Learning to love leftover food is all about knowing how to use it! To begin, you can try creative remixing by using leftover ingredients for new dishes. For example, try adding leftover meat and vegetables to a salad, wrapping them in a whole wheat tortilla for an easy wrap, or tossing them together with broth and other ingredients to make a soup or stew. Try some flavor enhancements by experimenting with new sauces or seasoning to give the leftovers a whole new taste. If you made roasted chicken and vegetables, combine the leftovers with a simple sauce and brown rice for an easy stir-fry, or use your favorite taco seasoning to make tacos the next day. Lastly, there are no rules for mixing and matching leftovers. At the end of the week, prepare a “hodge podge” dinner to use up any remaining leftovers.

Here are some examples and ideas for ways to use up leftovers from some of your weekly meals.

Fried Rice Salad Bowl

• Make your fried rice part of a bowl: heat the rice with a tablespoon of water to prevent drying then assemble a bowl with a combo of your favorite salad greens, fresh chopped vegetables, and some extra chicken for additional protein. Top with a small amount of your favorite dressing.

Shepherd's Pie Soup

• Transform leftover shepherd's pie into a comforting soup. Dice the cooked potatoes and combine them with leftover filling, some low-sodium beef stock, and canned diced tomatoes.

Fish Tacos

• Dice leftover tilapia and create fish tacos. Serve topped with lime, diced white onion, and cilantro. Toss any leftover veggies into your next soup or stew.

Beef and Vegetable Stew

• Turn your hobo stew into real stew by mixing in a can of tomato sauce, a little broth, and any extra fresh vegetables you need to use up. Green beans, peas, or tomatoes would all be delicious.

Tuna Pattie Sliders

• Make leftover tuna patties into sliders by serving them on small whole wheat slider buns topped with lettuce, tomato, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Shredded Chicken Salad

• Shred the meat from leftover chicken legs to add to a salad the next day or try the cucumber salad as a topping for whole wheat crackers for a simple snack.

Pasta with Meatballs

• Serve leftover meatballs with whole wheat pasta and your favorite tomato sauce or turn your unstuffed egg roll into a stir fry by adding extra veggies and serving over fried rice.

BBQ Chicken Sandwich

• Try leftover BBQ chicken over whole wheat buns topped with a low-fat slaw or chop your chicken thighs and veggies to serve over shredded lettuce with your favorite vinaigrette for a simple chopped salad.