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How many times have you heard someone in your family say this? “I don’t want that for dinner. We just had the same thing last night.” More often than not when it comes to making use of leftovers this is a common occurrence in most households. What happens next? The food stays in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days then it hits the trash. What a waste of good food and money.

There’s a way to use those leftovers that’s quick, saves money and will keep the whining and complaining to a minimum. Create a salad. That’s right a salad. How? It’s pretty simple when you think about it. Here are a few salad ideas made with leftovers you can try the next time you’ve got food in the fridge that no one wants to finish off.

Take a look at the meat you have from previous meals. That roast beef can be sliced and added to a salad for a hearty lunch. What about pork? Add it to a salad with some sesame seeds and coleslaw for an Asian side dish.

Left over hamburger can be added to a bit of lettuce to make a taco salad. Add tomatoes, cheese, black olives and onion with a little dab of sour cream. Toss in some tortilla chips or use the ingredients to fill a taco salad bowl and you have the perfect taco salad to delight the whole family.

What about chicken or turkey leftovers? Don’t throw that carcass in the trash just yet. Remove the meat from the bones. Add some mayonnaise, celery, hard boiled eggs and pickles and you have the perfect lunchtime salad or after school snack.

Leftover vegetables always seem to be pushed to the back of the fridge. Nobody wants to eat broccoli, cauliflower, carrots or peas again. Place these items in a salad and watch your family dive right in. Add their favorite dressing and you’ll have a hit on your hands.

Leftover fruit can also be made into a yummy fruit salad. Add a few marshmallows, some nuts and a dab of whipped topping and you have the makings of a perfect dessert.

Leftovers can be more of a love than hate relationship with the entire family. By using leftovers to make delicious salads you save time, money and can get one over on even the pickiest leftover eater. Give it a shot and see what great combinations you can come up with to make those leftovers end up in the belly instead of the garbage can.