What makes people refuse to eat leftovers?

[Handbag Lady]

I hate eating leftovers. They really gross me out knowing it was cooked, then cold, then re-heated and the texture changes... blecch. And the restaurant usually puts the veggies in with everything else and I can't stand for my food to touch each other.

But. I do eat them. It just makes financial sense if we go to a restaurant and the portions are so huge there ARE leftovers and our bill is $60 for one meal for two...I'd be stupid to not have that again for lunch the next day at work.

I do the whole chicken thing, too. Cook a whole chicken and that can make a few meals. I haven't gotten so far as to simmer the carcass for stock, but I know it can be done.

 

[bumbershoot]

Living on loans....might be OK, might not be. If she continues in a relationship with him, she will end up being part of the repayment of those loans. If she loves him enough in the future, helping to pay those will be worth it. If not, if he won't stop that way of thinking and makes it worse, it won't be.

My brother helped his then-girlfriend (now wife for nearly 20 years) get out of debt while they were both in college. Not by giving her money, but by helping her work out a budget and stop spending. She was worth it to him to help her, and he was worth it to her to listen to him. They now live a wonderful, successful life and you would NEVER guess that she once overspent.

(funnily enough, they Do Not Cook (they tried to get their home built without a kitchen but the bylaws of their development wouldn't allow it), but will order lots of food from places like Cheesecake Factory and live off it for days and days....or she'll go out for a business lunch, bring most of it home, and that's my brother's lunch the next two days...they can absolutely afford it, and they like it like that! when I visit I will make spaghetti with Paul Newman jarred sauce, and it's like a gourmet meal for them, LOL)

 

[hereyago]

I totally get what you are saying! He should learn how to cook! His mom should have taught him. Heck, I'd be happy to teach him. But I don't see the desire there. My DD is just the type of person who likes to do things for people when she sees a need, and I thought it was a nice gesture (and was happy to give up some of the leftover soup). And believe me, I won't be offering him food again anytime soon (if ever, lol). DD told me we should invite him over for dinner and serve something I have leftover in the freezer (but not tell him until the meal is done)...that's my girl! haha

Oh it was a nice gesture, but I think as females we think we are "supposed" to automatically help anyone and everyone, but this guy at 22 who lives alone in apartment,needs to take it upon himself to help HIMSELF. I mean dang even on youtube, you can learn how to fix things, let alone the 5 billion cooking channels,lol.

And if someone were complaining they need to get a job because they don't know how to budget and want to eat out alot and I offered them something and they snub their nose, oh well so sad, get yourself in debt more while I eat and live sensibly.

I like her idea about inviting him over, but I am kind of bad and think it would be better if the next time they go out, he is paying, she orders a bunch of food then barely eats it, maybe he would learn a lesson about not wasting,lol.

 

[Bob NC]

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!"

Maybe he was trying to be nice but he doesn't like soup.

I don't like soup, and the conversation with me would probably have gone the same way that it did with him.

By the way, what's your favorite thing about soup, the hot water or the mushy vegetables?

 

[DisneyNutMary]

I'm not a big fan of leftovers, I have food safety issues that stem from food safety training. If food is cooked in abundance with the plan of freezing/refrigerating for future meals- I am okay with that, as long as the food is properly brought down in temperature after preparation. The leftovers I steer clear of are the ones that sat out on a table, possibly with forks/spoons dipped into it before being stored for later consumption.

Could it be the guy doesn't eat food cooked by people he doesn't know well? I know a lot of people who won't eat food prepared be strangers or casual acquaintances. And I have my own quirk, I will not eat food prepared in a home kitchen that I have not been in, no matter how long or well I know the person. Again, food safety training has me worried about cross contamination, preparation techniques, possible pet hair or hand washing issues. Would I tell a person of my quirks and possibly insult them? Never, so I will usually say, no thanks, I don't eat leftovers or no, thank you, I'm not hungry, depending upon the situation.

 

[hereyago]

Maybe he was trying to be nice but he doesn't like soup.

I don't like soup, and the conversation with me would probably have gone the same way that it did with him.

To me being nice would have been: No thank you, what you give is enough. not "IDK, I don't eat left overs!"

 

[TLSnell1981]

If, the food was good, the first time...I will enjoy, the second round.

 

[marcyinPA]

If we didn't have leftovers, we'd starve most weeks! There are just some nights when there is no time to cook, so I will thaw out something that I made previously, or warm something up from the night before.

Granted, some foods are better leftover than others- but I refuse to throw away any good food that is not eaten in one meal.

 

[Imzadi]

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.

Great answer! And see my next post about eating in restaurants.

While we do use the leftovers....we rarely use them as "the same food". If there is leftover soup, we turn it into a hot dish. If there is leftover spaghetti sauce, we use it as pizza sauce. If there is leftover roast, it becomes hash or beef for stroganoff. Leftover veggies get used in soups or quesadillas.

