Does anybody else have issues with throwing away food?!

Okay, so I think I had a previous life in the depression era because I HATE (that's not even a strong enough word) throwing away food.  I feel like I have to eat everything on my plate and even my daughter's plate or DH's plate.  I have since started dishing up my own plate and then taking food off my plate to put on my daughter's plate, so that I don't feel guilty eating the rest of her food when she is finished....

I don't think that my parents ever forced me to finish my plate, I just always did - and everyone else's too. 

Does anybody else have this problem? How to resolve this? How do I get over this? It actually makes me angry when someone leaves food on their plate.  I'm sure this is responsible for much of my weight gain and/ or plateau because I am having like two suppers all the time....One at the table and one when I'm cleaning off the table....

I had a similar problem - though not as bad - and amethyst girl put it nicely: its a waste either way.

Its a waste either way. Whether you're eating food that is too much/beyond your calorie needs, or throwing it away, its a waste.

I only give myself the portion I need according to calories, and the boys can eat as much as they want. I throw away what they leave on their plates and save what's still in the pot.

OMG don't be ANGRY at them! Its the natural place to stop: when you're full. Not when the food is all gone!

As soon as the food is on the plate, consider it gone/ unsaveable. So whatever they don't eat has already been accounted for as being wasted. ?

I really don't know what the answer is for you! I would just feel guilty before, not angry (and I still didn't need to finish theirs for them)

My dad always told us that our bodies are not garbage cans. If your body doesn't need it, then it doesn't belong there. It's not wasteful, the food is going to be "disposed" of either way, it's up to you to decide where.

Just another way of thinking about it.

This is kinda gross (sorry in advance), but I always just think to myself "It's going to become waste either way."  If you catch my drift.

I don't really have a problem with the idea of throwing away food- my issue is stopping long enough to realize I'm full so that I CAN throw away (or store as leftovers) what I don't need right now.  If it's there on my plate, I'll probably scarf it all up, so for me, portion control from the outset is key.  

My grandmother can't throw food away though.  If we ever left anything on our plate (even fat from meat) she would feed it to the dog.  Which, in my mind, became animal abuse after the dog became so fat she could barely walk, but that's off-topic. 

If you absolutely cannot leave food on anyone's plate, I would make smaller meals.  Hopefully everyone will then have just enough, with no leftovers.  If DH or your daughter are still hungry after they've finished their plate, maybe have some single serve snacks handy that they can have later in the evening.

Hm... that's all I got at the moment... 

LMAO!  I don't actually get angry AT them (DH and daughter, and whoever else) but I'm fuming on the inside.  It's a sickness. Pity me. lol

I'm getting better at throwing away the food left on the plates, but seriously, I was a kid that the 3-5 second rule never applied to.  I finally got that out of my system, but there is always a touch-and-go moment where the particles of food are hovering over the garbage can, where I pause and consider popping it into my gob. 

Like I said, it's a sickness, I think.  hahaha

I really like both yours and trikki's advice that it is already wasted and that our bodies are not garbage cans.  That makes me feel better. Thank you! :) 

I also like brtaylor's advice about making smaller portions to begin with.  I just wonder where this attitude of NOT throwing food away comes from...?

I am the same, and think I may have a psychological and practical solution: compost heap.

Do you have room for a compost heap in your garden?  I have a tiny balcony, so am thinking of investing in a little one or a wormery, so something similar.  Then, when I'm full and there's stuff on my plate that can't be used in leftovers, I'm gonna dump it on my compost heap.  I will feel like I'm feeding my garden.  I grow some of my own veggies, so I think I'll feel that it's coming back to me and wasn't actually wasted.  I'm not sure I have a big enough place to do this though, so am gonna see if there's a 'collective' compost heap somewhere near where I live (if such a thing even exists).

Of course this will work with veggies and organic matter, however I'm veggie, so I don't know if you can do this with meat.  If not, could you donate your leftover meat products to a friend/neighbour with a dog?  This was the original purpose of the doggy bag after all.   

Good luck.

