Wasted Food

[badger411]

How do you deal with/cope with/rationalize all of the food that is wasted on a typical day? It feels like no matter what we serve, half to 3/4 of it gets thrown away because it is mushed and mixed together. Even when we ask the kids what they want, they often refuse to eat it. The one that asks for just jelly starts to cry and says she doesn't like it. The others refuse for similar reasons. It doesn't matter what we say, what the consequences are, them being hungry later, etc., they simply won't eat it. I am seriously considering adding a meal charge onto my base rate to cover all the wasted food.

[Blackcat31]

How do you deal with/cope with/rationalize all of the food that is wasted on a typical day? It feels like no matter what we serve, half to 3/4 of it gets thrown away because it is mushed and mixed together. Even when we ask the kids what they want, they often refuse to eat it. The one that asks for just jelly starts to cry and says she doesn't like it. The others refuse for similar reasons. It doesn't matter what we say, what the consequences are, them being hungry later, etc., they simply won't eat it. I am seriously considering adding a meal charge onto my base rate to cover all the wasted food.

I have learned to accept the following facts:

I will spend $X amount each week on groceries.
The kids will eat alll of it.
The money is spend and is gone.

This is the SAME thing:

I will spend $X amount each week on groceries.
The kids will eat none of it.
The money is spend and is gone.


See? You serve/they eat (or not).
The money is spent either way.

It's just not one of those power struggles I am willing to engage in.

SOOOOO much less stressful.

....and for some reason when you no longer care or push them to eat, they start eating. ::

[jenboo]

I have learned to accept the following facts:

I will spend $X amount each week on groceries.
The kids will eat alll of it.
The money is spend and is gone.

This is the SAME thing:

I will spend $X amount each week on groceries.
The kids will eat none of it.
The money is spend and is gone.


See? You serve/they eat (or not).
The money is spent either way.

It's just not one of those power struggles I am willing to engage in.

SOOOOO much less stressful.

....and for some reason when you no longer care or push them to eat, they start eating. ::

[KiwiKids]

I have learned to accept the following facts:

I will spend $X amount each week on groceries.
The kids will eat alll of it.
The money is spend and is gone.

This is the SAME thing:

I will spend $X amount each week on groceries.
The kids will eat none of it.
The money is spend and is gone.


See? You serve/they eat (or not).
The money is spent either way.

It's just not one of those power struggles I am willing to engage in.

SOOOOO much less stressful.

....and for some reason when you no longer care or push them to eat, they start eating. ::

Yes! Exactly! Although I've switched to just breakfast as of September 1st. Packed lunches only. I will never get rid of breakfast because all my kids are very early drop offs.

[Mike]

....and for some reason when you no longer care or push them to eat, they start eating. ::

I've frequently noticed that in my babysitting history also.

[MunchkinWrangler]

Very good advice from BlackCat.

I plan a menu and I serve what is on it, no substitutes, no extras. I serve well balanced meals. I have learned to let go because it is true that the money is spent either way.

[Josiegirl]

Sure, there's wasted food. And lots of complaints in the form of refusal to eat, whining, crying, other food being demanded and I've even had plates thrown off the table before. It happens. It's annoying and frustrating. BUT I am not a short order cook or a restaurant. I DO try to serve at least one thing at each meal that I know they'll eat so they're not gonna starve because a hungry kid is a grumpy kid and NOBODY wants to deal with that all day long.
Other than BC's advice, I'd suggest just placing a little bit of each food on their plates so when you're throwing it away, you only see 1 green pepper strip go into the garbage(compost!)and not half a pepper. Then think leftovers or hide-a-food or freezer.

[Pestle]

It helps that I compost. (Fruit and veggies only--no grains, dairy, or meats.) I feel less frustrated when I can treat the leftovers as if they still have value.

Also, I pay attention to the foods that are a hit with each child, and over time I modify the menu so that somebody's favorite is getting served. I think that when the others see one kid wolfing something down, it makes the rest of them eat more of it.

[racemom]

I have great eaters in my room, because I don't care.

Everyone gets some of everything, if they say they don't like it they get a small portion. I don't engage in arguing if they eat or not. If they want seconds, their plate must be empty. I don't argue with them I calmly state the fact I only refill empty plates, and if they cry and whine fine. Lunch or snack is not going to be a struggle.

I even have one dcg who has been diagnosed with failure to thrive, came to us with the warning she eats nothing, after using this approach she eats as much as I will give her. Still refuses to eat at home, but they are still in a power struggle over food with her. Eating is something I refuse to engage in a power struggle over. It is up to them if they,want to be hungry or not.

[MissAnn]

I make it a non issue. I don't plead or even ask kids to eat. I don't over praise when they do. They have to use manners......can't say yuck or I don't like it....I tell them it might hurt the feelings of the person who made it.

And lo and behold......I usually have all good eaters.

Oh but the times I don't have such good eaters I have visions of scooping up all those fresh/organic fruits and vegetables left on their plates and making me a smoothie out of them!

[Annalee]

I make it a non issue. I don't plead or even ask kids to eat. I don't over praise when they do. They have to use manners......can't say yuck or I don't like it....I tell them it might hurt the feelings of the person who made it.

And lo and behold......I usually have all good eaters.

Oh but the times I don't have such good eaters I have visions of scooping up all those fresh/organic fruits and vegetables left on their plates and making me a smoothie out of them!

I work with my mom and her biggest issues is wasted food. She is from the generation that grew up with "just enough" so it is hard for her to accept the wasted food I have always told her to just "ignore" it and she has gotten much better but it still bothers her I know.

[Unregistered]

I also make it a non issue. kids who are less inclined to eat get smaller portions with the option of more always.

I first encourage to eat a little more but if a kid is a good eater I will give seconds before every item is gone. I find keeping things in balance the best route.

I don't do other options. I plan very healthy, from scratch, meals. Still kid friendly. they get what they get! I don't make a big deal out of meal time.

[Meeko]

I have great eaters in my room, because I don't care.

Everyone gets some of everything, if they say they don't like it they get a small portion. I don't engage in arguing if they eat or not. If they want seconds, their plate must be empty. I don't argue with them I calmly state the fact I only refill empty plates, and if they cry and whine fine. Lunch or snack is not going to be a struggle.

I even have one dcg who has been diagnosed with failure to thrive, came to us with the warning she eats nothing, after using this approach she eats as much as I will give her. Still refuses to eat at home, but they are still in a power struggle over food with her. Eating is something I refuse to engage in a power struggle over. It is up to them if they,want to be hungry or not.

I had one just like her! Refused to eat anything but baby food. They even had her seeing a nutritionist at the hospital.

She was just being manipulative.

One day, I took photos of her eating a normal lunch and they showed them to the doc who admitted they had all been duped!

[Controlled Chaos]

Same idea but for grown ups -
My grandma used to give my aunt a hard time about not eating all the food served to her at restaurants and my aunt always used to reply : "Whether it ends up on my thighs or in the garbage we already paid for it!"

[DaveA]

One day, I took photos of her eating a normal lunch and they showed them to the doc who admitted they had all been duped!

I had a DCB just like that. I would tell DCM what he ate that day and she wouldn't believe it because mealtimes were such a fight at home if it wasn't one of 3 things.