Thanks for the history lesson!  I had NO IDEA that's where those guilt trips came from!  And I've always been stymied by the fact that it seems EVERYBODY'S parents said those things to them.

Yep...I'm a member of that club, too.  But at home, I only put on my plate what I KNOW I can eat.  At restaurants, I take half my meal home.  (I realize that you can't do that when you're backpacking, but I'm NOT backpacking at the moment. :-)  Somehow, though, when I go to a dinner party or other type of party, I just eat and eat and eat.  I don't know what THAT'S about...but I don't go to very many parties these days.

"Mom, your mouth is not a garbage can."  (related to us by our fitness instructor, who was quoting her daughter)

The strange thing is that my mom never told me to finish everything, and never guilted me -- and I still clean my plate well enough to not rinse.

Then there's the clean cupboard award... there's just a few crackers or a cup of cereal or ... gee what a waste to have it taking all that space.  I should fix that.

Intuitive eating probably won't work for me -- the signals are just not that reliable.  At least for now, logging is critical feedback.

This articale gave me pause to really think about my membership in the "clean plate" club. Had you asked me before reading this I would have said that I had left that club a long time ago. Now I see that I'm living my membership via my childeren, but probably not in the manner you think.

For myself, like the previous poster, I make smaller portions while at home and have no problem doggy bagging while I'm out. For the kids they get to choose their food portions as well (although I do insist that the they try a bite for two of everything) and I've never told them that they must clean their plate. But when they are done it pains me when there is food left over and I generally find myself eating it compulsively.

Here is my new manta, "At the end of the day, though, that food is wasted whether it sits on the plate or whether it ends up in my already full stomach." Thanks for this article!

Great thoughts about the 'clean plate club'.  Altho, years ago during the Wilson and Truman administrations, food was real food in real portions.  There were no fast food fat and calorie laden burger and chicken joints on every corner. We did not have sit down restaurants that served batter laden deep fried onion slices, triple decker burgers with maybe a slice or tomato or leaf of lettuce as the fresh vegetable part.  Back then if you cleaned your plate, you were well nourished and activity was a normal part of life (no video games!).  In these times, you are so correct at breaking the mantra of 'clean your plate' since the plates at one sitting can be more calories/fat/carbs than you need in one day. 

I admit that I do threaten with dessert or guilt trip with starving kids in poor countries to my kids at dinner....but it's not to get them to clean their plates, just take a few bites!  They are 2 and 4 and soooo picky!  What infuriates me even more is when they ask for something specific or seconds of something and I make it and then they don't eat it and it goes to waste!  Grrr...

Very interesting article, I too am a member and striving HARD not to be.  Change is the devil. ;)

I always wiondered where there were "starving children in Europe."  I had no idea it dated back this far.

I too have done a great deal of traveling in countries where poverty and hunger were real and daily issues.  For the extra portions of a meal at a restaurant, have the restaurant pack it to go for you.  99 times out of 100 you will run into a child begging in the street on the way home.  Giving them food is a far better idea than money.  It's something they have instant access to.   

Yep, I'm not only a member of the club, I've raised my children to be members. I was an overweight child, with 4 normal weight male siblings. I was teased for being a "fatty"my entire childhood. Then in my late teens, I lost my appetite, for no apparent reason and dropped 20 plus lbs. For the 1st time in my life I was not only at my ideal weight, but below it. Then I joined the Air Force, where I learned in basic training to "wolf down" my food. We had to finish everything (whether we liked it or not) on our trays then get back into formation within a set amount of time. I saw one airman forced to eat several pats of butter before he could empty his tray. These bad habits are still with me but I'm working hard to overcome them.

We should be teaching our children not to waste food. It's a waste of the planets resources if we throw good food away. I hate when at a kids party, some children put lots of food on their plate, then leave over half of it, and go back for other things they fancy a bite of and don't them either. I also accept it's bad for our health to eat everything on our plate at a resturant (you can choose how much you cook and put on your plate at home). There's got to be a balance. Blaming the 'clean the plate' philosopy doesn't explain why portion sizes have got so big, and why we are all eating them anyway.

