Leftovers

Leftovers are surplus foods remaining unconsumed at the end of a meal, which may be put in containers with the intention of eating later.

Besides capturing nutrition from otherwise inedible bones, stocks and broths provide a base for leftover scraps too small to be a meal themselves.

Casseroles,[1] paella, fried rice,[2] Shepherd pies,[3][4] and pizza can also be used for this purpose, and may even have been invented as a means of reusing leftovers.

[citation needed] Among American university students, leftover pizza itself has acquired particular in-group significance, to the extent that the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service offers, as its first tip under "Food Safety Tips for College Students" by Louisa Graham,[5] a discussion of the considerable risks of eating unrefrigerated pizza.

[6] At some holiday meals, such as Christmas and Thanksgiving in the United States, it is customary to prepare much more food than necessary, specifically so the host can send leftovers home with guests.

[12] Doggy bags are most common in restaurants that offer a take-out food service as well as sit-down meals, and their prevalence as an accepted social custom varies widely by location.

In the UK, in the year 2010 it was still considered an Americanism and an uncommon request,[13] but the practice became far more accepted after campaigns for waste reduction and the cost-of-living crisis, and some countries now obligate restaurants to offer take-home options.