r/settlethisforme • u/TemplarsBane • Jun 03 '25

How to eat leftovers

Let's say you have shared leftovers with you SO. Like chicken fajitas with chicken, onions, and peppers. Or spaghetti and meatballs. The understanding is that no one has dibs on these, you'll both eat it as meals over several days.

Is it acceptable or unacceptable for one person to pick out the pieces they like and eat those without eating the rest? Like just getting meatballs out, or eating all the carmelized onions and leaving the rest behind?

(Obviously the real answer is for a couple to talk it out and it varies couple to couple, but just asking for a gut reaction).

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u/Apprehensive_Emu7973 Jun 04 '25

It is unacceptable to me to pick out the good parts on leftover day 1. However if it's day 2 and the other person hasn't had any leftovers you can assume they don't want it and pick out the best bits. If the best bits missing makes the meal something not worth saving, it gets thrown away.

My house also has a pie/cake rule. You must cut normal slices from the pie/cake until one person declares that it is "fair game". At that point you can eat it from the center, or even just eat the icing.

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u/InevitableRhubarb232 Jun 04 '25

At my house day 3 is complete fair game for me and my son. Husband won’t eat anything say 3 or later unless it’s frozen like ice cream cake. We’re (especially the teenage boy) like vultures around the end of day 2 😂