I definitely have this problem as well! My mom wouldnt let us go out to play until we finished every last bite! That turned into habit, and now since I've started losing weight, it's become less a habit and more of a way of just being polite. I feel really bad to say no to someone who is offering me food! And in the end, I get really pissed off because a lot of older people scold you until you just take the **** piece of cake!

Maybe I'm weak. Have a fat-girl conscious, I dunno.

I have to overcome it though! :) I'm working on it.

Wow yes my parents were avid promoters of the clean plate club as well - the history behind the phrase and practice is very interesting, thank you for the information! My parents didn't serve up huge amounts of food, and I don't remember ever being made to eat everything, but I do remember them using the phrase as a kind of a rewarding praise if we did manage to "clean our plates."

It is not so much a problem for me... If I'm eating out, taking home leftovers for a second meal works to beat the wasting thing. Mostly I just serve or make myself as much as I want, but sometimes my eyes are bigger than my stomach and then I just stick the rest in the fridge or toss it out if not worth saving. And I am served up bigger portions, such as at a dinner party, I feel fine leaving left overs :)

Yeap, I'm a member of that club too, even though I'm a born and raised Swiss. seems like these rules are pretty universal, and its incredible how powerful they are, even when you grow up. Also, I have just returned from an 8 months backpacking trip 8 kg heavier than when I left. Travelling is hard for the diet. Especially when you start with china... how are you meant to keep track of calories there? Half of the time I had no idea what I was eating. but it was good. :)

Original Post by: alphawordsmith

Thanks for the history lesson!  I had NO IDEA that's where those guilt trips came from!  And I've always been stymied by the fact that it seems EVERYBODY'S parents said those things to them.

Yep...I'm a member of that club, too.  But at home, I only put on my plate what I KNOW I can eat.  At restaurants, I take half my meal home.  (I realize that you can't do that when you're backpacking, but I'm NOT backpacking at the moment. :-)  Somehow, though, when I go to a dinner party or other type of party, I just eat and eat and eat.  I don't know what THAT'S about...but I don't go to very many parties these days.

While there is no longer a food shortage across the country there are certainly still impoverished areas where families struggle to get food (especially nutritious food at that) and the idea of not letting a scrap of food go to waste is still alive and well.  And while i definitely do not support the idea of over eating i do think that americans need to be more resourceful with their food and think of creative ideas to eat left-overs, and to not buy food at the grocery store unless you are certain it is going to be consumed before it expires!

I am certainly a member of the clean plate club growing up in a more impoverished area.It is so interesting that this concept can be passed down through generations.   Now that i can provide for myself it is still SO hard to not eat every last bit of food on my plate... even when there is still some in the pot for leftovers!  The key is portion control and eating SLOWLY!  Lunch time at elementary and high school is another thing that influenced my eating habits... We only had 20 minutes to get through the line, find a seat, and eat our lunch so know whenever i sit down it is instinct to scarf my food down as fast as i can!  I dont have enough time to digest and still think I'm hungry... even though i have had plenty!

It is a tough habit to break but knowing there are many others out there who recognize this old tradition it is nice to hear tips and tricks to change!

We also had the clean your plate philosophy in our house growing up especially with my grandmother.  We not only had to clean our plates, but were made to eat everything that was being served.  We heard about the starving kids in other parts of the world who would be happy to have it and were told if we didnt eat it at that meal it would be waiting for us at the next one. In the beginning I used the same tactics with my kids, but learned to let go.  Ive finally learned there is nothing wrong with not cleaning your plate and having the food waiting for you at the next meal.  Sometimes leftovers can be tastier than the first time around!

I always thought it was the clean plate syndrome arising from the depression era generation.  At any rate, "Yes, I grew up that way."  As a matter of fact, Mom would refill my plate to get rid of any remaining food she had cooked for dinner.