What people who only eat out all the time don't realize is that is how food is cooked in restaurants, too. One PRE-cooked chicken goes into MANY recipes.

In order for a variety of different foods to be cooked to order, and served in a timely fashion, not everything is cooked immediately right before serving. Some foods are <gasp!> REHEATED!!!

Do people really think that bbq ribs that take 3 hours to cook but happened to be ready by the time they finish with their appetizers just magically take 20 minutes to cook instead?

Meanwhile the person next to you had a chicken Caesar salad in which the chicken is COLD, and another person ordered chicken fried rice. That is probably the same bird, pre-cooked and cooled for the Caesar salad and RE-heated in the chicken fried rice.

Most restaurant kitchens don't have ovens big enough to roast all the chickens needed that day, as well as the bbq beef, as well as pork tenderloin, as well as the slow broiled lamb legs, etc.

I've seen some restaurants and caterers cook whole batches of certain items one day, and the next day a different ingredient, and on a third day another ingredient. They often don't mix foods in the oven as the foods may take on the different odors & flavors of each other. Lemon herb chicken shouldn't smell like bbq ribs with a red glaze.

Often these foods are cooked just enough that they can be successfully RE-heated and finished off in a meal. In the mean time, they are sitting in the refrigerator or freezer till needed.

Just think about how much pre-planning it takes for Thanksgiving dinner and how some dishes need to be cooked "the day before." That "day before" pre-cooking is basically the same way of cooking as "leftovers."

The whole thing is just semantics. PRE-cooking = RE-heating = Leftovers needing reheating.

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.

 

[lizabu]

If he doesn't like leftovers he shouldn't eat at a restaurant. They don't make mashed potatoes, soup or most other things to order. The majority of foods were made hours earlier and maybe even the day before. French fries and meats like steaks are often done to order but that's about it.

 

[scrapquitler]

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 think that maybe some people don't eat leftovers because they didn't grow up eating leftovers, so they aren't used to it. DH grew up never EVER eating leftovers because his Mom always made just enough food that there wasn't any leftover.

On the other hand, we ALWAYS had leftovers when I was growing up, and I got so darn tired of eating the same thing over and over again that I now rarely eat leftovers. By the same token, I grew up with my Mom always making LOTS Of casseroles to the point that I refuse to eat them now.

These days the only leftovers that ever get eaten in my house are leftover pizza (on the rare occasion that there IS leftover) or leftover pasta dishes. Other than that, we all dislike the taste and/or texture of reheated food.

Not eating leftovers doesn't mean that someone is not financially responsible. It might mean that they are so financial careful that they don't cook too much to start with.

 

[bookgirl]

While I do eat leftovers and think people who don't are wasting a valuable tool to budgeting, it's their choice and I don't begrudge them the decision.


I have so many food quirks that I'm not really in the postion to question anyone elses.

 

[avgeek81]

My cousin and her husband never used to eat leftovers. They lived with her parents since theyve been married. First it was because he was in college, then her mom got sick and passed away and they didnt want to leave her dad alone. So they didnt really have many bills and the husband had a good paying job.

They both refused to eat leftovers. One time we were there for dinner and my cousin started throwing stuff out before some people were even done with thier plates. If they got donuts at night she would toss them the next mouring because they were too stale for them. They were always posting on FB about getting starbucks and chinese food.

So fastforward to this past January, my cousin and her husband are seperated. The husband moves out to an apartment and has to pay rent and other bills. He now is always posting pics of dinner he makes on FB. And he has also mentioned having leftovers. The rest of the family is like oh how times have changed

 

[Poohforyou]

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.

No, I don't get the idea. None of those foods are leftovers. They are prepared foods. They aren't cooked before frozen and the freezing is done in a flash at a very low temp.

They aren't any different than canned soups, dried pasta or frozen vegetables in terms of them not being leftovers. I'll agree they are very processed and not they best for the wallet or waist line but they cannot be compared to lasagna that's been picked at for a week and reheated 5 times.

 

[Starbrite]

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.

 

[Andtototoo]

I'm the same way!

Often times you can tweak leftovers to be a completely different meal. You would never know you are eating leftovers. Like if we have leftover steak, I'll slice it up thin and make steak fajitas. Or leftover chicken, I'll make chicken fried rice.

To me, leftovers are a win-win.

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.

 

[Imzadi]

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.

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.

 

[luvmy3]

As long as his loans aren't in default I personally wouldn't care (if I was dating him). And since I was never a big fan of leftovers at that age, its not something that would register on my radar to discuss with my mom.
Of course I have changed since I was 22, and that may very well be the case with this guy. If there aren't plans for a wedding just yet, then really its not that big of a deal IMO.

 

[CdnCarrie]

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.

Tastes the same to me. I wouldn't eat meat that's 5 days old but the next day is perfectly fine.

Not liking leftovers is a first world problem if I ever heard one.

 

[Janepod]

Not liking leftovers is a first world problem if I ever heard one.

HAVING leftovers is a first world problem.