4 tips to transform your leftovers
Canadians throw away $31 billion worth of food every year, but more than 60 per cent of household food waste is avoidable. Here are some tips to help reinvent leftovers to create new dishes.
Don’t leave your bread for dead
If you have bread that’s drying out, a simple way to give it new life and use it up is to make homemade croutons. Another great option is to make your own breadcrumbs to use as a crispy topping or binder for meatballs and burgers. For a sweet option, try using stale bread for bread puddings and French toasts – it will soak up all the flavour without turning to mush.
Veg it out
If you’re one of the many parents who struggle to get the kids to eat vegetables, try blending cooked vegetables to a pulp and adding it to a pasta sauce. The little ones won’t see the vegetables and will gobble up the sauce. If you have extra roasted veggies on hand, repurpose them into a hash, omelette or even a frittata.
Keep the hot potato
For a savoury spin on a classic breakfast item, try using leftover mashed potatoes to make pancakes and waffles. You can also use up leftover mashed potatoes in a shepherd’s pie or potato soup.
Stock up
Keep vegetable scraps including peels, stalks and leaves to make vegetable stock. Onions, carrots, celery and garlic provide a great base. You can then add other leftover vegetable scraps to the stock and base to make a great soup. Collect and store any scraps in a large resealable bag and keep it in the freezer until needed. Bones from a roasted chicken can be used for stock as well. Boil chicken bones with the vegetables scraps for an easy broth that can be frozen for up to three months.
With a little creativity, you can reduce food waste and put a fresh spin on your leftovers. For more recipe ideas, your local Loblaws in-store registered dietitian is here to help. Book a phone or virtual appointment at bookadietitian.ca.
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