Let’s be honest: Eating leftovers might not be our favorite activity in the world, and there are definitely some foods that do not reheat well the next day.
But in this economy and with increasing food scarcity, we cannot afford to throw away all of the extra foods that could be repurposed after making our meals throughout the day, pointed out the members of the “Am I Overreacting?” (AIO) subReddit.
This is such a concern, in fact, it might be worth breaking up with someone who disagrees.
Redditor florence_dombey had been with a woman for a few months, and they had realized that their girlfriend would not eat leftovers, ever, even if it was the very next morning.
With increasing costs and food waste, the Original Poster (OP) could not see a sustainable future with their girlfriend.
They asked the sub:
“Am I overreacting for breaking up with my girlfriend because she won’t eat leftovers?”
The OP’s girlfriend had a very specific boundary in place: no leftovers, ever.
“My girlfriend would not eat leftovers. I mean that literally.”
“We were dating for several months, and we’re both in our mid-30s.”
“She won’t eat anything, even ONE DAY after it’s made.”
“I’ve made a couple of casseroles (convenient in the winter and for work lunches), but she won’t touch them after the first day.”
“If we eat out, she’ll leave anything on her plate she didn’t finish, no matter how much, and she won’t take the leftover container home, even for me.”
The OP tried to figure out a deeper reason for not eating leftovers, but there wasn’t one.
“She never said there was a health reason. It was just, ‘I don’t want to.'”
“I’ve confirmed that she’s never gotten food poisoning. Her response is just, ‘Leftovers? Ewww,’ and then she’ll skip a meal and go to bed hungry instead of eating leftovers.”
“She also hasn’t said anything about bad experiences. I think she was brought up to think that leftovers were ‘bad’ or ‘inferior’ somehow.”
“I don’t expect anyone to eat four-day-old leftovers, but she seems to draw the line at HOURS.”
“If it’s in the fridge overnight, even from a meal she ate the night before at a restaurant, she won’t touch it.”
“And no, she hasn’t said that it’s because fridges are too bacteria-prone, she just thinks that it’s ‘too old.'”
The OP decided to break up with her for this.
“I decided to break up with her.”
“When she asked why I said it was over, she laughed at my reason.”
“She said I was being silly and that it wasn’t a big deal at all.”
“AIO?”
Fellow Redditors weighed in:
- NOR: Not Overreacting
- YOR: You’re Overreacting
Some pointed out that if there was a bad history with leftovers, they might understand, but based on the OP’s research, they rated the OP as “NOR.”
“When I was much younger, I had a very bad case of food poisoning. We’re talking hospital-level, death’s door illness. It took about 20 years (yes, years) before I would touch certain foods, and I couldn’t do leftovers.”
“I now eat those foods, and I eat leftovers, but I won’t eat anything over 48 hours old, and then only if I have no other options. Usually, it’s the next day only, a few select things the day after that.”
“I’d understand if she had a bad experience, but at this rate, NOR.” – DemonaDraches
“My wife would be lost without leftovers. She cooks, and it’s good, but she’s not someone who enjoys cooking. I love it passionately, so I do the majority of the cooking, and most things I cook last for two to three days.”
“So I’ll cook one night, then have her heat up leftovers the next day, etc. Plus, we both work a lot. Leftovers keep us going.” – doctordoctorplus
“I do the prep cook thing, too. I’m hypoglycemic, so I’m not going to get out of work and spend an hour cooking fragrant dishes while I starve and pretty literally suffer.”
“Besides, most foods that are combined, like casseroles, taste better after one or two days.”
“Not sure how long you have been dating her. But, if you’re not deeply in love yet, end it. Food, cooking, and kitchen/dish maintenance are often sources of trouble in relationships.” – Bebe_Bleau
“Someone else [Redditor Bebe_Bleau] pointed out that food is often a source of trouble in relationships, and I rarely see this being acknowledged, but as someone with chronic anorexia nervosa, it is something that I have very much found to be the case.”
“Incompatibilities and differences around eating and food can be such a roadblock in relationships.”
“Food is such a major aspect of everyone’s daily life and financial budget. Having it become a source of tension in one’s relationship and having to deal with that approximately three times a day can really strain an otherwise happy relationship.”
