Women and Leftover Food

We as Indians never want to waste food and being female especially from all perspective we think food wastage is wrong and it’s true also. We eat leftover food to avoid food wastage. But these attempts of avoiding food wastage may harm our body.

Many women eat leftover food by default (not by choice)! Eating leftover food is actually not a problem. It creates a problem when leftover food is eaten after eating your regular meal and even if you are not hungry (just to finish the stuff). This dumps extra calories in the body because you have already taken your share of calories. This can leads to weight gain, fat gain and issues like acidity and gases. Many people think they don’t eat much but still they gain weight. They don’t count eating leftover food.

Eating leftover food at wrong times can also kill your hunger. Your interest in food is lost.

Quite often, the leftover food is re-cooked by adding some seasonings, spices or extra sugar and salt (e.g. fried rice, chapatti-laddu, phodnichi poli etc.). This adds further calories, fats and sodium to body. Excess of these nutrients can be detrimental to health in many ways.

Many times kids eat less and left over is eaten by the mother. Even if she is not hungry, she eats the remaining portion to avoid food wastage. We should give smaller portions to kids and make food with little judgment to avoid food wastage. Teach older kids to take only as much they want and finish the food served in the plate. Don’t serve and feed forcefully.

Many times we cook little extra to avoid saying ‘no’ to anyone’s requirement. Firstly get precise cooking portions. If still excess is cooked, keep for next day. There is no harm in eating leftover food on second day rather than dumping yourself with excess food. Next day share it with all family members so that only a small portion is consumed by each.

You can also distribute leftover food to needy people or use leftover foods such as excess rice and chapatti for making compost.