Anti-food waste breakfast and lunch (in pictures)
I recently shared a collection of breakfast and lunch photos, all with a bent towards using up odds and ends in the name of avoiding food waste.
And since enough readers found that to be helpful, I've got another such collection for you today!
breakfast | carrot oats with an orange
These used up some extra carrots from Hungry Harvest, plus some of those leathery prunes.
On a reader's suggestion I've been adding orange peel to my oats (so good!) and the orange I ate that day was one that had been zested for oatmeal.
You are gonna see a lot of oatmeal in this post, so here's a link to how I make my single-serving oatmeal.
breakfast | oatmeal, cottage cheese, and an orange
More prunes! And on this day I tried adding turmeric to my oatmeal. I learned that I am not a fan.
Cottage cheese on the side, plus a blood orange from Hungry Harvest.
breakfast | potato patty, sausage, and guacamole
Occasionally I do switch up the oatmeal routine!
This time I added an egg to some leftover mashed potatoes and fried it in bacon grease, along with a sliced turkey sausage from a package I bought on clearance.
Guacamole on the side to use avocados from Hungry Harvest.
breakfast | carrot oats + blood orange
This time, I was using up currants in my oats.
Blood orange from Hungry Harvest of course, and same for the carrots in my oats.
breakfast | oatmeal + cottage cheese + fruit
I do make my oatmeal with a combo of milk and water, but if I have cottage cheese around, I like to have a bowl of that for some extra protein.
Of course, I zested this orange into my oatmeal before slicing it up.
breakfast | scrambled eggs + veggies
I had part of an onion left from something else, so I fried that up with a little leftover bacon and ate it with scrambled eggs and a Hungry Harvest avocado.
The tomato was partially used (I think for a burger?), so I sliced the rest of that up and added it to my plate.
breakfast | oatmeal + cottage cheese + fruit
Another day, another bowl of carrot and dried fruit oatmeal!
breakfast | eggs, sausage, carrots, and guacamole
I had some shredded carrots in the fridge from the previous day's oatmeal, so I sautéed them and topped them with two fried eggs.
I also browned another one of those clearance-purchased chicken sausages, and made a small bowl of guacamole.
breakfast | more oatmeal + pineapple and cottage cheese
Cottage cheese topped with the last of the pineapple I cut up, plus a bowl of oats (hello, prunes!).
I was out of oranges so I tried lemon zest instead, and I learned that lemon in my oats is not my favorite thing.
breakfast | oatmeal with sautéed apples
I had a bruised apple in the fridge, so I sautéed that with butter and cinnamon and ate it on top of my oatmeal.
(Which, of course, had prunes in it.)
Cottage cheese on the side for more protein!
lunch | leftover chicken
Nothing too creative here; just leftover chicken topped with mango hot sauce, toast from the previous night's loaf, plus an apple.
lunch | mashed potatoes + smoked chicken + a pear
I made a small pot of mashed potatoes to use up a few random potatoes from Hungry Harvest, and topped them with smoked chicken that I had made.
And I cut up a pear from Hungry Harvest.
lunch | panini
Grilled sandwiches are a great way to use up bits of meat, veggies, and cheese.
lunch | leftover pizza + random sides
This pizza was leftover from a takeout date night; I heated it up in the oven under the broiler because why not? I'm at home!
And pizza is massively better when it is not microwaved.
Some random produce on the side, plus some crackers and the last of a package of Swiss cheese.
lunch | guacamole + chips + sausage
Those clearance chicken sausages do keep showing up! I like them the best sliced and then browned in a cast iron pan with a little bacon grease.
Bonus: they heat up way faster this way than if you leave them whole.
I made a little bowl of guacamole to use up an avocado and I ate that with chips.
lunch | couscous with fried eggs and carrots
We had some leftover couscous, so I heated that up with some shredded carrots, and added two fried eggs.
lunch | couscous, but make it uglier
Same deal as the previous photo, except I didn't do much to make my lunch beautiful that day!
lunch | quesadilla
I used up the last two corn tortillas, plus a little bacon, and the last of the cheddar cheese.
Unpictured: an orange on the side.
lunch | peanut butter toast + banana
Sometimes my lunches are very low-effort. This day I needed something fast before I headed out to help my pregnant cousin, so I just made toast and I grabbed a banana that someone else had opened but forgotten about.
I know some people think toast with butter and peanut butter is gross, but Lisey and I love it!
And the seedy bread + peanut butter + butter does have stick-to-your-ribs staying power.
lunch | leftover Korean beef bowl
These are leftovers from the Korean lettuce wraps I make, just piled into a bowl.
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And that's the end of this round of anti-food waste breakfasts and lunches!
In case you missed the first round, you can see another set of breakfast and lunch photos here.
Kristen, I think I'm repeating myself from the last time you did a post like this, but your pictures are absolutely gorgeous! I love the creativity, and of course the non-food-waste aspect of your meals. They look incredible.
Oh, thank you!