I used fasting to overcome the tendency.  But when I got into serious cycling, I started eating more to keep up with my higher energy output.  I suspect that a backpacker would be faced with the same dilemma -- the need to increase eating during periods of high energy activity.

I think the main thing is to take responsibility for limiting what I eat and how much I eat to something close to what I need.  It is also a good idea to stay busy and stay away from snacks and sweets. [Everything I like is illegal, immoral or fattening!]

Original Post by: fridgelight

"Mom, your mouth is not a garbage can."  (related to us by our fitness instructor, who was quoting her daughter)

The strange thing is that my mom never told me to finish everything, and never guilted me -- and I still clean my plate well enough to not rinse.

Then there's the clean cupboard award... there's just a few crackers or a cup of cereal or ... gee what a waste to have it taking all that space.  I should fix that.

Intuitive eating probably won't work for me -- the signals are just not that reliable.  At least for now, logging is critical feedback.

I just really love that top quote from the fitness instructor's daughter lol...it, along with the article, certainly makes you really think, & brings a lighter air to the whole thing!  How silly is it that we feel the need to lick our platters clean anyhoo?

My mom was raised to clean her plate & raised us the same way, now it's something we both are now fighting (it's harder for her since she's in her 60s already though). We had starving children in Africa that were grateful for dirty rice & bugs the rare times they even got that...

I'm getting better but my big problem is eating way too fast & munching on what's on my plate once I stop...I tend to pick on the leftovers I'm finished with just because they're there. I'm working on eating slower & going ahead & putting up my plate once I'm done even if my family isn't, that way while I sit with them I won't be eating what's there because I feel bad for leaving it.

I love learning the history behind things like this, the mindsets of america we don't even realize we have sometimes!  Thanks a ton for sharing, & I'm proud of everybody here for their drive to improve their heath & better themselves. God Bless <3

 My theory is "I would rather waste it than 'waist' it!!!"

So true! I am from South Europe, Adria see and believe me, we have that club too. OMG! I find myself getting mad at my family for not cleaning up their plates. Oh I am so leaving this club!  

I am glad you are continuing to write and travel:) Can't wait till I take off....12-18 months of 9-5 and then: bye, bye land:). My friend sea, here I come. On long life sail!!!!!

I always wondered where the "clean plate club" originated from.  It's too bad Presidents Wilson and Truman didn't instead focus on appropriate portion sizes and the food groups.  I grew up in the "clean plate" era and my parents either dished up for me (usually too much) or "my eyes were bigger than my stomach" and I would take too much food.  Thanks for the article and I will be having conversations with my daughters to start better habits with them. 

I'm a member of the Clean Plate Club and proud to be. There is no reason that we can't be CPC members and still eat smaller portions. The fact of the matter is not the portion size, but the fact that we don't have control to only take small amounts and get more as we feel hungry. We top our plates to the brim and then waste. It IS wasteful to order a giant meal at a restaurant and just throw it away. Take half home for leftovers or do what my bf and I have begun to do: sharing one entree and ordering salads to fill us up.  

Anyone else find it a coincidence that 70% of Americans clean their plate and 68% of American adults are overweight or obese? Maybe it has something to do with how some people eat until they are full and have no problem not eating whats left and everyone else just eats until there's no more room left in their entire digestive system.

*disclaimer* yes I know that is a very generalized statement and not everyone eats like that. I just thought it was interesting how those statistics are so similar

karibeth70 - my grandma was the same way! She made me a ham sandwich and tried to force me to eat it and yelled at me for not taking some of every item (just to try). But I wouldn't.

I'm a member of the "doggie-bag club"... :)

You'll be hungry later, so why waste what you could be eating then?

