Our family is divided, so here is my take on the topic of leftovers. At least we don’t make a week load of food and freeze it for eating all week, which is something we’ve seen on the web. No, thankfully we aren’t that lazy.
In my experience, however, unless one is poverty stricken, leftovers are not a good idea for various reasons..
When we eat leftovers, usually Krishna has to go hungry; there’s no new offering made for that meal.
Leftovers take up space in the refrigerator. And there’s the risk that the bhoga will touch the leftovers and then become unfit for offering to Krishna..
Leftovers are wasteful because if we are eating leftovers then the good bhoga that’s in the fridge has to sit another day or so and it just gets less nutritious and not as nice to offer to Krishna .
According to Ayurveda, leftovers are not so healthy to eat. Especially as a habit. that’s because leftovers become very heavy food and therefore harder to digest. And digestion is one of the most important factors for good health.. Without proper digestion, toxins develop that over time can create havoc for the body.
Solution? Prasada is meant for distribution. Guests, friends, neighbors, drop in visitors, homeless on the street and the hungry person. Cows and birds and other animals will benefit too. Finally, there is the compost bin to nourish your plants.
Also it’s helpful to cook smaller amounts of a certain dish but accompanied by a variety of other dishes. Or if you run out of something while serving, have another option available that can be prepared quickly.