advice and tips needed!

GemmaCloke

I have a bad habit of picking at the kids leftover food at dinner time and i have tried so hard to avoid it. Part of the reason i do it is because I dont like waste and hate wasting money. Anyone got any tips or advice on changing the way I think about wasting the food and also to stop myself picking at the leftovers? its part of the reason im not losing weight as much as i hoped. Any advice much appreciated.

CDeguc

I was the same way when I would go out to eat! We've been told since we were little that leaving ANY food on the plate is a waste and that starving children would appreciate it. Here are a couple of ideas to kick the habit and hopefully soothe your mind as far as wasting goes.

1. Make/serve less food. It takes a little adjustments, but it'll be easier on your heart to make more food later then throw away what wasn't eaten.

2. Save excessive food for leftovers:0) I'm not a big leftover fan, but if you plan it right you can always throw your leftovers into another dish you have planned the next day or through out the week.

3. Get the best deals you can find on food, so tossing the little extra away won't bother you.

I know it's easier said than done, but it helps!

GemmaCloke

Thanks for your reply, what you have suggested def makes sense and I will try to just make what I know the kids will eat at dinner time. I do buy the deals when i go food shopping`but i still feel bad about wasting food. I will def try and keep leftovers to go towards another meal. I was proud of my self last night, couldnt eat all my dinner so I chucked the rest which I have never done and rather than feel guilty I felt kinda good about it.

missfluffyuk

Give the kids smaller portions so there's no food to pick at.

And I agree with the other poster. Smaller portions will be a great idea though -- it will teach your kids not to have huge portions.

jacksonpt

Are the kids eating enough so you can give them smaller portions? My daughter will almost always clean her plate regardless of how much I give her, but my son wants to get back to playing as soon as he can, so every 3 bites he complains about being full. I wouldn't want to cut his portions... he just needs to sit there and eat.

If you can do smaller portions then that's probably the place to start. I also agree with the idea of leftovers. Leftovers are key for me and make a great lunch the next day. Also, perhaps don't make yourself dinner, instead eat the kid's leftovers. I've done that a lot... when I know the kids won't eat everything, I won't bother making anything for myself knowing that I'll eat what they leave.

Also, what about cooking healthier? Picking at the kids' leftover chicken breast and veggies is a lot better than picking at their leftover hotdogs and fries.