Categories: Food

Strategic Planning for Those Holiday Food Leftovers…

Are you still stuffed from those Thankgiving leftovers? (Considering my family decided to host Thanksgiving fashionably late, I’m still in a food-coma.)

“Tis the season for parties and mountains of food… which equals lots of excess waste.   Between Thanksgiving and New Years Day, our food waste triples in the United States.  What can you do to cut back this statistic for the holiday season?

1. Donate extra ingredients to local charities like Philabundance – they take a variety of food products under these specific guidelines.

2. Plan ahead when hosting. Love Food Hate Waste has a convenient portion planner so you have just enough food.

3. Worried about not feeding guests enough? Try having some fresh fruit or veggie platters that you can enjoy leftovers.

4. Create a shopping list when hitting the grocery store – It will help you avoid impulse buys or too much quantity.

5. Choose products that have minimal packaging to reduce waste – or at least packing that you can recycle.

6. When you unpack from the grocery store trip, make sure to put new products behind older ones. For example, pushing that new box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch behind your half-eaten Cheerios will ensure you finish the old box before diving into the new one.

7. Purchase smaller plates so people have to make more trips – avoiding people taking more than they can eat.

8. Offer food buffet style – this way guests can choose what they want on (and what they can leave off) their plates

9. Compost food scraps where you can – eggshells, fruit & veggie peels, etc.

10. Have leftovers? Create new meals with old ingredients – using tools like Whole Foods, My Recipes & Supercook to suggest recipes. Enjoy 2-3 new dishes with the same core products!

Posted by Julie

Julie Hancher

Julie Hancher is Editor-in-Chief of Green Philly, sharing her expertise of all things sustainable in the city of brotherly love. She enjoys long walks in the park with local beer and greening her travels, cooking & cat, Sir Floofus Drake.

Recent Posts

Speeding cameras, asthma capitals, & more

Catch up on the latest sustainability news:  Speeding cameras installed on Broad Street. The Philadelphia…

16 hours ago

Organizing hope in tough political times: How PennEnvironment’s Flora Cardoni is fighting for a livable climate

The Deputy Director of PennEnvironment talks about the power of collective advocacy, the frustrations of…

3 days ago

SEPTA restores service, rally for clean air, secondhand clothes, & more

Catch up on the latest sustainability news:  SEPTA uses capital funds to avoid cuts for…

1 week ago

SEPTA’s crisis didn’t happen overnight. Meet the long-time advocates who’ve been fighting all along.

For years, advocates have warned about SEPTA’s future. Their fight for permanent funding continues beyond…

1 week ago

Can I eat that? Local mushroom enthusiasts answer foraging questions from taste to preserving biodiversity.

New to foraging? We took a walk with the Philadelphia Mycology Club to find out…

1 week ago

SEPTA pauses cuts, Mini-grants for walkable neighborhoods, & more

Catch up on the latest sustainability news:  Announcing the SustainPHL nominees. Green Philly is hosting…

2 weeks ago