I feel bad wasting food

Skinny100

Hello All!

This is a BIG downfall of mine. I always end up eating so much more because I feel like I can't/shouldn't waste food.

How do you guys deal with this? I'm not talking about just when I'm eating out (my husband and I usually share a meal anyways) but at home. When I cook something or buy something that I think my family will eat, and it doesn't get consumed, a lot of times I'll end up finishing it off because I feel horrible throwing it away.

Help!

LoveMy4Kids

I am trying to learn to cook less, as well as feeding my youngest two children left overs for lunch the next day to use up the food I normally would waste!

mamitc01

Maybe plan on meals that can be kept as a leftover, as tomorrow's lunch or something...?

gennybunny

The food is already wasted. Whether you put it in your mouth or not. If you can't put leftovers away, put them in a container and give it away, to a homeless persons, a shelter or just a needy person you know. I would rather throw leftovers away then have to wear it. I've even started making a little less food, so I have less leftovers. If my family is still hungry after dinner, they can eat fruit for dessert! I hope that helps a bit.

Rivah67

i put any left overs straight in the dogs bowl that way i'm not tempted and what the dog can't have goes in the bin

conniestar

I agree with gennybunny - I would rather throw it out than wear it. Another option would be to save it as a leftover, but not eat it. Wait for it to get moldy, then throw it out - I promise you won't feel bad throwing it away then!

misslizz6958

This is also a huge problem for me

Azdak

Ziploc plastic containers.

Sometimes (like right now) I have an entire refrigerator full of them.

If you are measuring out your portions, the "end point" should be obvious--everything else gets put away. Actually, it can be helpful to pack away the leftovers before you even start to eat. You can also try measuring out your portions befor preparing the meal so that there are no leftovers.

It may require that you plan your meals better so that you incorporate the "leftover strategy" into your food prep. Today's roast beef is tomorrow's stir fry. Not only does it prevent wasted food--it can be a great way of "slimming" your food budget as well.

Whatever you do, don't feed leftovers to the dog. That's not really healthy for your buddy.

PJilly

Better to waste the food than to waist it.

somigliana

Making a food plan each week helps me out a lot with this--I only buy and make enough food for x-number of planned portions for each dinner so that there are no "leftovers"... only extra full portions to take to work for lunch the next day I dish out the extra portions into containers and fridge them at the same time I'm serving dinner.

SusanSuccess

ALL food is wasted.

When I realized that whether I throw it down the garbage disposal or (pardon the graphic) it goes down the toilet after eating it -- all food is waste, that helped me feel like I didn't always need to clean my plate. If I'm having trouble saying NO to what's on my plate I'll say, out loud, ALL FOOD IS WASTE. Then I can push it away.

I am also the freezer queen. Ziploc bags are my friends!!! If it's salvageable, into the freezer left-overs go. They can always surface later as a small lunch or light dinner. And my dogs are sometimes the recipients of a too-full plate.

Just be careful not to give grapes, raisins or onions to the dogs.

striker1988

Ditto on what many have said already about all food being waste. I took a nutrition class once taught by a prominent bio-researcher/nutritionist and he discussed the "wasting food" issue and that for many of us, it is a psychological throw-back to an old school of thought that was systemic of the pre-1960's that basically encouraged strict parental control of children while at the table. Unfortunately, it's carried through generations and still exists today. You've heard it before, I think Pink Floyd said it very well, "You can't have any pudding if you don't eat your meat!" line. Basically, it conditions (and damages) us mentally to the point where we're compelled to eat or save the food compulsively.

Many have mentioned saving things in the freezer/fridge. Many people I know do this, and the food sits there for days or even weeks in the fridge or months in the freezer and never, ever gets touched. You'll only be wasting space and stressing yourself out if you start saving things for the sake of saving them. Do it only if you know you'll definitely eat the food or you have a lot of excessive room in your fridge/freezer. Otherwise it's an unneeded nuisance for you and others.

Remember that eating habits should be fluid and based upon your goals. If your goal is to reduce your BMI, you have to think in THOSE terms and those terms only, not about wasting. The second the food was produced, it was already going to meet a demise somewhere, as those before me have said. However, by eating the food for the sake of "saving" it, you're only defeating your own goals. The food isn't sentient, it isn't relying on you to eat it, it doesn't have interests of its own, and quite frankly, anybody else who can use that food wasn't going to get it anyway, unless you gave it to them. So either save it, give it to somebody else or throw it out.

libtech50

I started something today and I hope this might help. I started using 7 inch plate. I place measured food on my plate, I also fix my mom and husband plate so I am not tempted to eat what is left on the table. When finish I store the left over for another day either in the frig or in freezer. Hope this helps.

funkyspunky871

I always remember people telling me not to waste my food because there are children in Africa starving. I could buy a bag of chips and eat only half of it or all of it. Either way, I don't think that bag of chips was going anywhere near Africa. But, you're all welcome to ship my leftovers across the Atlantic anytime.

