There's nothing worse than ending up with twice as much food as you actually need and having no idea what to do with it.

While some foods are perfectly suited to eating as leftovers, others take a bit more imagination. But with some planning you should never have to let food go to waste.

Here are a few tips for maximising your leftovers…

Plan to make extra
Certain meals only improve with time, so making double or even triple portions and either eat them over a few days or freeze them for later use. Chillis, curries, stews, casseroles and slow-cooked meats all get richer and deeper in flavour after a day in the fridge, so you'll be glad you made extra!

Freeze food in portions
Rather than banging all your leftovers into a Tupperware container and freezing them, freeze individual portions in freezer bags or smaller containers. That way you can quickly grab them and defrost for a simple dinner that takes no planning whatsoever!

Make something new with your leftover food
If you're not keen to eat the same meal two nights in a row, change things up! Add leftover vegetables to an omelette or a pasta dish, or chuck them in a salad.

Blend, blend, blend
Make soups, smoothies or even dips with leftover fruit and veg by throwing them in a blender or food processor. So simple!

Don't throw out everything that's past it's use-by date!
Not everything has to be completely fresh! Stale bread is great for making garlic bread, French toast, croutons or for crumbling into breadcrumbs for coating food. As for over-ripe bananas, they are only CRYING out to be whipped up into a delicious banana bread!