Thanksgiving Leftovers Are Good for Longer Than You Think
Don't automatically assume a date label on food has to do with safety. (Also: Don't forget to freeze your leftover stuffing and pie.)
Holiday dinner.
Photographer: Lauri Patterson/Getty ImagesAt Thanksgiving, food is the main event. But despite all the effort that goes into buying and preparing a turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie, some 312 million pounds of food will end up in the trash this week. That’s roughly $600 million worth.
While Thanksgiving is known for its excess, the holiday is a microcosm of a global problem. About 30% of all food produced for human consumption is wasted, according to the World Food Programme. In the US, the Department of Agriculture estimates that number could be up to 40%. Nearly half of US food waste is generated by households, which makes reducing it both powerful — saving families money while slowing greenhouse gas emissions — and as straightforward as learning to love your leftovers.