"Food is wasted whether it sits on the plate or whether it ends up in my already full stomach."  That is officially my new mantra!  What a PERFECT way to look at it!  I am definitely a member of the clean plate club and I have forced my family to be as well.  I KNOW it is wrong, but I just cannot stop myself.  It drives my husband crazy sometimes.  The worst is that if there is food left on their plates I eat it while I am cleaning up even though I am already full.  It is TERRIBLE.  It is usually where my perfect eating day begins to unravel.  I eat breakfast and lunch at work so I prepare perfect portions so there is no clean plate issue, but then when I get home we always eat as a family and it is nearly impossible to make a perfect portion for 5 people.  So I overeat and then I feel terrible and feel like "well I blew the day I might a swell eat a bunch of junk now and start again tomorrow"!  UGH!!!  Okay.  Today is the day I say " food is wasted whether it sits on the plate or whether it ends up in my already full stomach. 

"Food is wasted whether it sits on the plate or whether it ends up in my already full stomach."  That is officially my new mantra!  What a PERFECT way to look at it!  I am defintely a memeber of the lean plate cluba nd I have forced my family to be as well.  I KNOW it is wrong, but I just cannot stop myself.  It drives my husband crazy sometimes.  The worst is that if there is food left on their plates I eat it while I am cleaning up even though I am already full.  It is TERRIBLE.  It is usually where my perfect eating day begins to unravel.  I eat breakfast and lunch at work so I prepare perfect portions so there is no clean plate issue, but then when I get home we always eat as a family and it is nearly impossible to make a perfect portion for 5 people.  So I overeat and then I feel terrible and like "well I blew the day I might a swell eat a bunch of junk now and start again tomorrow"!  Okay.  Today is the day I say " food is wasted whether it sits on the plate or whether it ends up in my already full stomach." Say it with me... " food is wasted whether it sits on the plate or whether it ends up in my already full stomach."   One more time " food is wasted whether it sits on the plate or whether it ends up in my already full stomach."   Wish me luck tonight!

I'd never heard the term "Clean Plate Club" until my current boyfriend used it one night after dinner. When I was growing up, my parents forced us to finish everything on our plates and my grandparents were even worse about it (they still shove food on me, btw - I've been sick at their house because they've made me overeat!). In my family it wasn't so much "starving children in Africa" guilt trips that made us have to eat every last bite, but my Slovenian grandpa's wartime experience ("I didn't have any food when I was growing up so you WILL eat to compensate!") coupled with him knowing this guy named Martin who always left one or two bites on his plate. My grandfather finds this the height of rudeness, so most of my childhood dining memories involve someone yelling "DON'T BE LIKE MARTIN!" haha.

i have that problem, i hate wasting food, now i just make smaller plates and take it home if need be or give it away

I also was in the clean plate club, though we never had desserts with meals (I still don't), but my Dad would often have an open- face, Peanut butter and syrup treat after a meal, getting the results you would expect.

For my grown up life, I am very conscious of food, too much in the past and working on fixing that now.   I work and my husband does too and we have a great process-  any leftovers either get put on a freezer plate or get portioned into baggies that go into future freezer plates (keeps the mix of meats/veggies fresh).   I keep frozen chicken breasts at work plus a couple of the "extra" veggies or pasta for days when I want a little more at lunch.  sometimes I'll pull a variety of leftovers together and make a soup. 

Food dollars are a HUGE portion of our budget, so we are very careful to utilize the leftovers (instead of overfilling our stomachs!).

I am trying to get out of the club as well; not too hard as I have two dogs; if I have a few bites/less than a portion left over of something it goes into the dogs dinner that night.  They certainly appreciate it and are a lot more likely to run it off than I am :<)

I doubt that there has ever been an age when a cook/parent/provider appreciated people wasting the food they paid for (or hunted/gathered for that matter).  My folks allowed us to serve ourselves and if we took it we better darn well better eat it, or at least most of it. I don't mind if things stay in the serving bowl and aren't finished...that's lunch. If the kids take it onto their plates and don't eat it, I have to toss it. Grrr.

I don't remember my parents hounding me to finish EVERYTHING, but I actively have to fight the urge to do just that. I always attributed to having 4 brothers & sisters: competition for food. lol. 

