Food waste and kids

[whoisjohngalt]

How do you handle it?

I don't like making  my kids eat if they say they are full.  But it really pains me to throw away food.  For many reasons.

I've tried giving smaller portions, but I don't think that's an issue.

My DS2 eats very slow, so once everyone is done and his plate is still half full, he says he is done too.  I've allowed him to go play and just "come back and forth" and finish up, but I don't like it as a solution.

I also have no interest in finishing up their meals.  But I seem to be throwing away veggies and half-eaten sandwiches and bowls of milk and cereal.

So, in general - how do you avoid wasting food and specifically - how do you handle it with kids ?

[swamp]

I accept that food is going to get wasted.

and I keep hounding DH to get a dog. Preferably a lab or some other hoover type dog.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I accept that food is going to get wasted



Same here. I've yet to figure out a way to get the kid to finish all her food on a regular basis.

I did recently discover yogurt in a pouch, with a lid. She doesn't finish it I can put the cap back on and make her eat that if she decides 3 hours later she wants more yogurt.

[kittensaver]

Go to Amazon.com and search for "divided food container with lid." Lots of choices will pop up. My girls use them with their kids. If they don't finish a meal and are hungry later - out comes the remaining plate of food.

[whoisjohngalt]

I don't mind putting it away for later, but some things get really yucky, no?

I don't know....there is a lot of food that I wouldn't eat as "left overs", may be my kids are not as princessy as I am LOL

[The Captain]

My Dad was the youngest of 13 kids so yea, we didn't have much waste in my house growing up.

With DD we went to smaller portions, always letting her know there was plenty more if she wanted it.  She also knew we didn't run a cafeteria so kiddo was pretty good about eating enough not to be hungry, even if it wasn't her favorite.

Now I always made sure there was some part of the meal she could eat some of.  Don't like the red sauce on spaghetti?  Fine, I'll leave 1/2 a serving without the sauce but you need to take at least two-three bites of it with the sauce.

Your family could also maybe sit and talk together to give DS a chance to finish eating?  That's actually a nice habit to have (actually  linger and enjoy your food!) and would never want to encourage the kid to rush through a meal.

[giramomma]

Jul 14, 2014 15:10:23 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

My DS2 eats very slow, so once everyone is done and his plate is still half full, he says he is done too.  I've allowed him to go play and just "come back and forth" and finish up, but I don't like it as a solution.

My two year old (DD2) is like this too. She wants to do what the older kids are doing. It's ridiculous, though, as it goes beyond food, to everything. (She won't touch her tricycle. She's holding out for a two wheeled bike, because that's what the older kids have.)

So, we've just out and out told the older two to 1) eat slower and 2) wait at the table until everyone is done. My 10 goes in spurts, and when he's hungry, he seriously gobbles everything up. We still make him sit and talk to us. And no one utters desert until we (the adults) bring it up. Otherwise DD2 will stop eating her main meal.

DD2 is still young enough where I am OK with her grazing. She is also doesn't really ever stop moving, except for when she is sleeping or restrained in a car seat or backpack.  There are some days she out-eats my 10 year old. Other days, she barely eats.

[Sam_2.0]

DD has to at least try everything on her plate before getting down. If she's left more than 2-3 bites then I cover it and put it in the fridge for later. I don't allow her to carry food around the house. She had been crying at bedtime that she was hungry (stalling tactic?) but I noticed after we held firm and still made her go to bed that she was much better about finishing her dinner. Like Gira's little one, A never stops moving. I swear that's the only way she can eat so much food and still only be 26 lbs.

[Deleted]

I give really small portions.  I'll sometimes add food to their plate 5 times in a meal, but I've learned that's better than dealing with a bunch that they've picked on and spit back out.

I also really miss my dog (for more reasons than one, but this is a biggie!) The kids would always just take their plates to her when they were done and she'd lick them all clean for us...well...not clean, clean, but you get the gist.   Somehow it seems worse throwing it in the garbage.  I've recently discovered the chickens are pretty good veggie disposals, so they'll be getting that stuff from now on. 

[greeniis10]

From other threads we've had here I can tell you all with small children that this thing known as "food waste" no longer exists once they hit the teen years!  Then, keeping enough food in the house becomes the problem. 

None of my kids were big eaters, even as teens but I their friends would come over eat a whole bag of chips or a whole box of cereal, etc.!  Yikes!  Had to work really hard not to complain because I preferred to have them and their friends at our house.

[Chocolate Lover]

Jul 14, 2014 16:02:24 GMT -5 greeniis10 said:

From other threads we've had here I can tell you all with small children that this thing known as "food waste" no longer exists once they hit the teen years!  Then, keeping enough food in the house becomes the problem. 

None of my kids were big eaters, even as teens but I their friends would come over eat a whole bag of chips or a whole box of cereal, etc.!  Yikes!  Had to work really hard not to complain because I preferred to have them and their friends at our house.

Soooo yeah that!!!  I have had other people's kids at my house more often than not this summer and I am so. sick. of. feeding. them. I prefer they all be at my house but enough already!!!!!!!!!

