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w at er lo oc hr on ic le .c a W at er lo o C hr on ic le | T hu rs da y, D ec em be r 3, 20 20 | 4 Come seewhy you'll love ourVillage University gateS 250 Laurelwood Drive,Waterloo schlegelvillages.com Independent living, retirement apartments, assisted living andmemory care suites. Call now519-904-0650 x 8044 ASK ABOUTOUR GETAWAY SUITE RETIREMENTNOWOPEN waterloo.ca/ProgramGuide WINTER EDITION available online now Discover the best in active living within the region. WINTER REGISTRATION STARTS WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 9 FOR ALL PROGRAMS + SWIM Canadians throw away $31-billion worth of food every year, but more than 60 per cent of household food waste is avoidable. Many of us are spend- ing more time in the kitch- en than ever before. Whether you're perfecting a juicy and flavourful roasted chicken, learning how to Hasselback a but- ternut squash or are still trying to keep your sour- dough starter alive, many of us continue to struggle with what to do with our leftovers. Here are some tips to help reinvent left- overs to create new dish- es. • Don't leave your bread for dead. If you have bread that's drying out, a simple way to give it new life and use it up is to make homemade crou- tons! Or, another great op- tion is to make your own breadcrumbs to use as a crispy topping or binder for meatballs and burgers. For a sweet option, try us- ing stale bread for bread puddings and French toasts - it will soak up all the flavour without turn- ing to mush. • Veg it out. For par- ents who struggle to get the kids to eat vegetables, try blending cooked vege- tables to a pulp and adding it to a pasta sauce. They won't see the vegetables and will gobble up the sauce. If you have extra roasted vegetables on hand, repurpose them in- to a hash, omelette or even a frittata. • Keep the hot potato. For a savoury spin on a classic breakfast item, try using leftover mashed po- tatoes to make pancakes and waffles. You can also use up leftover mashed po- tatoes in Shepherd's pie or potato soup. • Stock up. Keep vege- table scraps, including peels, stalks and leaves, to make vegetable stock. On- ions, carrots, celery and garlic provide a great base. You can then add other leftover vegetable scraps to the stock and base to make a great soup. Collect and store any scraps in a large reseala- ble bag and keep it in the freezer until needed. Bones from the roasted chicken can be used for stock as well. Boil chicken bones with the vegetables scraps for an easy broth that can be frozen for up to three months. Heidi Pola is a regis- tered dietitian with Zehrs. She is part of a network of more than 70 dietitians who provide services like one-on-one phone consul- tations, online webinars, and recipe ideas at loca- tions across the country. To book an appointment with a dietitian near you, please visit bookadiet- itian.ca. OPINION GIVING NEW LIFE TO YOUR LEFTOVERS MORE THAN 60 PER CENT OF HOUSEHOLD FOOD WASTE IS AVOIDABLE AND HERE ARE SOME WAYS TO MAKE LEFTOVERS DELICIOUS, WRITES HEIDI POLA HEIDI POLA Column