How to Use Leftovers (And Really Enjoy Them!)

Even for the best cooks, figuring out how to use leftovers can be a bummer. If you’re tired of staring down the same old Tupperware dishes full of the same old food, have no fear: Fody is here with a few easy tricks for using up yesterday’s meals without getting bored!

How to use leftovers when you cooked way, way, way too much.

Misread fifteen as fifty? Meal prep got away from you? If your fridge and freezer are full to bursting with your latest culinary adventure and it’s got you feeling blah, it’s time to re-imagine the possibilities. 

Stir-Frying grains like rice or a pseudo-grain like quinoa can open up whole new worlds of flavor! A few tips: using a flavored oil like Fody’s garlic- or shallot-infused olive oil can turn a bland dish into comfort food in just a few minutes, with no chopping, no bloating and minimal clean up! Need some inspiration? Check out this low FODMAP cheesy chicken and rice skillet for some guidelines on how to give your grains a second life.

Sandwiches are one of the most versatile (and ancient!) ways to enjoy all kinds of tasty food. The key to turning leftovers into a good sandwich is in execution and a little bit of prep work. Too much chicken breast? Slice it up, lay it on a piece of gluten-free bread or a gluten-free wrap to create your own version of Fody’s BBQ chicken salad wrap, get some classic inspiration from these Gluten-free chicken Caesar wraps, or go plant-based with a tempeh sandwich.

Omelets–Hear us out! It’s true that not everything works in an omelet…but with eggs, imagination and a bit of seasoning, you can create quick, easy breakfast-for-dinners out of many meals. Don’t believe us? If spaghetti omelets are a thing, we at Fody believe anything is possible!

A word on bowls

Got some oil? Got some spices? Ready for the ultimate way to use leftovers? With a little bit of gumption, you can create a whole new meal for the whole family. This works especially well if you have a bit of everything left, as long as the seasonings you used in your original recipes don’t clash (or as long as you can unify the flavors with a sauce). 

Chop up and use leftover protein, grains, cooked veggies and leafy greens, and even staples like bread, cheese and legumes to create quick, filling bowls. Fry it all together for a warm, cohesive dish, or use cold leftovers together to create a quick, fresh salad bowl. Top it off with a flavored oil or your favorite bloat-free sauce, and presto! You’ve got a versatile meal you can switch up and eat again and again. Check out the possibilities in our recipes section to find dishes like a taco-salmon bowl and a burrito bowl as inspo!

Shopping with leftovers in mind

Leftovers have a unique history in modern culture, and they’re here to stay; from avoiding food waste to saving money, they get a big thumbs up from Fody. But they do require preparedness: imaginative meal prep and leftover use often hinges on having versatile staples on-hand. Check out our rundown on creating gut-friendly pantry for Fody’s top tips on putting together a bloat-free pantry of simple, healthful ingredients you can use whenever you need. 

For leftover night (or any night you’re not feeling like a gourmet), it’s good to have a gluten-free grain like rice or quinoa ready to cook; you can even pre-make a plain grain as part of your weekly meal prep. Other staples like cheese, fresh or dried herbs, dry or canned beans, and eggs can all come to the rescue when you’re re-imagining a dish. Finally, having an array of oils, sauces, and spices is essential to creating dishes you’ll enjoy over and over. 

Enjoying flavor doesn’t mean giving in to unhealthy, inflammatory quick-fixes! Check out Fody’s products to discover more delicious, bloat-free staples, and browse our recipes to find more leftover makeovers or gourmet from-scratch feasts for any occasion!

Always bloat-free and always delicious, Fody is your ally from the grocery store to your dinner plate. Happy inventing!