Original Post by: ang6181

I admit that I do threaten with dessert or guilt trip with starving kids in poor countries to my kids at dinner....but it's not to get them to clean their plates, just take a few bites!  They are 2 and 4 and soooo picky!  What infuriates me even more is when they ask for something specific or seconds of something and I make it and then they don't eat it and it goes to waste!  Grrr...

Very interesting article, I too am a member and striving HARD not to be.  Change is the devil. ;)

I'm from southern England and we had the clean plate club too, I still remember my grandmother insisting that I ate everything and even making me feel guilty about the last pea, 'poor little thing he'll be all lonely on the plate without his friends', this in spite of the fact that I was a  solidly built child.  Nowadays after years of practice I make a point of always leaving something on my plate even if it is only a tiny bit to break the habit.

And to Ang6181, dont worry so much, your children are picky because you fuss them too much, its all about attention, dont take any notice of what they eat and you'll find that they will grow out of it.  When my kids were small I just would dish up and let them get on with it, when dinner time was up I would take the plates away. After a little while they just got on with it.  Children soon learn to eat when they are hungry and food is available, though dont go giving them extras between meals to make up for them not eating!

I still have a small problem with my weight, (about 20lbs too much), but my grown up children are slim and with no weight or food problems.

I had thought I was part of a rare breed as a member of the Clean Plate Club.  I notice it when I watch others eat--others who are able to leave food on their plates.  As much as I know they are doing the wiser thing, it irritates me to see them throw food down the disposal or let the waiter take it away without even boxing it up to take home.  I, on the other hand, leave nothing behind. 

For me, my Clean Plate membership is part of an overall learned frugality. "Money doesn't go on trees," we were told, and nothing went to waste.  My grandmother saved used pieces of tinfoil to reuse!  We buy our clothes at yardsales or Goodwill, and still I cringe when we have to put some pair of jeans full of holes into the trash.  We "use it up or wear it out," which isn't all bad.  But when I see that this mantra has me cleaning every scrap on my plate, I see that frugality in this particular realm is a sort of prison.  I want out!

Combined with this is the fact that mealtime was always (still is) family time where laughter and stories and catching up with each other was part of the routine.  That means we stayed at the table awhile, which means we took additional helpings of the food in front of us whether we were hungry or not.  In additon to the Clean Plate Club, this is my biggest downfall.

Original Post by: distra

I always wiondered where there were "starving children in Europe."  I had no idea it dated back this far.

I too have done a great deal of traveling in countries where poverty and hunger were real and daily issues.  For the extra portions of a meal at a restaurant, have the restaurant pack it to go for you.  99 times out of 100 you will run into a child begging in the street on the way home.  Giving them food is a far better idea than money.  It's something they have instant access to.   

That's a great idea for eating out at restaurants! I'll be sure to keep that in mind, because I know I never eat the leftovers if I take it home myself, so I just try to finish it so it isn't left behind. That definitely puts it to good use though!

That is a great article. Mine's a bit more intensely ingrained though. All the above is true except my family came from Italy. Of course that comes with a background history. In addition what the author said I had additional threats of my parents telling me how little they had to eat during WWII and that my not finishing everything on my place will be a disgrace to those times when we had little or no food in addition to children in starving countries.

I was also told that leaving food on your plate "looks bad" and "goes to waste".

Of course this has affected my life in my adult years with obesity. I try to make whatever amount that I just need though and anything else i might feel I might need I just go for veggies or make it difficult for myself to get anything else. I try to steer away from food you can grab fast from the fridge though(not easy). The hardest part is when going to Buffet restaurants. I happen to fill up my plate and finish it off and then tempted to refill it to get my money's worth.

Bad habit. I've cut down immensely at eating out at restaurants.

