
Tired of eating leftovers? Turn your odds and ends into creative meals
From Life Kit by NPR
June 11, 2026 · 18 min
About this episode
This episode provides tips on reducing food waste by creatively repurposing leftovers and changing the perspective on cooking.
Do you always buy cucumbers just to watch them slowly become mush in the fridge? Or save your half-eaten pasta only to forget about it for a month? If you're done with chucking half-used ingredients in the compost bin, this episode is for you. Reporter Emily Siner shares tips on reducing food waste by repurposing leftovers, getting creative with odds and ends and shifting your perspective on the chore of cooking. Follow us on Instagram: @nprlifekit Sign up for our newsletter here. Have an episode idea or feedback you want to share? Email us at lifekit@npr.org Support the show and listen to it sponsor-free by signing up for Life Kit+ at plus.npr.org/lifekit Sign up for Life Kit's skincare newsletter: http://npr.org/skincare See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
People in this episode
Host: Emily Siner
Topics covered
- food waste
- leftovers
- cooking
- meal prep
- sustainability
Keywords
- leftovers
- food waste
- cooking tips
- meal ideas
- sustainability
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: NPR
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