I have never heard of butter on peanut butter toast. Interesting.
I do love cottage cheese with fruit, though, particularly pineapple and peaches. When I was pregnant with my daughter and had gestational diabetes, and so was not eating anything with sugar, my big treat was my nightly snack (I never eat before bed unless I'm pregnant, when I find it helps with heartburn issues at night) of cottage cheese and two halves of home-canned peaches.
Every time I water our tiny peach trees, I dream of having enough to can peaches. My dreams are modest. 🙂
I strongly support your "what can I group together to good purpose" attitude toward meals! My husband doesn't understand this, and thinks I do not eat enough, whereas I think my nutrition might be better overall than his Must Have Meat position.
Yes! Things do not have to "go together", except in the sense that you put them all in the same mouth. 😉
You are so diligent in this area! I do my best to avoid food waste, eat through leftovers but we still have a bit although much less than we have had in prior years. Empty grocery stores and chaos can certainly bring attention to areas that need our focus. Hats off to you!!!
You deserve a Prune Perseverance award! 🙂
I love peanut butter toast for breakfast, especially when the peanut butter is dotted with raisins or topped with sliced strawberries. (Jelly is just too sweet for me.)
Cottage cheese is especially good with cantaloupe, chopped pear, citrus, sprinkled with shelled sunflower seeds and topped with a light drizzle of honey. It's a use-up-the fruit thing I started doing in college and still love.
I love this post. I do similar things but it is always good to have more inspiration. The other thing I do is make soup and use whatever vegetables and other stuff I have that should be used up. You can add grains, beans, meat, liquids, etc. By varying the spices you can give it a variety of flavors.
I also like to use up bits and bobs in salads, usually green but I know some people use them with pasta, rice, or quinoa salads.
You inspired me to take the remaining half of a baked potato and make potato cakes, plus leftover baked beans (plus scrambled eggs) and make myself a luxurious work-from-home brunch. Delicious!
This is great! I love the combinations and your willingness to try new things, even when you decide they’re not your favorite. This week I’ve used up a partial can of diced chiles in scrambled eggs. (Baby steps) My teenage daughter likes to take one of her old toddler plates and fill each section with different foods, often with bits of leftovers and/or fruit/veggies/snacks for lunch. It gives her some variety and keeps it interesting.
I get the sectioned plate thing, especially for lunches thrown together with bits of leftovers to be used up and looks pretty 🙂
You are clearly taller than and have higher caloric needs. For me, it's oatmeal and berries for breakfast and a salad with a protein for lunch--all of the meals you've posted here are things I would eat for dinner, since that's the only meal where I can eat that much and stay a healthy weight.
I have no idea how tall you are, of course, but I'm 5'8.5".
I usually lift weights three times a week too, and I walk about 7000 steps a day.
And then there's the way metabolisms vary between people too!
No wonder the amount of food necessary for a particular body can vary so much from another.
So funny. I am so surprised at how little Kristen eats. Explains why she's so thin. She really eats properly. Good genes, good habits, and proper portions. It's inspiring.
That's usually the direction of the feedback I receive about my eating; people are surprised that I don't eat more. But this goes to show how it's all relative! I eat more than some people and I eat less than others. I exercise more than some people, and I exercise less than others. I'm taller than some people, and shorter than others.
Always though, I think the important thing is for everyone to do what works for their body, and so I never want to be recommending specifics for anyone else!
Your portions are always so small! Is that just for the photos? lol
Haha, this is cracking me up because earlier in the comment thread, KS was a little surprised at how much I eat!
The photos are indeed accurate portions for how much I ate at those meals. I am definitely not prescribing certain amounts of food for anyone else, though. I generally just follow my hunger levels and that works out pretty well for me, but I know various bodies require such a varying number of calories!
Wow. So much variety. All food groups.
I'm cracking up at "couscous, but make it uglier". Lol.
Sometimes, you just want to eat without making your food look pretty. 🙂
Perfect!! And I used to be grossed out by peanut butter and banana sandwiches. But after seeing my mother in law eat them for years, I do it now. And with almond butter is delicious!!!
I hate bananas, but I think peanut butter and bananas would be far less gross than the sandwich my dad made--peanut butter and cheese (usually colby).
Not feeling the PB and Cheese either.
My Dad would eat white bread with white Karo syrup on it, though only with soup. I thought it was sort of normal when I was little, though Mom said she had never heard of that before they were married. I did not continue that tradition with my son, yet can still remember the very sweet taste with Campbells' chicken noodle.
I love these posts! Thanks for sharing. When I eat up leftovers that my husband doesn't really want, I call it taking one for the team. 🙂 But I don't mind a bit! Hate food waste, love your inspiration!
I like PB and banana sandwiches so that seems normal to me. Not that you should base your idea of "normal" on anything I do .....
I don't know why, but I always forget about the option of using a broiler. That would be tastier than microwaving leftover pizza. Brilliant.
Toast with butter and peanut butter, hmmmm. Not something I've tried. Not sure I will :).