Timely, I have been trying to break this 61 year old habit. I can still remember sitting at the table gagging down spinach or beets or whatever was on the clean plate cup that day. I often practice the habit of bringing half my meal home in a container, sadly, sometimes I can get three or four meals total out of what I was originally served. Sometimes there is not enough for two meals , too much for one and there is the dilemma, or I am traveling sans refrigerator or microwave. Mom is still sitting on my shoulder entreating me to finish. It is so hard not to listen. We went out to a new local family style restaurant the other night. They had a band and a limited menu since they are usually only open for breakfast and dinner.  I ordered the pork with fries, beans and hushpuppies. And left some of each on my plate. Why is that food still haunting me???

Portion sizes (and even plate sizes at restaurants) are almost always 2 to 3 times the size of what I should be eating, so it's easy for me to overeat, even if I take away half the portion. When traveling, I've found that accomodations rarely have a place to store or reheat leftovers. However, a friend pointed out that there are plenty of people who need food all over the world, not just those "starving kids in <insert country>" that your parents may have talked about during your childhood dinners. He recommended dividing the meal in half before eating. Eat as much as you want of your half and give the other half away. You're bound to come across someone who would be happy to have a meal between your restaurant and hotel, and then the meal won't be wasted at all!

I must admit, I am a huge food waster. I NEVER finish my plate, it always has something left on it. Even with a burger I leave one bite or give it to my husband. I have always been like this. YES I feel guilty but I have a very small appetite but I eat at least 6 times a day, just smaller portions. I always get a "doggy bag" or split a meal with someone or I have a lot of leftovers. When traveling I find splitting a meal is the best idea or seeing if they have smaller portions available. I would say 99% of the people I know have a spotless plate as though it never had food on it and they eat very very fast. I guess if you are like that its best to have smaller portions so you don't overeat then wait 20 minutes to see if you really are still hungry. I hate that STUFFED feeling, nothing feels worse than overeating.

I'm sorry, but this is disgusting. Are you trying to say that the only reason you feel any sort of remorse is because of what your mother said, and not because the people who actually ARE starving, and would kill for what you leave leftover, only to buy more later, and throw away even more? Have you never heard of saving food? I get two meals out of restaurant portions. Don't fill up your plate in the first place. Eating it won't save the starving kids, but stretching your food will.

I actually have been starving, eating food out of the trash, stopping people as they go to throw out a good amount of food because ~they don't like it,~ and a lot of them don't even pause and just throw it out. My brother and I lived off dumpster diving for the expired groceries. I think people who waste food should be sent to places like Ethiopia, not to see suffering, but to take part in the suffering themselves. Hey, at least it will help you limit your calorie intake.

Yes, this is a weight loss community, but some things are just more important than getting thin. I already feel that most people are selling their souls for that sake.

For me, I don't want food to be wasted and I don't want to "force plates to be clean". So in our house, everyone is required to take an appropriate amount of food and then eat it. I would rather that they take too little and then come back for seconds than to take way too much and then end up throwing it out.

As well, if the meal is a meat, starch and veggie type of dinner, the kids are expected to eat an equal amount of each before they can be full. We have one that will eat all her meat, then her starch and then be full before the veggies have even been touched. In that case she has been required to "clean her plate" but it was also explained to her why (she is 11 and can understand this). After a couple of times of doing this, she now eats some of everything before she lets us know that she is full.

The hardest part is the way their appetites change seemingly overnight! When they are in a growth spurt, they can eat us out of house and home and then all of a sudden they seem to barely be eating anything. As a parent, you want to make sure they are getting enough but not force them past what they actually need.

The idea of not leaving a clean plate, could be usefull when eating out, but at home, it's not necesary, serving a moderate portion is enough to acomplish healthy eating goals, and also releases us from the guilt of wasting food....

WOW! Thank you so much for sharing this information.

I have been preaching to family and friends for months about the importance of portions! My theory on restaurants is; in an effort to increase their profit margin, they charge more per plate, and give larger portions to justify it.

I think all of us have opted for that high dollar entree, only to see it in front of us, and think; "that was an expensive choice, but look at how much you get".

