A leftover isn’t waste: it’s a half-cooked meal. The problem is almost always what happens in the two hours after cooking.
1. Cool quickly, store quickly
Don’t leave a cooked dish at room temperature for hours. Once it has cooled a little, put it somewhere cold. Bacteria grow mostly between room temperature and the temperature of a still-warm dish.
2. A closed container, with a date on it
Store leftovers in a closed container, preferably transparent, with the cooking date written on it. You’ll know what you have, and since when.
3. Eat them first
Placed in plain sight in the fridge, they get eaten at the next meal rather than forgotten. Count on a few days for a cooked dish kept cold: the sooner you eat it, the better.
4. Freeze what won’t get eaten
If you know you won’t eat it in the next few days, freeze it right away, in portions. Label it with the dish name and date. Thaw in the fridge, and don’t refreeze something that has been thawed.
This advice is general. For vulnerable people (pregnant women, young children, older people or those with a weakened immune system), and for higher-risk foods (rice, meat, fish, eggs), be more careful and check with the health authorities.
Ideas with what you have
In Mealventory, Brigitte suggests recipes from your stock, starting with what needs using first: that’s what she’s for. You can try the demo to see.