HOW TO TRANSFORM FOOD WASTE INTO FESTIVE SOLUTIONS

Thanksgiving is the perfect holiday to get into the spirit of giving. You may take this time to reframe the way you look at excess and overabundance. Even the small act of continuing to eat off of leftovers for weeks after is practicing mindfulness and reducing food waste. Do you tend to overcook during Thanksgiving and end up with dishes that aren’t fresh enough to stay in the refrigerator or freezer for long amounts of time? If you bit off more than you could chew this holiday, here are some ways you can put your leftovers to use:

1. Create A Meal Plan: A lot of Thanksgiving meals already contain carbs, proteins, and vegetables. Creating a meal plan for the rest of your leftovers helps you remember what you have in the refrigerator. 

2. Incorporate the scraps into a new meal: Got leftover soup? Bread is the perfect complementary side dish. Leftover stuffing and main dishes can be cooked into casseroles or turned into a pot pie, or if you're in the mood for a lunch snack - a sandwich.

3. Donate to a Food Bank: While you can't donate cooked food to food banks you can donate perishable items. Did you buy ingredients for a recipe you didn't get to try? Canned fruit and vegetables, and items like instant mashed potatoes 

4. Check Your Facebook Groups: Check to see if there is any local community like the Buy Nothing Facebook group near you. This group is all about community. When you offer leftovers, be sure to be transparent about the ingredients as to be mindful of allergies and dietary restrictions.

5. Food Compost: If you're really done with those leftovers, think of adding them to a food compost. It should be noted that meat, poultry, dairy, and anything with fats and oils should not be composted. However, fruit and vegetable scraps, plain bread and cooked grains can be beneficial.

Having a sustainable Thanksgiving is all about being mindful of how even the tiniest actions impact your community. In a sustainable space, nothing goes to waste - it stays in a positive loop and it's this mindset that will brighten both your kitchen and your holidays.

Source: Blueland, "The Secret to Hosting a More Sustainable Thanksgiving", via Natalie Henderson