know the best way to store certain foods to keep the germs out. AND, I'm a big germaphobe when it comes to things like double-dipping. If I think for a minute, that a kid may have stuck a licked spoon in that bowl of soup, I wont eat it.

It's very easy to find this info online. For an example, eggs will last 3-5 weeks, cold cuts 3-4 days, fish 1-2 days.

 

[OceanAnnie]

Does the meat taste as good to you the 2nd time?It does not to me. Leftover meat is invariably dry or tough. It's a texture thing.

Yes it does. If it didn't we wouldn't do it!

Then you are cooking the meat at too high a temperature (making it tough.) If it's too dry, sometimes you have to add extra liquid or water. Maybe only a couple tablespoons of water. You don't just flop leftovers in a pan, add heat and call it done.) Then there's probably adding it in at the wrong time for the dish as it is already pre-cooked and the rest of the ingredients may not be.

You don't re-cook the meats. They only need re-heating till they are hot. They are already cooked. And/or, if you know you are going to use some of the meat in a later meal, you can alternately not cook it long enough the first time that it will be over done when you re-heat it.

Whenever I've talked to people who don't like leftovers, they usually don't know HOW to reheat properly or how to add leftovers (pre-cooked) into a new dish. There IS a technique to it. It is different than first-time cooking.


Hmm, now I have a craving for fried rice. BTW, the rice in fried rice in Chinese restaurants is leftover rice, too. It is better that way, as it doesn't get too mushy or sticky when making fried rice. It actually has some bite to it.

Exactly.

 

[scrapquitler]

That too.

So many people on this thread would actually cook a ham for Easter dinner this weekend and throw out what is not eaten? Really? You wouldn't make ham sandwiches? You don't make turkey sandwiches the day after thanksgiving? How bizarre.

I send the leftovers home with my family members who love left overs (and we do not). Just because I don't eat them doesn't mean they get thrown away. In general, I try not to cook more than we will eat, so usually there is not extra food leftover after our normal everyday meals.

 

[bellanotte10]

Some people just don't do leftovers. It might be just a weird hang up. Some food does change (and not for the better) when reheated, taste and texture wise especially in the microwave. Some things get better.

this! this is why i don't eat certain foods as left overs. things with tomato sauce, taste funny to me. I don't do -certain- leftovers because they're never quite as good the next day. but i also have weird food issues. if my friends saw this post they'd be laughing hysterically at me. I just tried chowder for the first time the other day. I'm such a bad new englander but i have texture issues.

 

[SaraJayne]

The key to good leftovers is not cooking the original meal so much that when re-heating, it falls apart or becomes over-cooked. There is a technique to good leftovers and reheating at the proper temperature and with enough moisture.

If the food was cooked correctly the first time, reheating it causes it to be overcooked.

 

[EPCOTatNight]

Does the meat taste as good to you the 2nd time? It does not to me. Leftover meat is invariably dry or tough. It's a texture thing.

There's a good chance that you've had leftover meat in a restaurant. Not everything in a restaurant was actually made that day.

 

[Krystallen]

I love leftovers. Some food do taste better after being frozen and reheated. I sometimes leave leftovers on purpose especially if it's my favorite food and I love the idea of still having my favorite food to eat the next day lol

Oh and friend rice IS made with leftover rice. You can't make a good fried rice with fresh steamed rice, it has to be cooked the day before.

 

[IUTBAM]

This is my train of thought as well.

And I do think she should be concerned about it even though she's not officially in a serious relationship with him. She's at the stage where the two of them are evaulating one another's strengths and flaws and are trying to decide whether they're compatible with one another. The question isn't whether his loans are current; rather, the question is whether they both have the same tolerance for debt -- and I personally wouldn't saddle myself to a guy who wasn't frugal with money. It'd be a constant source of irritation between us.

In contrast, if he were forced to take out college loans BUT was also working and economizing so that he could take out the smallest amount possible, that'd be a different story.

Exactly! This is exactly what her line of thinking is. They've been going out for awhile now, every weekend, and she's reaching the point where it's "do or die", as she doesn't date just to "date"...if she doesn't see potential, she's not going to want to continue to date him, and possibly "lead him on".