Honestly, who can eat all of the food they bring you on one plate. I believe that most restaurants serve enough on one plate to feed two people. The eating establishments are increasing their bottom line at the expense of your health.

Why do we Americans tolerate this?

Unfortunately, it is true, "it IS all about money"!

Thank you again for sharing this openly.

ichaichaalanna - exactly!

Not wasting food doesn't directly put food in people's mouths, but wasting food causes a ton of problems like overagriculture, over meat production, etc.

Original Post by: ichaichaalanna

I'm sorry, but this is disgusting. Are you trying to say that the only reason you feel any sort of remorse is because of what your mother said, and not because the people who actually ARE starving, and would kill for what you leave leftover, only to buy more later, and throw away even more? Have you never heard of saving food? I get two meals out of restaurant portions. Don't fill up your plate in the first place. Eating it won't save the starving kids, but stretching your food will.

I actually have been starving, eating food out of the trash, stopping people as they go to throw out a good amount of food because ~they don't like it,~ and a lot of them don't even pause and just throw it out. My brother and I lived off dumpster diving for the expired groceries. I think people who waste food should be sent to places like Ethiopia, not to see suffering, but to take part in the suffering themselves. Hey, at least it will help you limit your calorie intake.

Yes, this is a weight loss community, but some things are just more important than getting thin. I already feel that most people are selling their souls for that sake.

Hi ichaichaalanna - thanks for your comment.  It was not my desire to encourage people to intentionally waste food - I agree food should be saved, preserved, stored, and reused much more efficiently.  As I mentioned in the article, I am currently traveling in the developing world and am deeply troubled by the disparity between travelers such as myself and locals living a true hand-to-mouth existence.  Having seen things such as a family picking every little bit of meat off a tiny chicken bone and restaurant workers eagerly devouring customers' leftovers in the backroom has made me realize the seriousness of this situation.  I did not mean to make light of the worldwide issues of hunger and poverty - on the contrary, I hoped to point out how guilty this makes me feel about wasting food in any way, much more than any childhood flashbacks.

Just as many cat food manufacturers donate food to starving humans with each purchase, the idea has been tossed around that those losing weight should donate in the same way for each pound lost.  Perhaps this is a fitting way to give back to those that need for the waste of excess consumption...

"I'm sorry, but this is disgusting. Are you trying to say that the only reason you feel any sort of remorse is because of what your mother said, and not because the people who actually ARE starving, and would kill for what you leave leftover, only to buy more later, and throw away even more? Have you never heard of saving food? I get two meals out of restaurant portions. Don't fill up your plate in the first place. Eating it won't save the starving kids, but stretching your food will.

I actually have been starving, eating food out of the trash, stopping people as they go to throw out a good amount of food because ~they don't like it,~ and a lot of them don't even pause and just throw it out. My brother and I lived off dumpster diving for the expired groceries. I think people who waste food should be sent to places like Ethiopia, not to see suffering, but to take part in the suffering themselves. Hey, at least it will help you limit your calorie intake.

Yes, this is a weight loss community, but some things are just more important than getting thin. I already feel that most people are selling their souls for that sake."

I actually joined the clean plate club later in my 20's.  My parents did all the usual guilting but I had serious eating problems and couldn't stomach a lot of foods.  It led to being underweight, accused of being deliberately anorexic, and a tendency to binge.  Once I was able to tolerate most foods I gorged on them until I became overweight.

I have a serious problem with people who throw away food.  I look at big portions as opportunities for leftovers or fuel for vigorous activity.  I have been low on money and living off of beans and rice, peanut butter, free food at work. Buying and then throwing away food for vanity purposes is indicative of a perverted, sick society. 

My husband and I love having a 'left-overs' night. This is a meal put together from the leftovers of the week... Often times this means our plates consist of half portions, some full portions, and some things we each get just a couple bites of. I'm not sure why so many people find this disagreeable... it's exactly what a 'potluck' is designed to do - allow you to eat a tiny bit of lots of things.

