With most colleges ending their school years in the next couple of weeks, students across the country are packing up their dorms to move back home, go on vacation, or relocate for summer internships. The move out process can be tedious and laborious, with all of your life being packed up into a few boxes.
Some things can’t be put in storage, though — especially food. For all the snackers and home cooks out there, finishing all of your food by a certain time can be tricky. You may have too much leftover food before leaving, but you also might not have the stomach to eat everything so fast.
So, it’s hard to know what to do with leftover food when you’re packing up? Here’s all you need to know.
Bring it home with you.
If your school is relatively close to home and you will be driving back, the easiest thing to do with extra food is to pack it up and bring it home (if there’s space). The less food waste, the better — and your family members will definitely be thankful to have extra snacks in the house. Ask your parents to pack a cooler for anything perishable, and stick everything else in a couple of grocery bags.
Gift it to friends.
If you happen to be flying home, just give your leftovers to your in-state friends who are driving home themselves. They might be happy to have those snacks of yours that they keep asking to eat whenever they visit your room.
Donate anything unopened.
Many schools put out food pantry donation boxes around campus when it’s time to move out. Make the most of these by putting in unopened perishable food items. It feels good to give your food to a cause.
Leave it out.
College students are always hungry and in need of snacks. And what they like even better than snacks and food are free snacks and food. If you leave your food outside your dorm door or in a common area with the label “take one,” your food will surely be gone in days.
Throw a goodbye party.
Host a get together with friends or dormmates, and leave all your leftovers out on a table. Again with the free food thing: college students will eat it all up. Alternatively, host a movie night. It’s so easy to just keep munching as the film plays on.
Give it to people without housing.
If you live in a more urban area, chances are that there are homeless people nearby. With leftover food, there is no better time to give what you don’t need to the needy. Pack your food in bags and take a walk. Give each homeless person you see a couple of goods, if not a whole bag. This ensures that surely the food will not be wasted.