She discussed it with me because she talks about everything with me...I've been fostering that type of relationship since she was a little girl. I'm very blessed. Plus, we were sitting AT the dinner table chit-chatting after dinner when she texted him to ask him about the soup, and I saw her face when she read his response.

 

[Bob NC]

Plus, we were sitting AT the dinner table chit-chatting after dinner when she texted him to ask him about the soup, and I saw her face when she read his response.

I don't get it, are you saying she was mortified? Horrified?

If someone simply sharing the opinion that they don't prefer leftovers causes this type of reaction, well, I'd hate to see what happens when she gets truly horrific news.

 

[IUTBAM]

I don't get it, are you saying she was mortified? Horrified?

If someone simply sharing the opinion that they don't prefer leftovers causes this type of reaction, well, I'd hate to see what happens when she gets truly horrific news.

No, I wasn't saying she was mortified or horrified. Where would you get that idea? She made a face...and I know her faces. It wasn't high drama. It was just a face, which prompted me to ask her what he said.

 

[disykat]

I don't get it, are you saying she was mortified? Horrified?

If someone simply sharing the opinion that they don't prefer leftovers causes this type of reaction, well, I'd hate to see what happens when she gets truly horrific news.

He didn't say he didn't PREFER leftovers. He said he didn't EAT leftovers. Big difference.

To me, one sounds reasonable the other sounds way too snobbish for someone who is living on loans - meaning he currently has no money to buy food. Ever heard the expression "beggars can't be choosers?" While he wasn't exactly begging, his financial situation puts him in that situation.

Since my kids are college aged I know LOTS of kids in this age group. It's would be very unusual for them to turn down food. Even kids that were very picky a few years ago, and probably will be again, are not. They are simply more concerned about their pocketbook than their taste buds.

It's not about the leftovers. It's about an apparent lack of concern about finances.

 

[SeaShelley]

And does that mean they aren't financially responsible?

I've been talking about this with my DD (she's in college, but lives at home) for the last few days because of something that happened between her and the guy she's dating...it's been bugging her, and I can definitely understand why, lol. 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 (might explain why he has no money, lol) and doesn't get home-cooked meals. The other day I made a HUGE pot of really yummy soup. We had so much leftover, that she mentioned to him she had this incredible soup that her mom had made, and he responded back via text that it sounded fabulous. She then texted him and offered to put some in the freezer for him. His response? "Well, IDK because I don't eat leftovers!" WTHeck? She was pretty taken aback...I mean geez, the guy is a poor college student and turns down a home-cooked meal because it's leftovers? Everybody knows soup tastes better the next day anyway! She's a bit stubborn and wanted to know what his reasoning was, and he said that food usually doesn't taste good when frozen and/or reheated. BALONEY! This morning, more as a joke than anything else, I googled, "people who don't eat leftovers" and found this article:

http://www.savingadvice.com/articles/2008/03/14/102058_financially-secure-people-eat-leftovers.html

It makes a lot of sense (and it's definitely how we live). I showed it to her, and now she's thinking he's probably NOT all that financially responsible (considering the leftover issue, plus other things she's noticed)...and I have to agree.

I don't believe the choice to eat leftovers defines a person's financial responsibility, but the attitude of "living off loans" does.

I think you're putting a lot of judgement on a young man that your daughter has only been "dating" for 6 weeks based on his refusal of your soup and his general dislike of leftovers.

 

[Elmo9607]

In the restaurant I work at as part of my classes for my culinary degree, the sauces, dressings, some desserts, some soups, and occasionally some meat will have been prepared on a Monday and used again in the restaurant for the rest of the week.

So, yup. Leftovers!! The majority of the time things are cooked fresh, but when you go to a restaurant, don't even think for a second that all the food you're eating was made fresh that day.

 

[bettymae1121]

I only eat leftovers that re-heat well, some things obviously do better than others. Now that I have a toaster oven I do eat more leftovers than I used to as somethings that suck after being nuked taste pretty good when heated in the toaster oven (pizza is a great example).

Fortunately DH is a human garbage disposal so all leftovers get eaten, just usually by DH rather than myself.