Food goes to waste. Don't worry about it. I do, however, like the idea of taking big leftovers to local homeless shelters. That's a great idea if you have one nearby.

funkyspunky871

Remember that eating habits should be fluid and based upon your goals. If your goal is to reduce your BMI, you have to think in THOSE terms and those terms only, not about wasting. The second the food was produced, it was already going to meet a demise somewhere, as those before me have said. However, by eating the food for the sake of "saving" it, you're only defeating your own goals. The food isn't sentient, it isn't relying on you to eat it, it doesn't have interests of its own, and quite frankly, anybody else who can use that food wasn't going to get it anyway, unless you gave it to them. So either save it, give it to somebody else or throw it out.

That is the smartest thing ever said on MFP. You deserve a reward.

pamazado

I save leftovers, if it is enough for one person..at our house It helps me get out of cooking 1-2 nights a week.. we have leftover night and each person gets to pick out of the treasure of left overs. I try to cook things thru the week that have a stronger appeal to one person or another to make it an easy choice on left over night. I agree with others..you can waste food or you can waist food...your choice.

kah78

I've stopped putting the food on the table when we eat. We fix our plates and then go to the table. It cuts down on the "grazing". We almost always have leftovers...in fact, I usually count on it--that's what my hubby takes for lunch, and it's what I eat for lunch the next day too. If there is not enough for two of us left over, I usually let him take it...but then I have to figure out what to eat. So much easier to have it already decided. :-)

As for the wasting food thing, it is a hard mindset to get stop. I'm trying real hard to not raise my son to feel like he needs to be a part of the "clean plate club"--it's harder than I thought though. I guess working on smaller portions to begin with is key. You can always go back for more if needed.

MrsBattousai

Hey!

By the way I love this post I was like that all the time my kids would not eat so I would it well that got me to almost 300 pounds but not anymore I really like what you guys were saying waste is waste better in the garbage then more junk in our trucks or love handles. Tk's so much for the post guys it is great!

pinbotchick

Better to waste the food than to waist it.

I love this!!!

Skinny100

WOW - Thank you so much to everyone! It was so very kind of you to give me such great advice!!

I don't think I'll be "waisting" food again anytime soon!!!

May all of you have even better levels of success in return for your kind advice.

amy1612

Agree with whats been said about planning and using leftovers.....in winter if Im making a casserole or a soup,I'll always plan to make enough for more than one meal. I dont care what anyone says....throwing out IS ridiculously wasteful,and a very silly, westernised concept. Just planning meals is a really good way of saving food and money. Would you throw a £5 note away.....probably not,but techinically you are when throw wasted food. Not saying finish everything on ytour plate when youre full, but certainly dont throw food which could be made into another meal.

rybo

Some of hte responses kind of surprise me.
I don't like to waste food. I am not just going to toss something out because I am full. Most leftovers keep & re-heat very well. Since adjusting our portion control we have left overs a lot more than we used to. Often times its only a little bit left, but it all goes in the fridge before it goes in the trash. Leftovers are used for lunch or as part of dinner within a couple days. It doesn't go to waste or waist.

Kath712

You've gotten a lot of good responses. Thanks for posting this, I needed to see the responses too!

My mantra is "I'm not a garbage can." This helps me to remember that I don't have to finish everything. Food can be put away for another meal, even just a few bites are worth saving. After a few days, if we haven't eaten it, we toss it.

DH and I have also learned to serve dinner directly to our plates, instead of putting it in serving dishes. Our girls are slow eaters, so while he and I are sitting there waiting for the girls to finish, we are tempted to have seconds. If we don't put the food on the table, we are not tempted to pick. The only thing we do pick at is raw veggies (carrots, peppers, broccoli, etc.). That's o.k.

Azdak

Another tip: Stir frying is a great "refrigerator cleaner". Make up a big batch of brown rice and store it in the freezer or fridge. Grab all the bits and pieces left over at the end of the week--peppers, celery, zucchini, mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, onions--thaw out a chicken breast or some shrimp, throw in an egg or two and a few cashews--you can't beat it. Spice it up with pepper, garlic, ginger (and a few pepper flakes if you like it spicy hot). It's a great way to stretch your meat budget as well.

snorker88

This is a UK website I always refer to when I have some leftover food! It's brilliant!

http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/

pixiestick

Another tip: when you are cooking your original meals, try to keep ingredients separated. Rather than making a casserole or stir-fry to start with, cook the noodles or rice separately for that first meal. When it comes time to manage any food left over, it is much easier to incorporate it into other meals if you are not dealing with a bits and pieces of other completed meals.

I used to have the problem of throwing food away or feeling guilted into gluttony. Then I found that my monthly budget was WAY too tight for either one of those options. Cooking as I mentioned above allowed me to not waste food but to also use it as efficiently as possible.

MisdemeanorM

You could buy a refrigerator

Plan your meals around leftovers - even if your kids won't eat that casserole you made - lunch for yourself for the week and it's gone and you're not over your calories. Left overs last a lot more than one day or just that day at the table.

Or, your kids can learn that if they're hungry, they better eat what's in the fridge or they're not eating. Don't give in and cook something new.

MisdemeanorM

double post.

geri1geraldinesuzanne

i cook one meal for the evening and if anything is left over i usually serve it the next day for lunch with something or other to acompany it.

:bigsmile: