Inevitably, kids leave food on their plate. And because you’re conscientious of the family budget, the environment and those starving children all around the world, you hate seeing food wasted. So what do you do? Like generations of moms did before, you pick at their plates like a vulture. Maybe those breaded chicken nuggets look and smell soooooo much better than your tofu salad, but there’s a better way to handle leftovers.
To keep your waistline and wallet in check, refrain from these three common ways of dealing with leftovers.
DON’T eat it. Kids have small appetites and will often (if not always) have a mound of mac and cheese, the crust of their pizza or an entire half of a PB&J left sitting idle. But, remember, even one small bite could have 100 calories or more. Three of those “small bites” and there goes your 30 minutes on the elliptical this morning. It’s simply not worth it.
DON’T serve more than tummies can take. When everyone is growling for dinner, our eyes magically become bigger than our stomachs. Stick to dishing up one serving size per plate (smaller portions for the little ones). If the kids finish everything, they can always ask for seconds. Same goes for you. Portion control, portion control, portion control! I can’t say it enough.
DON’T trash it. The starving kids will never see the food you don’t eat, but that doesn’t mean you should throw out what’s left over. Half-chewed, mushy mashed potatoes probably won’t taste so good the next go-around. But if the kids left half a sandwich or even a half-cup of pasta, it’s worth saving.Divided storage containers are great for messy foods like macaroni or mashed potatoes. Plastic baggies are better for solid stuff, including fruit, pizza or sandwiches. Now just throw these into the kids’ lunch boxes with a freezer pack and you’re all set for tomorrow!