What to Do With Holiday Leftovers

I've talked about how wasteful Christmas and the holidays can be in regards to the amount of trash that can be accumulated. But food waste considerably adds to that trash pile as well.

If you can't avoid the, "Oh man, I've got so many leftovers!" dilemma, there are ways you can avoid throwing it all out! Potluck-style dinners especially leave you with too much food. And Christmas is probably the worst time to find yourself with not enough food for your gathering.



  • Lunch and dinner for the next few days!
  • Send to-go plates home with your guests. Or if you're a guest, ask about taking some food home with you.
  • Freeze what can be frozen (gumbo, hollaaa!)
  • If you have a lot of leftovers, call homeless shelters and see if they'll accept the food as a donation.
  • Compost any remaining food scraps, especially if it's just not enough to save. Composting is also a good option for food waste resulting from cooking and preparation.

Once you've got your leftovers situation taken care of, check out these handy facts and numbers on food waste, courtesy of Fix.


Food Waste: What Gets Tossed Most Often
Source: Fix.com

And if you have any leftover rice and gravy, I'll be happy to take it off your hands!

2 comments

Anonymous said...

I have never understood people complaining about too much food. Eat it people!!! Or like you said, share the goodness with your guests.
On a separate note, you mentioned composting. I am wanting to start this, but am still in an apartment. We're thinking we could possibly start a compost pile in a container on our patio? Any suggestions of if that's a good idea or what kind of container to look for?

Caitlin said...

Haha, many times, especially at parties, there ends up being just too much food!

I'll be doing a post in the next month or so about composting, but your best bet may be a closed bin. You can find some at World Market: http://www.worldmarket.com/product/ceramic-compost-bucket-white.do?&from=Search or Home Depot: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Good-Ideas-5-gal-Stainless-Steel-Compost-Pail-PAIL-SM/203214065

They have changeable carbon filters to combat the smell, but they're small and covered, so they work well for apartments.

Good luck! :)

Back to Top