Leftovers are the excess amount of prepared food that exceeds the person’s needs. Leftover food at home exceeds the needs of family members. As for leftover food in restaurants and hotels, these are quantities that exceed the needs of individuals in the restaurant, as restaurants prepare larger quantities to ensure adequate amounts of food.
The fate of the remains
Many families replenish leftover food and store it at appropriate temperatures so it doesn’t spoil, so they can reheat it and eat it again. But on the other hand, there are a number of families and families who do not want to save the rest of the surplus food because they do not want to eat non-fresh food or are afraid of spoiling this food. if stored for a long time. . Some families also distribute these leftover foods to families in need. As for the fate of food in hotels, many restaurants and hotels throw this food in the trash, due to lack of means to distribute the rest of the food to families in need, or because of restaurant policies that prevent the distribution of food for health reasons for fear of damage during the distribution process.
Ways to use leftovers
- rice: Rice may contain bacteria that cannot be killed by heating, but cooling prevents its growth.
- Meat, chicken, fish and eggs: Meat and poultry are frozen and therefore once the ice cream has thawed it is not allowed to refreeze them, as they must be cooked immediately. As for the eggs, if they are broken, they must be used within hours so as not to be damaged.
- Stews and cooked vegetables: It is not dangerous, it can be reheated the next day and it is considered safe. You have to follow the well-known method of freezing food, which is not to put it hot in the fridge, you have to wait for it to cool and then put it in the fridge.
- Different ways to use leftovers:
- Use leftover vegetables to make vegetable soup.
- Take advantage of leftover meat by making a quick little stew, like meat with eggs.
- Save lemon zest after squeezing it as a hand sanitizer, as it rids hands of the lingering smell of food.
- Take advantage of coffee residues to put on the pots before washing them to get rid of lingering odors.
Tips for not throwing away leftover food
Dear reader, if you organize an event or invite food to your home, you can take the surplus of this food and donate it to charities or associations responsible for redistributing this food, called food bank institutions or associations. Hoteliers can coordinate with these associations so that the rest of the food is delivered to the families who need it most while guaranteeing safety in its conservation, storage and distribution. So we don’t feel guilty for throwing away food, and it’s more enjoyable to eat and feed others and live in a society free from hunger and extravagance.