Top 7 things to do with leftover food scraps

I don’t make much food art — you know, making shapes and fanciful characters out of food, using cookie cutters and scissors. But I do it occasionally, making cutout sandwiches and veggie shapes like those in these lunches (click photos for details). After you’ve cut out the fun shapes, though, you’re left with a pile of food scraps that’s a shame to throw away.

So without further ado, I present:

The Top 7 Things to do with Leftover Food Scraps

1. Eat as you go: Have them as part of breakfast or a snack as you pack.

2. Camouflage: Put them underneath a layer of pretty food, or cut them small and mix with other food. For example, the yellow pepper scraps in the orzo salad lunch to the right are chopped and mixed in with the salad itself.

3. Veggies: Save & put in other food like salad, fried rice, stir fry, soups, or a sauteed add-in to macaroni and cheese. You can also chop them up small and add them to a mirepoix or seasoned food topping.

4. Bread crusts: Make into bread crumbs, croutons, or freeze in cubes and save to use in stuffing or bread pudding. Or you can always save them to feed to the birds — my preschooler enjoys going to Golden Gate Park and feeding stale bread cubes to the ducks in Stowe Lake.

5. Fruit: Save (in refrigerator or freezer) and put on cereal, in smoothies, yogurt, pies, pancakes, or muffins.

6. Cheese: Save and use in salad, melt over bread (sandwich melt, grilled cheese, or “pizza”), melt over tortilla chips as nachos, or put in an omelette.

7. Sliced meats: Save and incorporate in other dishes like pastas, sandwiches, omelettes, fried rice, etc.

What do you do with your food scraps? Comment and let us know.

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