“I think it’s definitely one of those things that some basic amount of alignment between both partners is necessary in order for the relationship to survive.” – OhCrumbs96
“It says to me that she could be super wasteful, too, like throwing out a whole apple, just because she notices a small bruise on it.”
“Maybe tossing out the last little bit of dried pasta, or rice, just because she deems that there isn’t enough left to be worth bothering.”
“Probably also tosses still perfectly usable bars of soap, quarter-full bottles of shampoo, etc., as well.” – JRyuu
Others agreed and argued that they could not afford a relationship like this in this economy.
“My husband and I wouldn’t be compatible if he didn’t eat leftovers. Our grocery bill wouldn’t be compatible with our income either if that were the case. I get it for sure.” – Total_Finger1493
“In this economy?! NOR.”
“But seriously, leftovers are the best part. Soups, casseroles, mac and cheese, BBQ, most things are just better the next day.”
“And don’t get me started on Thanksgiving or other holiday leftovers.”
“But, opening the fridge and seeing leftovers from several meals you can heat up for the family, so you: Don’t have to cook and still have tasty food and can spend more time together.”
“What’s not to love? I don’t waste food.” – lwebb5520
“Spaghetti sauce is better the next day, too; that’s a known fact. Someone not eating leftovers is not only a budget killer, but it also says to me that she’s not educated on food. And someone who has an uneducated opinion on something and refuses to learn about it would frustrate me to the point of no return.”
“I use the Lock and Lock containers. We eat stuff even a week to 10 days later, and it still tastes just as fresh. Luckily, my husband loves leftovers the way I do. And in this economy, it’s especially a crime to waste food.”
“NOR.” – Lost_Photograph9879
“I’ll spend a whole day cooking red sauce and then put it in the fridge because it just isn’t right until the next day! And don’t get me started on black beans.”
“In the colder months, I make big pots of chili. I’ll have a little bit that day, sure, but I put the pot out in the garage cause day two is the main event.”
“I can’t imagine being with someone who’d expect me to throw all of that away and not even try it.” – C6H11CN
“My husband eats nearly all of our leftovers. I always take leftovers home, even when I’m sure I won’t eat them. The man LIVES for leftovers. He usually asks me if I want any before he eats it all, but I very rarely do because I’m a picky b***h, although getting an air fryer has increased my leftover consumption.”
“The difference is that I do eat leftovers sometimes, I make enough food to create leftovers for my man who wants them, and I would never, ever purposefully waste good food.” – MargotFenring
“I will say that my partner and I once had contention regarding eating leftovers for a couple days afterward, didn’t like eating the same food. BUT once I explained to him the overwhelming burden, exhaustion, and financial expense of cooking new every night, he understood.”
“Once we went a while where he was the one cooking for a bit, and then he FULLY understood and was completely on the same page now. I think he still struggles here and there with eating the same meal, but sometimes we try and mix in some new things, fillers, to change it up a bit, and it helps. And he’s never complained since.”
“I’m guessing his ex came from an upper-class family and doesn’t understand the importance of long-lasting meals for saving yourself from mental and physical exhaustion and finances. Or maybe she doesn’t care?” – Total_Antelope8467
“Being a picky eater in general ruins a person for me. I don’t want to go to dinner with someone who has toddler issues about not eating vegetables, or having food touch on the plate, or discussing ‘mouth feel’ of food.”
“Much less marrying someone who won’t eat this and doesn’t like leftovers.”
“A lot of food is better the second day, and I’m not cooking a fresh meal every day. We have leftovers on Monday and sometimes during the week, as well, although those usually get eaten the next day for lunch.”
“I’m glad the OP moved on. This is such a no.” – SnooCheesecakes2723
The subReddit would have been more understanding if the OP’s girlfriend had terrible food poisoning from leftovers or had allergies that might make eating leftovers a little more risky or had a spectrum disorder that impacted her relationship with food.
Since the OP confirmed that she simply did not want to eat them, the subReddit firmly sided against her, seeing her as too high-maintenance and too expensive to date.
Maybe she was raised to look down on leftovers and see saving them and eating them as something that “poor people” do; however, she would hopefully learn more about that someday and become a better contributor to her community, one batch of saved food at a time.