[whoisjohngalt]

Jul 14, 2014 16:45:40 GMT -5 @missmargarita said:

Other than manners, I really try to make eating a non-issue in my house. It is ultimately a power struggle you will never win.  If I don't think the boys have eaten enough, I will ask them to eat 3 more bites, but i do not force them nor expect them to clean their plates.  They're both hitting growth spurts though so their appetites are all over the place.. they'll either not want anything at all or will be bottomless pits... 

I am the same way.

I just hate so much throwing away food.  I am not willing to have a "clean your plate" policy, but more often than not, I think my DS2 could eat a lot more if given more time/less distractions.

That issue, in addition to my poor planning, I am too afraid to think how much money we waste on food being thrown out.

[Tennesseer]

Can any of the leftovers, vegetables or meat, be incorporated into a casserole for a following day's meal?

[kittensaver]

Jul 14, 2014 18:19:05 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Can any of the leftovers, vegetables or meat, be incorporated into a casserole for a following day's meal?

Or: stuffed into a bell pepper and baked; stuffed into a zucchini boat and baked; wrapped into cooked lasagna noodles to make rolls and covered with marinara sauce (and baked, of course); rolled/stuffed into cabbage leaves, swiss chard leaves and covered with marinara; rolled into tortillas and covered with enchilada sauce; stuffed into mushroom caps and baked; stuffed into pretty much any vegetable that is hollow or that you can hollow out with a knife (onions, eggplant, tomatoes, summer squash) . . . do I need to go on?

Be sure to use plenty of your favorite cheese, breadcrumbs and a beaten egg as a binder. And add some fresh herbs to your stuffing.

Food does not go to waste in our house, and no one goes hungry either   

[whoisjohngalt]

Jul 14, 2014 18:19:05 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Can any of the leftovers, vegetables or meat, be incorporated into a casserole for a following day's meal?

There will never be any casseroles in this house

[kittensaver]

Jul 14, 2014 19:01:46 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

Jul 14, 2014 18:19:05 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Can any of the leftovers, vegetables or meat, be incorporated into a casserole for a following day's meal?

There will never be any casseroles in this house

And that is why you will always have food waste in your house. Just sayin' . . .

[whoisjohngalt]

Jul 14, 2014 18:33:45 GMT -5 kittensaver said:

Jul 14, 2014 18:19:05 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Can any of the leftovers, vegetables or meat, be incorporated into a casserole for a following day's meal?

Or: stuffed into a bell pepper and baked; stuffed into a zucchini boat and baked; wrapped into cooked lasagna noodles to make rolls and covered with marinara sauce (and baked, of course); rolled/stuffed into cabbage leaves, swiss chard leaves and covered with marinara; rolled into tortillas and covered with enchilada sauce; stuffed into mushroom caps and baked; stuffed into pretty much any vegetable that is hollow or that you can hollow out with a knife (onions, eggplant, tomatoes, summer squash) . . . do I need to go on?

Be sure to use plenty of your favorite cheese, breadcrumbs and a beaten egg as a binder. And add some fresh herbs to your stuffing.

Food does not go to waste in our house, and no one goes hungry either   

Cool ideas!!

Now I just need to figure out what to do with half eaten PB&J sandwiches or tuna sandwiches.  

[whoisjohngalt]

Jul 14, 2014 19:03:37 GMT -5 kittensaver said:

Jul 14, 2014 19:01:46 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

There will never be any casseroles in this house

And that is why you will always have food waste in your house. Just sayin' . . .

Yes, the answer to no food waste is casseroles.

OK, thanks

[kittensaver]

Jul 14, 2014 19:05:00 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

Jul 14, 2014 19:03:37 GMT -5 kittensaver said:

And that is why you will always have food waste in your house. Just sayin' . . .

Yes, the answer to no food waste is casseroles.

OK, thanks

Well, at least with leftover meats, cheeses and veggies it is . . . just sayin' . . .  Or maybe that's just me who grew up with a VERY thrifty old-world grandma. EVERYTHING had a second life as a casserole or soup.

I don't have an answer to half-eaten sandwiches, unless you make smaller sandwiches, or wrap them up tightly until they get hungry again . . .

ETA: when we used to tell mom/grandma we were hungry, they trotted out the food we didn't finish at the last meal and when we said "we don't want that," the answer we got was: "well then you must not really be hungry."

[Deleted]

There are no casseroles in my house.  Leftovers are eaten as they are - red meat is rarely leftover, I just make enough burgers or steaks to feed everyone, chicken breasts are wrapped up and eaten as a chicken breast or some other way, veggies are saved to be taken to work or I'll eat as a snack.

[whoisjohngalt]

My husband makes gagging sounds if casseroles are even mentioned.   He doesn't like that type of sauce.

I've never even heard of casseroles until a few years ago and once I did,  I couldn't get pass that "look" - of whitey mush

I know some people throw left over or "going bad" veggies into soup, but I have always been too paranoid and don't want to give anyone any stomach problems.

I've made them eat left over sandwiches, but I always feel so bad when I do it.  May be I shouldn't feel bad ?

[whoisjohngalt]

BTW, is it true that you can only reheat a food once?

My husband is crazy about food-safety, but I just don't know what the big deal is.

