I've been finding that I am wasting a great deal of food due to expiration dates expiring. And I made a Riccotta Bake this evening, and I am thinking that there is no way in hell am I going to use all those materials before they go bad.

Aside from making a giant batch and freezing it (I guess I could), has anyone found any good ways to prevent food from spoiling?

I tossed like 5 yogurts today, and about 1/3 of a gallon of 2% milk (for coffee, so I don't use a lot each day), and I see a lot more stuff that will go bad before I get a chance to eat it.

I hate to throw out food so I have been just buying the smaller size options at the grocery store so that I only buy what I will use before it goes bad. Like just a few individual yogurts and just a half pound turkey from the deli, etc.

You may have hit the nail on the head. I am used to shopping once to twice a month, apparently I am going to have to go more often and buy smaller amounts of food. Funny, I got the big Riccotta cheese, it never dawned on me to get the little one!

The things we have to relearn, it is not that it's a chore or difficult, it's just amazing how much of your life has to change as a result of WLS.

Well you can freeze milk, or get a quart or even a pint at a time. Yogurts maybe instead of buying 7 for a week or whatever, think about how many you actually use in an average week and only buy as many as you can use. I got some nifty storage containers that can hold about half a yogurt at a time to store meals after surgery. That way they don't go bad. You can also freeze them and it's almost like an ice cream treat. On the ricotta bake you can freeze the mix and make it as you want it. I do that with my ricotta based lasagna filling all the time which is basically the same recipe. You also might want to think about getting a vacuum sealer and sealing up individual portions of food and freezing the rest. I do a lot of that for my kids to make easy to eat meals they can just heat n eat(like a lean cuisine or kid cuisine).

@@Sajijoma

All good ideas!!

I am really struggling with this too. I have started shopping once a week instead of once a month and try to buy smaller portions which has helped but I have just tried to resign myself to being ok with throwing food away. As a lifetime member of the "clean your plate club", I am just having to adjust my head to know that I am doing the best I can.

Two additional tips:

1. Try organic dairy. I don't know why, but they seem to have much longer expiration dates sometimes.

2. Train yourself to look at expiration dates as you shop. Ask yourself whether you really think you can finish it by the date listed. For example, if you find yogurt with an expiration date a month away, stock up. If it's a week away, just grab a couple.

Good luck!

@@gpmed

Thanks for the tip about organic milk. I have not had any problems going through skim milk, but I have had a really hard time moving from diet stage 2 to 3, so I am still consuming a lot of shakes. As for 2% milk, I only use it for my one or two cups of coffee a day, and at $2.99 for a half gallon, (at the corner market) I am not worried if I have to pour some out.

Expiration dates are just another thing I am going to have to look into with more detail. I think planning a weeks worth of meals ahead of time, and shopping for what I need may be the best idea.

I am also going through a hard time with cans. Yes, cans. You see just about every can is lined with a clear plastic, which is loaded with among the worst chemical ever created by man, Bisphenal-a or BPA for short. This stuff actually causes gene and DNA damage! In fact, the evidence is so overwhelming that even the lame FDA is even getting involved in trying to ban BPA from the food chain. I knew all about BPA and have avoided it for years. This is until yesterday when I found out that pretty much every can is lined with plastic containing BPA, now canned anything is off the menu, glass jars only from here on out (gulp).

Yeah, man. I can see where it all changes in regard to grocery shopping.

Shopping for me will consist of more frequent trips where I make a quick walk around the permitter of the store and hit the checkout. No more than 5 minutes.

@@Dub

They force you to walk down a couple isles, coffee is not located on the outside, but typically dead center in the store. Also trash bags, cleaning supplies etc.

If you have not tried it the Riccotta Bake is heavenly! And I have enough to make I assume, about 20 portions, I am going to make a bunch more batches today and freeze them. The hardest part was finding Pasta sauce w/o added sugar. I got some, and it's really good!

@winklie. Is the Ricotta Bake a special diet recipe or can I find it online?

@@tpatterson

Here is a link too what I made. It is different than the one I found here. I also used Pasta sauce instead of marinara, as I just prefer it. I used Rao's 4 cheese Sauce.

https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1793517

Hope you like it 1/2 as much as I did.

OMG have I thrown away food, the answer is how much! I have found that what I ate before is not what my new tummy wants anymore. So most of the food I that I have put in the garbage disposal is good, healthy food that makes me vomit. Meal planning is so difficult now. I am three months out and still moving very slow in respect to foods. I am basically eating the same few dishes that I can tolerate over and over again.

Always grab from the back, the freshest, further out date is rotated to the back. Any perishables and some non-perishables are stocked with the newest date to the back and the closest date up front.

Buy smaller sizes, quantities and you'll have to alter how many times a week you shop.

I don't mind grocery shopping. Either does my husband. I have a little more of a challenging situation as I have to shop for not only MY needs but those of my family.

My family has broken our grocery needs up into two categories. One category my husband maintains and the other I am responsible for.

The change didn't happen over night and in some ways were are still learning. I unfortunately throw too many leftovers away weekly.

It is definitely a learning lesson and comes with practice.

Ah, the bpa issue is tough. Do you have a Whole Foods or similar type store nearby? That might be your best bet for finding things in cans without bpa.