Blog: Every Bite Counts

Raw vegetables such as carrot sticks, celery, cucumber, peppers, and cauliflower can easily be used in other meals.

• Chop and add them to stir-fries, pasta dishes, soups, stews, or casseroles.
• Roast or steam them for a side dish.
• Grate them into muffins, fritters, meatballs, or burgers.
• Add them to omelettes or scrambled eggs.

If they’re starting to lose their freshness, freeze them in a container or freezer bag and use them later to make homemade vegetable stock.

Whether it’s steamed broccoli, roasted squash, green beans, or cooked carrots:

• Purée and freeze in small portions for babies.
• Add to soups, sauces, and casseroles.
• Mix into pasta dishes or stir-fries.
• Use in frittatas, quiches, or egg muffins.
• Add as a pizza topping.
• Mash into potato dishes or blend into sauces for extra nutrition.

Mashed potatoes are surprisingly versatile.

• Make potato cakes or croquettes.
• Mix with vegetables, cheese, or leftover meat and form patties.
• Add small amounts to soups for extra thickness.
• Use as a topping for shepherd’s pie.
• Freeze for another meal.

• Store leftovers in the fridge for later if they’re still fresh.
• Cut away any bitten sections before reserving.
• Freeze fruit chunks for smoothies.
• Add to muffins, loaves, pancakes, or oatmeal.
• Stir into yogurt or sprinkle over cereal.
• Make fruit popsicles or smoothie bowls.

Cooked apples, pears, berries, and other fruit can be:

• Served again for breakfast or dessert.
• Topped with oats to make a crumble.
• Mixed into oatmeal or yogurt.
• Layered into parfaits.

• Mix into soups, salads, or casseroles.
• Use in a pasta bake.
• Add to frittatas or egg muffins.
• Freeze for future meals.

Food safety is particularly important with rice. Cool leftovers quickly and refrigerate promptly.

• Turn it into fried rice.
• Make rice pudding.
• Add to soups and casseroles.
• Freeze in meal-sized portions.

Keep a “bread bag” in the freezer and add crusts as they accumulate.

Use them to make:

• Homemade breadcrumbs
• Croutons
• Stuffing
• French toast casseroles

Depending on the fillings:

• Toast them for a quick snack.
• Freeze and reheat later.
• Cut into cubes and use in lunchbox snack boxes.

Avoid reusing sandwiches that contain ingredients that don’t reheat well, such as lettuce or cucumber.

Cold toast can be transformed into:

• Breadcrumbs
• Croutons
• Bread pudding
• Breakfast casseroles

Freeze leftover pieces until you have enough to use.

• Refrigerate and reheat for another breakfast.
• Blend into smoothies.
• Use in muffins, pancakes, or baking.
• Form into breakfast bars or energy bites.

• Add soggy cereal to smoothies.
• Use stale cereal in baking.
• Toast softer cereal in the oven to restore crunch.
• Mix leftover cereal varieties into snack bars.

• Freeze into cubes for smoothies.
• Make frozen yogurt pops.
• Use in baking.
• Add to smoothies, dips, or parfaits.

Leftover smoothies can be:

• Frozen in ice cube trays and reused in future smoothies.
• Turned into popsicles.
• Poured into bowls and topped with fruit, granola, or cereal.

If handled and stored safely:

• Add to pizzas, wraps, sandwiches, or salads.
• Mix into soups, pasta dishes, or casseroles.
• Freeze for future meals.

Always reheat leftovers until they are steaming hot.

• Reheat in the oven, air fryer, or toaster oven to restore crispness.
• Slice and add to wraps or sandwiches.
• Use as a pizza topping.
• Add to lunchboxes the next day if stored safely.

• Reheat and top with cheese or other favourite toppings.
• Add to breakfast hash.
• Chop and add to soups or casseroles.
• Use as a topping for a shepherd’s pie-inspired casserole.

• Refresh stale chips in a warm oven.
• Crush and use as a crispy topping for casseroles or baked dishes.
• Add to savoury snack mixes.

Freeze extra cheese and use later in:

• Pizza
• Macaroni and cheese
• Sauces
• Soups
• Casseroles

• Freeze for future snacks.
• Warm and serve with fruit and yogurt.
• Crumble into ice cream.
• Turn into cake pops or dessert truffles.
• Layer with fruit and custard to make trifles.