I feel better about eating leftovers when I neatly plate them. When I just grab the last of the ham bits and eat them from the storage container, then forage around and get half a baked sweet potato and eat that, then look and discover a small bowl of greens to heat and eat, I don't feel like I really ate, and I'm hungry again in an hour or so. However, if I neatly lay out the ham, the half of a baked sweet potato split and with a little butter, and the mound of greens on a plate and heat it up, I feel like I ate a real meal and I'm good to go until the next meal. I've discovered I can manipulate myself pretty easily that way, even knowing that I'm doing it.
I like to take leftover vegetables and meat and mix them with some cooked rice for a rice bowl (these days, usually cauliflower rice), or put them in an omelet with a little cheese. I might put
them under a pie crust or in soup. Then I have a brand new dish and it's not even leftovers to me. If I can create a new dish out of the leftovers, I'll try to do that rather than just eat them as leftovers.
Those all looked good, except I'll bet you were glad to reach the last of the prunes. I love prunes, but even I might get tired of eating them that many days in a row.
Yes so true -- making a little plate or bento box or whatever just feels like a meal! I love to arrange my little containers with cut up stuff and lay it all out at work. Is it the visual? the "what a good girl am I!" vibe? I dunno but it works
For breakfast, I eat oatmeal with some hot water, then some yoghurt. The only topping I use is blackberries, though I'm tempted to try the orange zest!
For lunch I normally eat rye bread and cheese, with some fruits or leftover salad. I occasionally like toast and hummus as well, but without rye read I cannot stick to "three meals a day, no snacks"
I do not feel the need to vary much with breakfast and lunch, but I feel very unhappy if we have haphazard or fend for yourself dinners. So I focus on planning and cooking from scratch for dinner and make sure there is some left for any family member with an awkward working schedule. Choose your battles!
When my oatmeal comes out of the microwave the first thing I put on it is turmeric and then a little black pepper. The reason being my friend who is a nutritionist said you get a better bang for your body when the turmeric is hot and of course the pepper helps with absorption.
I will say I am used to turmeric but even with saying that, it took me awhile to get used to it in oatmeal. I started with only a little bit and now put more. And I put in so many other things I can hide the taste.
I love turmeric on fried eggs! Also dill, kosher salt, & cracked black pepper)
Pizza under the broiler = brilliant. Wish I had thought of that over the years!
So much better than the microwave!
Toast with butter and peanut butter plus a glass of cold cranberry juice was my go-to meal when I labored with my children. The first midwife suggested it, and it's just what I did to give me some energy for that hardest workout in the world 🙂
But I've always put the butter on first so it melts and then smear the pb on top. 😉 I'll have to try it your way sometime.
My brother and I were just debating the merits of pb and butter on toast (his preference) vs. pb and honey on toast (mine). I don't love butter with my peanut butter but if I happen to have plain cream cheese to use up, I love a shmear of that on toast with peanut butter.
Someone recommended reheating pizza in the air fryer and that is hands down the best way I have found to do it!
I love this post! Thank you for sharing. Your meals look tasty Nd healthy.
Using up food odds and ends is such a satisfying challenge for me. It's incredibly frugal, fun, and good for the environment.
My favorite surprise food waste tip is to buy multiple individual bananas at the grocery store rather than one bunch, because otherwise the lone bananas at the store (from people removing one from a bunch to get the amount they want) often don't get used! Bonus, it often makes it easier to get some riper and some less ripe bananas, to last well at home.
Such an excellent idea! It makes sense, but I never thought of it!
All look delicious to me.
Side note, it never occurred to me that there are people in the world who don't like peanut butter on toast. It is the best!
This is so inspiring -- we are in a massive food rut of low carb sameness, day in day out, and this just really gives me lots of ideas. I do love using up the last bits and bobs and wow, you really make it work. Thank you for doing this!
And . . . everything looks so delicious 😉
Last thing -- leftover pizza -- what fantastical world is this ??!! There is no part of my universe where pizza gets left in the cardboard box for another day. I salute you! 🙂
Priskill, you are SUCH an encourager. Always. I appreciate you.
Oh thank you! I think I learned it from YOU 😉
I'm a big fan of these round-ups---I'm all for continuing this series! It totally inspires me to be better about food waste. Awhile ago I was really quite good at it (and actually did a whole series of blog posts on it!), but then I got super busy with more kids and now with starting a flower farm, so it's all kind of gone out the window. This helps remind me that it doesn't have to be complicated or fancy and doesn't take very long 🙂
I’ve never thought to put butter and peanut butter on toast together...but I would
If my kids want their leftover pizza warmed up, I do it in the toaster oven. But for me, it’s COLD pizza for sure...breakfast, lunch, whenever!
In elementary school, I had school lunch but on class trips my mother gave me peanut butter and butter sandwiches. HATED those things. Hubby loves pb and b. Go figure. Maybe I will give it another try. Beautiful photos of the food. I love cold pizza.