Did you know that according to a USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) report, 31% or 133 billion pounds of U.S. food goes uneaten? Consumers are responsible for two-thirds of this food waste! Seniors, instead of tossing out unappealing holiday food after days of leaving edibles in the refrigerator, it’s time to find innovative ways to make recipes healthy, and perhaps even healthier, than the original holiday meals.
According to Helen Rasmussen, PhD, RD, senior research dietician at Tufts’ Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, “Leftovers should by definition be easier than the first meal. Some even taste better the next day.”
Rasmussen continues, “Leftovers also present an opportunity to add healthy ingredients that might have been lacking the first time.”
Here are some varied suggestions for your leftover turkey (or other meat): Make the meat into stir-fry dishes with vegetables added, fresh or frozen to be cooked. Our dietitian recommends the addition of sweet potatoes in these dishes for an even healthier dish. Rasmussen cites making extra turkey/chicken into tacos or quesadillas with all of the Mexican trimmings. Helen gives us this advice for something quite different: “…give chunks of turkey/chicken an Asian twist with a simple no-cook satay dipping sauce of peanut butter, low-sodium soy sauce and/or fish sauce, chili sauce, and lime juice.”
On these super-cold days, let’s not forget the use of hot soups to “warm our inners.” Our dietitian recommends adding again veggies along with a simple stock from turkey/chicken wings and back or the use of a low-sodium premade stock for soup. Including beans to produce an easy poultry chili will result in a high protein meal that is lower in saturated fat than the traditional chili made with beef. Turkey, chicken, or pork can also work well when served warm or cold in nutritious grain dishes with added vegetables. These meats can be served as important parts of couscous or fried brown rice or pasta recipes.
Finally, leftovers can find new excitement by becoming toppings on homemade pizzas, in sandwiches, or as an accompaniment to a fresh salad.
Tufts University’s November 2015 Health & Nutrition Letter finalizes, “Using those holiday leftovers crowding your fridge can make you feel you’re doing your part to reduce food waste.”
Why not feel less guilty with these and your own newly created dishes, no matter how bad your food indulgence was the first time around!
Want a delicious healthy dessert using leftovers from holiday meals? Here’s a simple one:
Pumpkin Pie Yogurt with Fresh Berries and Granola Sprinkle
Directions: In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup pumpkin pie filling (or 1/4 canned pumpkin mixed with 1 tbsp. maple syrup) and 1/3 cup lowfat plain yogurt (leftover pumpkin pie with its minimal use of crust crushed into the mixture may also be used). Spoon half the yogurt mixture into a glass and top with 1/4 cup raspberries and blueberries and 2 tsp. granola. Top with remaining yogurt mixture, another 1/4 cup mixed berries and a sprinkle of granola.
Nutrition info: 190 calories, 3 g fat, (1 g saturated), 38 g carbs, 10 g fiber, 7 g protein.
