When Using Up Leftovers Is a Waste of Resources
Banana Flower
Tesyaa left this comment on Why You Should Eat Everything on Your Plate:
Another thing about waste – quite often I’ve tried to avoid waste by making, say, a banana bread with overripe bananas, or using up rice in some other type of dish. Those items use energy to cook, and use other ingredients. If there is no real need for banana bread, making it to use up old bananas just wastes oil, eggs, sugar, & flour.
To me, avoiding foood “waste” is only helpful if it frees up other food items. If not, it’s not doing anyone any good.
I’m not sure what you mean when you write “there is no real need for banana bread.” If your family will eat the banana bread instead of something else you were planning to cook, bake or buy, I don’t see the problem. If it means they will eat the banana bread in addition to what you usually serve, i.e. unneeded calories, I see your point.
I think it all comes down to an ability to regulate our appetite and not overeat. If finishing the last bite on your plate, means you will eat less at the next meal, that’s fine. But if it means adding calories you don’t need over the course of the day, cut down serving portions until you find the smallest amount that satisfies you.
If you don’t need or want banana bread, put the soft bananas in the freezer for when you do, or make smoothies. If you know you won’t use them, I give you permission to throw them out!
It’s the same with the rice. Rice is easy to add to soup or a main course, which becomes part of the next meal. You’ve already paid for the rice so why not use it up? I’m not sure I understand why you would use rice in something you are not going to eat. Are you saying it’s more efficient to serve it on the side at the next meal? If so, I agree. But it doesn’t take much extra energy to add the rice to a casserole instead.
Avoiding food waste is an art and each family will have its own approach. If you have no use for soft bananas, only buy as many as you’ll eat in a short time (hint: they keep longer in the refrigerator). When cooking, be realistic about leftovers and plan accordingly. Sometimes the dish we make with leftovers is successful and sometimes not. With time and practice we can all make improvements.
Here are some recipes you shouldn’t make with leftovers. (Hat tip: Yonit)
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