This Thanksgiving, it’ll be easy to save time and money — and reduce food waste — with one simple idea: use what you have. After a whole day of showing off your culinary chops to loved ones, there’ll be plenty of leftovers and food scraps rife for reusing.
Food waste is a growing problem in Canada, with nearly $50 billion in good food ending up in landfills instead of on plates, and over 11 million tonnes being thrown out.
TUMS wants to change that this season and they're partnering with Second Harvest to help make it happen.
Be there for folks experiencing food scarcity the way that TUMS is there for your post-meal heartburn. This household-name antacid is sponsoring the Harvest Kitchens program by donating $75,000 that goes directly to feeding 200,000 Canadians.Harvest Kitchens is an initiative by Second Harvest — a national charity with a mandate of "no waste, no hunger” — that provides over 400,000 meals in the GTA per year.
You can get involved by supporting the #TUMSGiving donation challenge. For five entries into the contest, make a donation, take a pic and share to IG, tagging TUMS and Second Harvest for your chance to win a prepared Thanksgiving meal (which, of course, you’ll have the option to donate).
If you aren’t able to donate, share the contest post to your story, tagging TUMS and Second Harvest for one contest entry.
And that's not the only way you can tackle food waste — check out these eight delicious recipes that use leftover Thanksgiving ingredients and food scraps you probably already have at home.
Roasted Squash Seeds
Roasting pumpkin seeds may have crossed your mind this PSL season, but did you know that you can do the same with other squash seeds? Whether you're cracking open a butternut, acorn or kabocha squash, you don't have to toss all the "guts."
Season with your favourite herbs and spices, or cajun spices as Food Network suggests and roast at 325℉ for around 15 minutes or until crispy.
RecipeThe Ultimate Leftovers Casserole
Ruslan Khmelevsky | Pexels
Comfort food is part of Thanksgiving’s charm. It’s got the power to bring all your loved ones to one table. Chances are you'll have some leftovers, and if you're looking for something a little more creative than turkey-cranberry sandwiches, why not turn all your leftovers into a casserole?
Combine turkey, mashed potatoes, veggies, gravy, cranberry sauce and the stuffing for a mouth-watering, waste-free meal. Pro tip: Relieve the post-meal heartburn with TUMS.
Leftover Squash Pancakes
Autumn is the season of squash, but using up leftovers can be tricky — reheating might dry it out, making this particular leftover a tough sell. Jamie Oliver’s innovative and sumptuous squash pancake recipe can be made with ingredients you likely already have on hand.
Mash together skinned, roasted squash, eggs, milk, rosemary and a few additional herbs before adding in parmesan cheese. Scoop your pancake mixture into a lightly oiled pan for a minute or two, and voila: an entirely new dish from last night's leftovers.
Beetroot Powder
Beets tend to get forgotten at the back of the fridge, but you can turn them into an easy homemade powder that’s great for adding to smoothies. Peel and grate your forgotten root beets and let them dry in a sunny spot for 48 hours. If you're in a rush, you can roast in a low oven for 40 minutes, turning once.
Once dried, throw your brightly coloured "crisps" in a coffee grinder. Store in a sealed container for a couple of months, and add a teaspoon to smoothies whenever you like.
Scrappy Cooking Vegetable Soup
ex奥尼尔 孙 | Pexels
Soup is the ultimate clean-out-the-fridge meal — and one where you can use almost all parts of any veggies that have seen better days. Make this Plant You recipe your own by adding any veg or starch you have on hand that needs to be used up sooner rather than later.
Saute your stock ingredients like onions, carrots and garlic in oil before adding broth and other veg, then bring to a boil and let simmer for ten minutes. This one-pot dish makes for easy cleanup.
Old-Fashioned Bread Stuffing
Stale bread is the perfect base for stuffing — arguably the most essential Thanksgiving recipe of all. What's a hearty meal without well-herbed bread?
Cube your day-old bread and let it dry for up to 12 hours. Then toss with butter, broth, herbs and some veg for an umami side dish (or main course if you wish). It’ll have everyone gobbling up seconds.
Secret Garden Focaccia Bread
An aesthetic and IG-worthy way to use up veggie scraps, leftover herbs, stems, and more, this Secret Garden Focaccia Bread is simpler than it looks.
Knead up a dough with active yeast, flour and water as the base for this spongy bread. Poke fingers into a lightly oiled dough and top with your leftover scraps in any design you like for a side that's sure to please your guests — and your followers.
Pumpkin Banana Bread
Combine your loves of fall and banana bread with this delicious dessert recipe.
Using those quintessential banana-bread-browned bananas that might have otherwise been tossed and pumpkin puree (which you can make yourself if you’d like), you can whip up this moist and tasty treat in less than three hours.
Combating food waste starts at home, and with these scrappy cooking ideas, you're set for a lower-waste Thanksgiving.
This season, support Canadians experiencing food scarcity by donating to the TUMSgiving Challenge for Second Harvest, and don’t forget to enter their contest for your shot at winning a free Thanksgiving meal (for yourself or to donate to a family in need). You have until September 30 to enter!
To participate in the TUMSgiving Challenge, visit Second Harvest's website and check out TUMS on Instagram or Facebook.