I really don't like eating leftovers for lunch.
Give me a bowl of yogurt, some fruit, and a piece of bread and jam and I am a happy girl. I just am not a big fan of eating savory leftovers at that time of day. The problem is, I'm not any more excited about eating them for dinner. And we won't even talk about how little I want to eat them for breakfast!
Really, though, I'm not sure that my feelings about my leftovers really matter much. It's silly to let food go bad simply because I don't feel like eating it(or because I feel like eating something else). I'm just a spoiled American who is used to having tons of food and a multitude of food choices. Over the last few years I've been rereading the Little House books with my kids, and I've concluded that Laura and her family would think they'd died and gone to heaven if they got to eat my leftovers for lunch(or breakfast for that matter...they ate leftover (cold) jackrabbit stew some mornings. Bleah.) And it's not just them that would be grateful...a lot of hungry people in our own day would be thrilled to eat my leftovers for breakfast, lunch or dinner as well.
I am very fortunate that my husband doesn't share my disdain for leftovers at noon. Nearly every day he eats leftovers from the previous night with nary a complaint. Unfortunately, I'm not always successful at cooking just enough for the six of us(with one serving leftover for lunch), and thus, there are often leftovers for me to eat.
I've been working hard at eating my leftovers despite my disdain for them, but I can't say that I've grown to love them. Maybe in time it will happen, but for now I'm just soldiering on, one leftover container at a time!
There are some things leftover that I just do not like. Thankfully my hubby will devour them. I have learned to eat leftovers for dinner though.
I love your site and have learned so much from you. I don't like leftovers either. I pack them up and give them to my parents (who always help me with my kids...I owe them) or to my newly single neighbor and her son. They appreciate it so much and I enjoy the fact that I can make their lives a little easier!
If you really don't like leftovers don't force yourself to eat them. I'm sure your husband would not mind the same leftovers packed for lunch two days in a row (and you could try to cook less for dinner the night after you have too much leftovers).
We have the same problem at our house only I love leftovers (breakfast or lunch) and my husband doesn't. I don't mind being the main leftover consumer and I'm sure your husband doesn't either.
We fight over some leftovers at home, but like you, there are some things that just aren't good reheated. I find that if I plan well enough, I can enjoy the yummy leftovers for lunch and it beats having to eat a pb sandwich or a pre-packaged frozen meal...
I don't like leftovers either. Here's what works for us: If you are going to have leftovers, make a dessert. Looking forward to the "happy ending" makes it more bearable!
I also love your site.
I used to hate leftovers and then I started changing up what I was eating just a little bit--making fried rice with leftover chicken, soup from leftover pasta with sauce, sandwiches with meatloaf from the fridge and things like that. It still helps clear the fridge, and I don't feel like I'm being forced to eat the same meal for a week.