Posts

Don’t Throw Out Your Thanksgiving Turkey

Did you know that 200 million pounds of turkey will be thrown away after Thanksgiving? Here are four ways to prevent throwing out turkey and reducing waste.

[su_expanding_quote_web alignment=”right” source_site=”Natural Resources Defense Council” source_url=”https://www.nrdc.org/experts/yvette-cabrera/giving-thanks-and-wasting-less” full_quote=”Americans will toss a whopping $282 million of uneaten turkey into the trash this Thanksgiving, contributing to the $165 billion in uneaten food Americans waste every year. Along with trashing uneaten turkeys, they’ll be wasting the resources necessary for its production. That’s enough turkey to provide each American household that is food insecure with more than 11 additional servings. 17.9 million American households suffer from food insecurity.” short_quote=”Americans will toss a whopping $282 million of uneaten turkey into the trash this Thanksgiving, “]

1. Get Your Kitchen Ready
Clear out your fridge and freezer a week before. Use what you have for weekday meals. This also makes room for the food you will buy and prep for Thanksgiving – and for leftovers. Eat down your fridge as my sister-in-law would say. Some ideas:

  • Breakfast egg casseroles: use any veggie and leftover meats
  • Baked oats: mix chopped veggies with oats and eggs and bake
  • Clean out the Fridge Soup
  • Meal Salads: toss leftover meats, grains, veggies with greens and salad dressing
  • Lunch wraps: spread hummus or mashed avocados on tortillas, add leftovers
  • Smoothies: add in a handful of greens and random veggies / fruits
  • Pesto: great ways to use greens and wilting herbs (cilantro, parsley, basil)

2. Go Less Disposable, More Re-useable

Two places to reduce waste are:

  • Food storage containers – Glass is best so you can see what’s inside. Dollar Store and mason jars are budget-friendly. Have masking tape and marker to date and labels.
  • Beverages – Did you know water is the most common nutritional deficiency in the U.S.? Did you know there are no regulations on bottled water? Skip plastic water bottles and kids juice pouches.
    • Invest in a glass drink dispenser
    • Serve filtered tap water – you will save money and reduce plastic bottles excess
    • Add fruits or herbs to water dispenser: oranges, lemon or cucumbers slices, mint or basil
    • Make homemade, chilled iced tea. No sugar necessary with fruit / herbal teas
    • Drinking glasses from Dollar store are budget-friendly. Use markers so each guest uses only one glass. If  choosing disposable, aim for biodegradable

3. Be Food Savvy

  • Go with tried and true recipes (skip throwing out food for experiments gone wrong)
  • Plan smaller portions. No one will eat a full serving of every dish
  • Use the Guest-imator.  Created by the Natural Resources Defense Council, this free online portion calculator helps you estimate how much food you will need to prepare each dish.
  • Use a Shopping list, so obvious but seriously makes a difference
    • Stick to your list to avoid tantalizing food and impulse buys
    • Reduces the gas and number of trips to grocery store for item you frogot
  • Save your veggie scraps
    • Don’t peel your potatoes or veggies if local and/or organic
    • Keep vegetables bits (tops of celery, ends of green beans and leeks, etc) in a container or bag as you go
    • Use scraps in you turkey stock. OR store the bag of veggie scraps in your freezer and make vegetable broth later. Simply simmer them in water for an hour and strain.

4. Plan Your Leftovers Before You Start Cooking

  • Will you give away leftovers? Invite guests to bring their own containers, or use restaurant take-out, recycled containers
  • Choose leftover meals/recipes
  • Store leftovers in clear glass containers. Use masking tape and marker to date and label. Unidentified food goes bad and gets thrown away. Food not eaten by the 3rd day, goes in the freezer. Slice and/or shred the turkey meet and store it in an airtight container 3 – 4 days. Leftover turkey can be frozen up to 6 months
  • Decide what to freeze – Subdivide food from big containers not eaten within 4 days into mason jars or container jars. I like 12-oz mason jars because it makes one serving. Label and freeze. For large amounts of soup, mashed potatoes etc. that make for a meal another day, I re-useable Ziploc bags. Make sure to date and label. Once frozen it becomes a mystery if it’s not identified
  • Make Turkey Stock – Easy to do with the bones of the carved turkey, veggie scraps, some extra onions and carrots. Make it part of clean up

Leftover Meal Ideas

Check these recipes out ahead of time. Choose 1 – 3 . Print them. Plan them into your weekly menu.

For more waste reducing tips visit:

This Thanksgiving, Be More Grateful than Wasteful – NRDC

Take Food Waste Off the Thanksgiving Menu

 

Grateful Thanksgiving: Transform Leftovers

Thanksgiving often leaves us with more leftovers than we can eat.

“Across America 320 million pounds of food will be wasted this Thanksgiving, representing $550 million worth of food thrown away in just a single day. At a time when more Americans are facing food insecurity, the amount of discarded food is the equivalent of 267 million meals that could have gone to people in need.”  ReFED

With simple strategies, transform brain-healthy Thanksgiving leftovers into family-friendly meals that reduce food waste, support mood and energy, and keep everyone nourished.

Smart Strategies for Thanksgiving Leftovers

Make Turkey Stock for Nourishing Meals

Use the bones of your carved turkey plus veggie scraps (leek ends, celery tops, green bean tips) to make a nutrient-rich stock. Doing this immediately ensures nothing goes to waste and supports family wellness.

Store Leftovers Clearly

Glass containers with labels (as simple as masking tape and a sharpie) make it easy to identify leftovers.

If a dish isn’t eaten within three days, freeze it. This reduces food waste and makes weeknight meals easier.

Freeze for Busy Weeknights

Portion leftovers in mason jars or reusable bags. Frozen brain-healthy Thanksgiving leftovers provide quick, nourishing meals for kids, adults, and women in perimenopause or menopause.

Delicious Meals Thanksgiving Leftovers

Turkey Enchiladas

  • Combine leftover turkey with drained organic beans.
  • Add enchilada sauce – store bought or homemade – and roll in tortillas.
  • Top with enchilada sauce and shredded cheese
  • Bake at 350°F for 25–30 minutes until golden.

Turkey Barley Soup

  • Sauté onions, mushrooms, carrots, celery, and garlic.
  • Add barley, herbs, and turkey stock.
  • Simmer until barley is tender.
  • Freeze portions for later.

Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

  • Sauté onions, garlic, diced tomatoes, and oregano.
  • Mix in leftover turkey.
  • Top with leftover cauliflower mashed potatoes and mushrooms.
  • Freeze for future meals.

Leftover Cranberry Sauce Ideas

  • Oatmeal topper: Add dollop of cranberry sauce and pumpkin seeds.
  • Lunch wrap: Combine with greens, turkey, goat cheese, crunchy veggie (cucumbers, bell peppers)
  • Snack: Mix with goat cheese and spread on rice crackers.

Cranberries provide antioxidants and fiber, supporting steady blood sugar and mood

Why Thanksgiving Leftovers Matter

Repurposing your leftovers helps:

  • Reduce food waste and environmental impact.
  • Support family wellness with nutrient-dense meals.
  • Provide healthy kids meals that enhance focus and energy.
  • Support perimenopausal and menopausal women with steady blood sugar and mood.

More Tips to Reduce Thanksgiving Food Waste

What Can People do To Reduce Food Waste on Thanksgiving? 

Take Food Waste Off the Thanksgiving Menu

This Thanksgiving Be More Grateful Than Wasteful

Let’s Save the Food