[kittensaver]

Jul 14, 2014 20:20:31 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

I've made them eat left over sandwiches, but I always feel so bad when I do it.  May be I shouldn't feel bad ?

[kittensaver]

Jul 14, 2014 20:21:57 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

BTW, is it true that you can only reheat a food once?

My husband is crazy about food-safety, but I just don't know what the big deal is.

Food is "good" until it starts to deteriorate/break down/get smelly/moldy/slimy/discolor etc. That can be anywhere from a day or two to a week or two - it entirely depends on the food and how sturdy or fragile it is. Food safety says you need to keep food either under 40 degrees or over 140. In between those temps is when bacteria can grow.

There is no "rule" that says you can only reheat food once - you can reheat it as many times as you want. Sounds like something your husband is spouting so that he doesn't have to look at leftovers! Some foods are even BETTER reheated (think beef burgundy, meatloaf, osso bucco, pasta sauce, brisket, etc) because the flavors have had time to "marry." The problem is: the quality will deteriorate a little more every time it is reheated. Only you and your family's tastebuds can determine when enough is enough.

As you alluded to earlier in the thread - the dreaded "meal planning" is probably the single biggest thing you can do to help prevent waste. That - and not allowing your family to be picky eaters - refusing to be a short order cook.

[whoisjohngalt]

Jul 14, 2014 21:25:13 GMT -5 kittensaver said:

Jul 14, 2014 20:21:57 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

BTW, is it true that you can only reheat a food once?

My husband is crazy about food-safety, but I just don't know what the big deal is.

Food is "good" until it starts to deteriorate/break down/get smelly/moldy/slimy/discolor etc. That can be anywhere from a day or two to a week or two - it entirely depends on the food and how sturdy or fragile it is. Food safety says you need to keep food either under 40 degrees or over 140. In between those temps is when bacteria can grow.

There is no "rule" that says you can only reheat food once - you can reheat it as many times as you want. Sounds like something your husband is spouting so that he doesn't have to look at leftovers! Some foods are even BETTER reheated (think beef burgundy, meatloaf, osso bucco, pasta sauce, brisket, etc) because the flavors have had time to "marry." The problem is: the quality will deteriorate a little more every time it is reheated. Only you and your family's tastebuds can determine when enough is enough.

As you alluded to earlier in the thread - the dreaded "meal planning" is probably the single biggest thing you can do to help prevent waste. That - and not allowing your family to be picky eaters - refusing to be a short order cook.

So, what you are really saying is that I should stop blaming my 4 yr old and do some work with meal planning ?

Hmmmm.....

[justme]

Not sure on the food waste, but I can relate on the being the last one to finish. It can get very awkward. I have bad TMJ so I just physically can't eat fast and my jaw gets tired. I often stop eating before I'm hungry when I'm out with people because it's really weird sitting there when everyone else has finished and is staring at you. 

So maybe you or your DH, or both or take turns, could eat slower closer to your sons speed? So he doesn't feel so awkward being the only one left eating. 

[thyme4change]

My theory with food waste is it is the same amount of gone - if someone eats it, or it gets thrown into the garbage.  Either way - it is gone - right.  So, it isn't really a money thing to force them to eat, unless they come back later and eat something else.  If your kids don't eat dinner and then expect ice cream and cookies - that has to be controlled, but if they just don't eat much and they are okay, then they will eat when they need to and the amount they need to.  I think the whole "clean plate club" and the guilt of wasting food has turned our country into a bunch of unhealthy fat-asses.  I refuse to participate.  Trash can today, or toilet bowl tomorrow - why do we really have such a hang-up with food waste.  Do you cry when you poop?

[Peace Of Mind]

Jul 14, 2014 22:32:06 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

My theory with food waste is it is the same amount of gone - if someone eats it, or it gets thrown into the garbage.  Either way - it is gone - right.  So, it isn't really a money thing to force them to eat, unless they come back later and eat something else.  If your kids don't eat dinner and then expect ice cream and cookies - that has to be controlled, but if they just don't eat much and they are okay, then they will eat when they need to and the amount they need to.  I think the whole "clean plate club" and the guilt of wasting food has turned our country into a bunch of unhealthy fat-asses.  I refuse to participate.  Trash can today, or toilet bowl tomorrow - why do we really have such a hang-up with food waste.  Do you cry when you poop?

LMAO!!!  I'm going to adopt that attitude.  Not the crying when I poop part but the first part. 

I try to give all leftovers and uneaten food to the wild life.  I figure they're out there any way so they might as well have dinner before they head to the pond.    

[HoneyBBQ]

I compost. I feel better about it then.

[ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ]

Prepare less food. If the kids get hungry later, a peanut butter or bologna sandwich or some fruit to fill their craving is better than tossing 2-day-old leftovers nobody wants to heat & eat.

When I put effort into making a full meal, I make just enough for one meal of leftovers - no more. It seldom gets tossed - if it does, it's better than tossing 2 or 3 days worth of leftovers.

Kids are fussy (and finicky) - they don't want the same thing 2 days in a row. But if you make something cheap like spaghetti, mac & cheese, or burgers, they'll eat it 7 days a week.