This week, we’re challenging you to create a delicious meal using only what you already have—no extra grocery trips needed! Check your fridge, pantry, and freezer for ingredients that need to be used up and get creative. Whether turning leftovers into something new, making a hearty soup, or whipping up a quick stir-fry, every small step helps reduce food waste.
Need inspiration? Ellen Lakusiak, a former dietitian with the Food Policy Council, shares her experience and easy ways to transform leftovers into tasty meals! ⬇️
Ellen’s Go-To Zero-Waste Meal Ideas:
By:Ellen Lakusiak
I have been there. I have looked in my fridge and don’t know what to do with what’s there to make a meal, especially the leftover foods. None of us feel good about throwing out food we spent money on, or spent time preparing. Plus, the methane gas coming from food in our landfills is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions.
According to the National Zero Waste Council, half of all food produced in Canada is not eaten and $49 billion worth of food is sent to landfill or composted each year.
Fortunately, there are so many easy ways to use up the food in your fridge and pantry to make a meal.
Here are a few of my favorite ways to deal with leftovers and to prepare a meal.
- Cooked rice combined with some stir fried veggies and scrambled eggs can be a meal at any time of the day.
- Canned lentils or beans can be added to any vegetables (fresh or frozen) with some favorite spices or a dash of hot sauce to make a quick stew.
- Dice or chop leftover cooked meats or fish, add some mayo or tzatziki and put it on bread or a bun.
- Any sad looking fresh vegetables can be made into a soup; add in some reduced- salt chicken or vegetable stock, some pasta or rice and even leftover cooked meat. Check out this recipe for a minestrone soup https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/soup/wholesome-minestrone-soup/
- Throw together a hearty salad with greens, chop up other veggies you need to use up, boil a few eggs, grate some cheese and if you have fruit such as apples, pears, mango or pineapple that need using, add them and toss with your favorite dressing.
- Make a vegetable stock by boiling up any vegetables you need to use up and freeze it in recipe-sized portions to use for a meal later.
- Freeze leftover sauces, cooked pasta or rice, cooked meats, beans, and fresh or cooked vegetables to add to other recipes in future. Be sure to label what they are, how much there is and the date you froze them.
Check out these resources 5 Ways With Commonly Wasted Foods, Creative use of leftovers and recipes for using up food before it goes to waste.
Waste Not, Want Not Resources:
- Simple ways to use leftovers https://www.unlockfood.ca/en/Articles/Cooking-And-Food/Recipe-Makeover/Easy-Meals-for-Great-Leftovers-e-book.aspx
- Five ways with commonly wasted foods https://lovefoodhatewaste.ca/5-ways/
- Best Before Dates Second Harvest Table https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6618114bae6895cc12d3dc1d/670ff2ef3f6b93fb01b11f7f_SH-BBD-Consumer-Timetable.pdf
- Jamie Oliver Recipes to reduce food waste https://www.jamieoliver.com/inspiration/recipes-to-reduce-food-waste/
My zero waste ideas are all formerly known as a fridge clearing the night or two before garbage pick up day! My new favourite trick is to take leftover roasted veggies, or stir fries and meat this week it was two pork chops, and a half a pork tenderloine. I cut the meat into small pieces and tossed all the leftover containers into one bowl. I added my last four eggs. I made the copycat breakfast egg bites! I love this trick. I put the last of the spinach in the bottoms of my muffin tray, I poured the mixture over the spinach, topped it with cheese, and cooked them up. Now I have six egg bites ready to grab and go. They were gone in a few days. They freeze well too. The other dish I made was a casserole, same thing but no eggs. Really good. I had half a container of rice left to serve it over. I ended up with three or four more meals plus the breakfast treats and all would have been donations to the green bin.