Holiday Leftovers: How to Prevent Food Waste Before and After the Feast

The holidays are when food brings people together - but they’re also when food waste quietly reaches its annual peak. In the U.S., household waste increases by an estimated 25% between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, driven mostly by overbuying, oversized portions, and leftovers that never get eaten.

When food is thrown away, everything that goes into it is wasted too: water, soil nutrients, farm labor, fuel, packaging, and transport miles. The simplest climate solution we can practice through starts before the compost bin - by wasting less.

Step 1: Prevent Waste Before the Meal

Most excess food waste starts before dinner is cooked. An easy way to prevent this is by taking some extra time to plan the exact amount of food you will need for your guests. Here is a simple way to size your meal accurately:

Holiday Dish	Serving Size/Person	Planning Tip
Protein (turkey, beef roast)	6-8 oz cooked	If there are multiple proteins offered, reduce portions to 4-5 oz each.
Starches (potatoes, stuffing, rice)	½-1 cup/side	Choose one “main starch” and lighten the rest.
Veggies	1 cup total variety	Offer 1 instead of 4.
Dessert	1 slice/serving	Cut dessert portions in half when offering multiple options.

Verdantt’s rule of thumb: (# of guests × standard serving) + 10% buffer = ideal quantity.

Step 2: Cook With a “Second Life Plan” in Mind

Before you even start prepping for the big day, think about what tomorrow’s meals could be.

A dish that reheats poorly might be perfect repurposed:

• Mashed potatoes → Potato cakes / gnocchi

• Roasted vegetables → Soup base or grain bowls

• Turkey or other proteins → Stock, pulled sandwiches, or freezer-ready shredded portions

When ingredients are planned to evolve, leftovers become more intentionally designed, not accidentally produced.

Step 3: Make Leftovers Easier to Eat 

Convenience is the deciding factor in whether food is eaten or wasted.

When cleaning up from the meal:

• Portion leftovers into ready-to-heat containers rather than one big dish.

• Freeze part of it immediately to save it for longer.

• Label each container and include an “eat by” window (3–4 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer).

The reality is pre-arranged meals get eaten, whereas giant tubs of vague mystery containers in your fridge get forgotten about and eventually tossed.

Step 4: A Few Simple “Second-Life” Ideas

What You Have Leftover	How to Reinvent It	Why It Will Be Just as Good a Second Time
Roasted Veggies	Toss into a frittata or grain bowl.	Keeps texture & flavor while cutting prep time.
Mashed Potatoes	Form into crispy potato cakes or gnocchi for pasta.	Maintains texture well and a totally new and delicious dish!
Turkey or Chicken	Shred into soups, wraps, or tacos.	Pre-made protein base that easily adapts to new flavor profiles.
Stuffing or Bread	Bake into a breakfast strata.	Moisture & herbs make great savory breakfasts for the morning after the holiday!
Cranberry Sauce	Blend into vinaigrette or sandwich spreads.	Turns sweet tartness into a balanced accent - perfect for a lunch salad or sandwich.
Cooked Greens	Mix into fried rice, pasta, or omelets.	This prevents wilted greens from going unused.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes	Puree for pancakes, muffins, or smoothie bases.	Adds fiber and natural sweetness to these classics!
Pie Crust Scraps or Extra Dough	Roll with cinnamon and sugar for quick pastries.	Not a lot to say here - just yum!
Gravy	Use as a base for pot pies or savory stews.	Gravy is packed with flavor and ideal for reuse!
Fruit Salad	Freeze for smoothies.	Super easy way to save overripe fruit from the garbage bin.

The Bigger Picture: Food Access & Food Waste Are Connected

When we over purchase for a single meal, the upstream system must overproduce to meet our inflated demand. That widens the gap between communities with accessible fresh food and those without. When we value food beyond its first serving, we also value the people, resources, and ecosystems that made it possible.