I was realizing today how much more time we have during lunch breaks if we use what we have in the fridge for a quick meal. For example, this weekend I used a crockpot for some delicious adobe style chicken which fed the family a great dinner on Sunday. On the flip side, we were left with about a pound of chicken in leftovers. I simply wrapped those in a tortilla for a quick lunch yesterday and wrapped 2 up for a late-night dinner tonight. The amount of time saved by having such a quick meal was great! I got to spend more time with my 4 year old at lunch after she returned from preschool and I got to spend some extra family time with the kids this evening by opting for a delayed burrito wrap with the leftovers after the little SNHers were in bed.
The savings is two-fold too! Not only do we gain the time, but also save on our food costs. We are nearly at crisis level with how much food we (Americans) throw out in the trash each year. According to this article (https://www.marketwatch.com/story/this-is-why-americans-throw-out-165-billion-in-food-every-year-2016-07-22) we waste about 40% of our food! That is simply astonishing considering how much we pay for that food. In my household, our food budget is about 30% of our monthly spending.
The more we eat our leftovers, the more we do for our food system, our time and our wallets! Have a good night.