The holidays are a time to gather with friends and family over a large meal, but it could mean overpreparing food and sending some into the landfill.  

Dr. Jess Haines, co-director of the Guelph Family Health Study (GFHS) and a professor in the Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, says holiday hosts with a “good provider mindset” may make more food than necessary to make sure everyone has enough to eat. 

“People with this mindset see providing guests with an overabundance of food as being a good provider,” she says. “People with this mindset tend to waste more food, since they want to have more than enough to go around.” 

Haines encourages people with a good provider mindset to challenge it ahead of the holidays and instead try to prepare just the amount of food needed for the guests coming for a meal. 

Nearly half of the food produced in Canada is lost or wasted. Research done by the GFHS found Guelph families waste about six pounds of food each week that could have been eaten if it was managed better. 

Food management can include freezing leftovers or using them up in other recipes.  

“Both potatoes and turkey can be frozen for up to four months,” Haines says. She also suggests this turkey shepherd’s pie recipe for holiday leftovers. 

Preventing food waste can also be done in the meal planning stage. Planning ahead and making a grocery list before heading to the store prevents over-buying and impulse purchases. 

Whether using up holiday leftovers or looking for ways to prevent food waste year-round, anyone interested in eating more sustainably can check out the GFHS’s Rock What You’ve Got Cookbook. 

Haines is available for interviews. 

Contact: 

Dr. Jess Haines 
jhaines@uoguelph.ca