I rarely throw away food.  If I have leftovers, put them in the fridge and eat them tomorrow.  If that is not an option, then compost them.  The only things you can't compost are meat/dairy, which is OK since we don't eat those anyway.  :)  Or if you had those things I guess you could give them to the dog, as long as it's not excessive amounts and nothing that would be harmful to the dog.

The only food I can think of that I might throw away is if someone gave me a gift of food that I would not or could not eat (i.e. meat, dairy, chocolate...)  We frequently have social gatherings at our house and people are always graciously leaving us their food... but unfortunately we have to get rid of it, so if I cannot give it away then I will throw it away.  It does bother me so I always try to politely remind people to take their food with them so it doesn't go to waste.  Most people now know our dietary restrictions and oblige.

This is a recurring issue with a lot of folks, figuring out how to shake off that need to 'clean the plate'.

I agree with above: it's wasted regardless. It's either in the trash or stored as fat. If I could I'd throw every single pound of excess fat right the hell in the trash. :D

Darwin, I think kathygator's last sentence could become your mantra.

Yeah, I think I need to make a HUGE poster with that on my wall - maybe 5-6 copies to put up EVERYWHERE! I love it!

Thanks you!! You rock!

I have noooo problem leaving food on my plate. When I started dating my boyfriend he used to make dinner and give me the same portion as him and he'd seriously GET MAD AT ME if I didn't eat it all! And he wouldn't let me save it, apparently he didn't believe in leftovers. I whined enough so he got over it (eventually), and now two years later, he will occasionally eat leftovers.

Now if it's a money-saving issue (which it always is on a family grocery budget) you might try simply not dishing yourself up a serving of anything but veggies. Then finish up after the family, or serve everyone half what you normally do.

It's hard keeping that grocery bill low - wasting any portion of it is not cost effective. But if you preserve a serving as a left over that can be frozen, you've got a 'free' meal.

I don't get having to scrape food from your plate into the trash.  Does food become tainted once it hits your plate?  They are still leftovers to me. Put em in the fridge!   Any cooties from your fork will get nuked in the microwave or oven when you heat em up later; besides they are your cooties anyway, so who cares?  What's the difference between that and eating off someone else's plate?

Well, actually, I agree...but sometimes it looks a bit unappetizing when a three year old is done with it. ;)

Thankfully there are no 3 year olds in my house!  Give em food a spoon full at a time then.  :)

I do actually. I cannot throw food away, so I end up eating it. 

I hope you anti-wasters eat your apple cores.  Yummy, yummy apple cores.

yeah...ummm...I HAVE been known to eat apple cores.  What does that say about me?

Should I seek immediate help? heheehe

It's nice to know that I'm not the only one. 

And with regard to keeping leftovers, I have nuttin' against leftovers, but I'm talking about the few bites of food left over on the plate that is hardly worth getting the tupperware out for...Actually, It may be worth getting the tupperware out for them for a whole week and just seeing how much extra food that I'm stuffing my face with and not accounting for....hmmm....

Original Post by adolphs:

Thankfully there are no 3 year olds in my house!  Give em food a spoon full at a time then.  :)

 ^ also not a bad idea...I always end up putting way too much food on my daughter's plate anyway...

You could start serving a 1/2 meal and letting everyone know that there are seconds available if they're still hungry.  The only problem is if it's my nephews they'll avoid eating the healthy stuff and wait for dessert.

That's also an awesome idea and very simple and I feel sort of like an idiot for not thinking of that myself.  duh... *wiping drool off my chin* - I can be truly stunned sometimes...I guess I am so used to putting these HUGE portions on our plates and don't even think twice about it.  I bet my DH would be shocked if he knew what a real portion size actually looked like.

Tragically, my 19 month daughter has already picked up on the fact that if she holds out long enough, there will be goodies after supper. :( I don't give them to her, DH does...She is also already a Carb Queen! I have to sneak in the protein and the veggies - she used to be so good at eating everything (all the brocolli and fish we could give her) but now she holds out for rice, potatoes and crackers and sometimes carrots...and apples, if I'm lucky and she's desparate