This way we don't overeat (even to finish off just those few extra bites), and we don't waste. I never throw away a glass jar when we've finished whatever came inside it (jams, salsas, etc.), and I use these to store the various amounts of leftovers. The glass doesn't absorb the flavor of the food, so you can wash and reuse them indefinately.

I do the same with restaurant leftovers... have a half portion of scrambled eggs and a few bites of ham left? Take it home and use it in breakfast burritos. And yes, I do sometimes get odd looks when I ask for a doggie bag for such a small amount of food. But then I just smile and silently congratulate myself that I'm not wasting any food. =)

I am a proud part of the clean plate club, the concept of leaving something on the plate to remain thin is crazy to me.  Take reasonable portions so that you will not have to WASTE food.  Just because we have an excess food supply doesn't mean the rest of the world does.  Maybe if we as a country started eating more reasonable portions food demad would go do and food would become cheaper for those starving in other countries, and we wouldn't have to be so obssesed with weight loss.  Throwing food away for vanity is to me just a horrible example of excessiveness and greed.  Save some for later, share portions, etc. but this article about "Clean plate Club" being something bad is just obsurd to me.  I clean my plate and try to eat responsibly.  I see people load up their plates to get all that they paying for and then wind up throwing it away.  I use this sight to monitor my "sweet tooth" and to curb empty calories, seeing the nutritional value of different types of foods and really helped me eat more nutritionally. 

Original Post by: dpratz

WOW! Thank you so much for sharing this information.

I have been preaching to family and friends for months about the importance of portions! My theory on restaurants is; in an effort to increase their profit margin, they charge more per plate, and give larger portions to justify it.

I think all of us have opted for that high dollar entree, only to see it in front of us, and think; "that was an expensive choice, but look at how much you get".

Honestly, who can eat all of the food they bring you on one plate. I believe that most restaurants serve enough on one plate to feed two people. The eating establishments are increasing their bottom line at the expense of your health.

Why do we Americans tolerate this?

Unfortunately, it is true, "it IS all about money"!

Thank you again for sharing this openly.

Interesting - I remember listening to a radio program where they were discussing this phenomenon.  Food prices have come down over the years (due to advances in agriculture, food production, and transport), so instead of restaurants charging lower prices, they've started including more food.  For whatever reason, it seems that people usually take this economic perception into mind when purchasing food - eg, getting a foot-long sandwich for only a little more than a six inch, or buying the larger size drink for a few pennies more, even if this is more food than they can comfortably consume...

ichaichaalanna   
While I'm sorry you've had it rough, so have others. My family and I were living in a car for months while growing up, lived in abandoned trailers, motels, etc. How ever. It's not your place or 'right' to make others feel bad about not eating everything on their plate.  I agree with taking less, but if I take something and decide I don't like it, it WILL get throw out. Even having grown up like I did. I work my butt off and am UNDER the poverty lvl here in the usa. I don't get assistance in anyway. Food isn't something to be taken for granted(as we're both aware). I just find your statement SO rude. Most of these people here are obese. They NEED to not over eat. And frankly, I have enough issues of my own without caring about other countries. Best of luck staying on your feet!

We wouldn't have to worry about cleaning the plate if we would stop cooking so much food.

i don't think it is so simple as "stop cooking so much food" the problem lies in learning your body and how much food is enough for you. i've seen many a parent give their child adult size portions and expect all of it to be eaten. and thus another link in the overeating chain is forged.

It's almost a sin for me to waste food.  So I don't cook quite as much as I once did per meal.   I bring food home from a restaurant and eat it the next day.  Anything that I can't eat I feed to my huge hungry dog. If there is good food left over  in my pantry, I live it to the needy.  The only food that is thrown in the trash in my house if perhaps from produce that has spoiled. 

spoiled produce is my largest problem. i've been working on doing mini stops at the store in the middle of the week to purchse produce on a more "as needed" basis. it has helped.