Nine Irresistible Leftovers to Plan for the Holidays

Leftovers are a holiday tradition. Preparing a feast, the cook wants to assure everyone has enough, and so often ends up with way too much. Yet if the food was good on day one, it's often even better on day two. Flavors have a chance to meld and deepen. Textures develop.

Despite being tasty, leftovers have an image problem. With some simple tricks and planning, you can transform leftovers into a culinary joy and nutritional goldmine. The important guidelines are:

• Plan which foods will be leftover - whole plant foods are the way to go
• Have only enough leftovers to last 2 or 3 days. If it's more than that, freeze the remainder immediately or give it away. Don't wait until the third day to do this, or the food will be moving past its prime.
• Use the leftovers creatively

Here are nine excellent foods to have left after a holiday meal - or any time.

• Soup
• Brown rice
• Beans
• Steamed or baked potatoes
• Sweet potatoes
• Baked tofu
• Home made veggie burgers
• Steamed vegetables
• Vegetarian stuffing

You can make these foods taste different on day two just by varying the herbs and spices. Add some fresh pressed garlic, grated ginger, cilantro, or any other flavor you like.

Combine the foods in different ways. Cut up your baked potatoes and mix with the soup. Mash whole beans for a dip or spread. If you have whole grain tortillas, salsa, and anything you can put into a wrap, you have a meal. Ditto with vegetable or miso broth, brown rice, and lightly steamed vegetables. You'll have fresh soup in a few minutes.

Think of leftovers as homemade convenience foods. You save energy and time by making an extra batch when you cook. You reduce the temptation to eat out, and always have healthy food on hand to bring to work or school for lunch. Enjoy your holiday meals, and savor and have fun with the leftovers.

Janice Stanger, Ph.D., is a plant-based nutrition author, educator, and speaker. You can read chapter excerpts, find recipe resources, and learn about permanent, hunger-free weight loss on the site for her whole-foods book The Perfect Formula Diet. Janice would enjoy connecting with you on Facebook and Twitter.