I have GOT to shop better!

[KimKelly]

Well, maybe not shop better, but I have to actually eat what I buy! Goodness, I just cleaned out my fridge, and had to throw away a whole canteloupe that we didn't eat, along with a 1/2 bottle of bbq sauce that we didn't finish and an avacado that didn't make it either. I also lost 2 zucchini of the 4 that I couldn't resist at the Farmers Market 2 weeks ago...and a 1/2 used tub of hummus. There was the chicken that was left over from a week ago, and the end of a fruit salad that is now "droopy". !!!!!!

I'm going to do better this week!!!! Does anyone else do this?? Ugh... I'm so frustrated with myself!

Kim

[BarbaraL]

Yes, I do this all the time. Usually with things like watermelons, cantelope, etc - things that take some time to prepare (and are messy). I'm late for work, and don't have time to cut them up and package to bring for lunch. Or, I put things in the downstairs refrigerator, and forget about them. Sometimes, DH and DD don't eat what they ask for (or what I expect them to eat). Or, our dinner plans get re-arranged and my meal plans go awry.

[DeeK]

Yes, we do that here too.

We've been trying hard to eat up what we buy, but sometimes it just doesn't happen. I noticed that if I prep the veggies and fruit right when I get home from the market, that there is a good chance they will be eaten before spoiling.

Otherwise, we have melons and fruit going all moldy .... :(

[Canice]

Well, I was insulted (twice) on a thread because I don't like to have leftovers, and that's part of it; I really like to shop to cook and cook to eat. I feel terrible having uneaten food -because I know it will languish- and food gone to waste.

The worst (to me) is produce or other fresh products that go from lovely to rotten, untouched. DBF used to eat yogurt and fruit for dessert, but now every single quart of yogurt he buys gets pitched, unopened. :(

[oceanjasper]

Yup, I do this all the time. :o

I really am trying to be better, but today I had to throw out:

1. Half of a (not so) fresh pineapple
2. Some scary lyoner and roasted chicken lunch meat
3. Half a dozen squishy plums
4. Part of a slightly hairy zucchini
5. Head of broccoli with slimy black bits on top

[MikeC]

Well, maybe not shop better, but I have to actually eat what I buy!
I'm going to do better this week!!!! Does anyone else do this?? Ugh... I'm so frustrated with myself!

Kim

Yeah, me too. I'm really trying to get better at this.....

[LakeMartinGal]

I do this, too. It's mostly salad stuff and fruit. I keep thinking I'll make a salad, but when dinners done, DH doesn't want one, so I don't make it. I need to make it without asking, I guess! And the fruit! I love fruit, but I forget to eat it... that's on me, too! :o I think that's just good intentions in the store gone awry at home! I've started cutting back on the purchase to a more reasonable amount, and that's helped.

[Robyn1007]

Yeah, I was on a really good streak and then my aunt and uncle came over yesterday. They brought me peaches, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cantaloupe and corn. As much as I appreciate all of it, its hard for me to get through everything considering I already had a mango and 4 apples in my fruit stock and I'm only one. This morning though, I made a fruit cup and toast for breakfast, just wish I'd thought to pick up some plain yogurt yesterday because that's just not enough protein to hold me over.

I'm really bad about salad too, I generally don't even buy it, I just order salads at restaurants. :o

[KristaMB]

I hate to admit it, but I do this all the time. It makes me so mad, too. My most wasted items are bags of lettuce. DH claims he likes them to make salads for lunch, but he never uses them, or never feels like a salad for dinner. Yeah, it's all his fault! ;)

This actually inspired me to head to the kitchen to cut the pineapple and cantaloupe I have sitting on the counter. I'm usually pretty good about not wasting fruit, but it's the labor intensive ones like these that are most often left to rot.

[MISSINDI]

Count me in as another offender. Fruit and produce are the worst. Then the leftovers that get pushed to the back and aren't good by the time they resurface, or aren't as appealing. I'm working on it...

[tyroleancutie]

I got pretty good over the last couple of weeks - we hardly ever throw stuff out :eek:

There were times though when I threw out a lot every week especially Produce, Fruits, Dairy Products... I was so frustrated to see how much food (and money) we waste every month so I cut back on my grocery trips.

Today I cooked up a big pot of Ratatouille because I had to use up zucchini, squash and an eggplant I bought last week at the Farmers Market. Now we had a vegetable side dish for tonight and even tomorrow :D

(By the way, there is only one dirty word in the kitchen: waste ;) )

[SDMomChef]

Me too! I get so mad at myself! I also hate leftovers - and when my DH tells me to save the leftover food, I make him SWEAR to me that he will eat it and if not, I make him throw away the moldy leftovers that I wanted to throw away from the beginning.

I'm also a very bad offender of actually throwing way the Ziploc containers - I know it is bad for the environment....but sometimes the leftovers look too much like a science expirement for me to open. I know -shame on me!

[jtoepfert100]

Well, I was insulted (twice) on a thread because I don't like to have leftovers, and that's part of it; I really like to shop to cook and cook to eat. I feel terrible having uneaten food -because I know it will languish- and food gone to waste.


Why would someone insult you for not liking leftovers? Why would they care? :confused:

I'm fanatical about not letting things go bad so I'm constantly taking stock of the fridge and making sure I know what's in there and what needs to be used. My problem is I'll go nuts one night trying to come up with a way to use something so it won't go bad and end up buying more things just to use it. I've tried to cut back on buying the fresh stuff unless I absolutely have a use for it. I try and remind myself that if I need something, I am allowed to go to the grocery store whenever I want.

[vbak]

I'm with Canice on this one-I don't like leftovers and that is what we're having tonight. ICK!

Last week I managed to salvage part of a huge Indiana melon, and I bought another one on Sunday. I must cut it up. Bagged salads are a waste for us because we don't have salad every night and it goes bad. I have been buying romaine and spinach on the stem. I think it lasts longer.

It really makes me ill to throw stuff out and I am trying to do better. Yesterday when I was at the store the little voice in my head said,"You have tomatoes at home. Buy only a small head of romaine because you will end up throwing it out." It worked. My big freezer is another story for another thread. :mad:

Vicky

[KimKelly]

I'm so glad I'm not the only one in this! I went thru my whole pantry and threw out everything that was old, I did the same in the fridge and now if I was on top of things I'd do the freezer and get a fresh start.... along with a pledge to myself to try to use things more wisely! I just got back from TJ's and did the smallest amount of fresh that I could. With school back in I will be able to shop more frequently and not try to buy for a whole week. So we have a few bananas, a few apples and 4 pears that will be ripe when the bananas and apples are gone. How's that for planning???!!!!???? :)

Kim