According to a parliamentary report, the UK produced around 9.5 million tonnes of food waste in 2020. Here are my tips on how to make use of leftovers:

1. Freeze: if you have loads of a particular dish left over and it was freshly cooked, freeze it and then make a note to serve it ‘refreshed’ later in the week.

2. Reinvent: think ‘ingredient’ not ‘leftover’, so if you have a load of a protein leftover (eg: chicken casserole) it’s great as a filling for pies and pastries.

3. Create: I always seem to have broccoli left over. Common sense might have me making less, but it means one less thing to prepare again, and cooked veg make great fillings for omelettes and quiches.

4. Swap: a bit out there, but if you have friends or family who love your cooking, you can always drop off dinner for them or even swap with their leftovers.

5. Exhibit: pack all meal remains in see-through containers, I use glass containers with microwave-safe plastic lids. Pack them on a designated special shelf in your fridge— preferably at eye level — so you can’t forget them.

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Use up veggies for budget friendly salads Photo: Blake Ezra

6. Celebrate: Leftovers are far more appetising served as if cooked from fresh and not in random containers. Pick a designated ‘leftovers’ night, lay out all the containers on the counter so you see what you have but, come dinner time, plate it properly.

7. Repackage: Create individual portions for lunch for the next few days. Or freeze them —make sure you label them and make a note otherwise they may disappear into your freezer, never to be seen, or eaten again!

The JC, Mesila UK, Jewish Futures and GIFT have partnered to bring you tips and tricks on how to look after your wallets and our planet.

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