Throwing away food.

I would give them away! No wasting guilt, no over-calorie guilt. Let someone else enjoy.

Do you have an elderly neighbor that lives near ya? Maybe not even an elderly person, but someone who doesnt have many people living in the household might like. For example... I love a single cookie....but I have to buy the whole box.... and since I am the only one in my household who eats cookies... I am tempted to eat more of them.... maybe someone else near you doesnt want a whole box either. Buy it, take your portion, and offer the rest to someone else. Plus an elderly person living by themselves may really appreciate the visit of you dropping something off for them! (might really make their day and also help you stay under your limit!)

If you receive high calorie gifts that are packaged foods, you could also try dropping them off at a local food pantry.

Just open the box and leave them in the break room at work. They'll be gone by lunch.

What do you guys think? Is it okay to throw away food?
Usually I try to use up vegetables, meat, eggs, etc. quickly and try not to waste food.
But what happens if you receive some high calorie food as a gift? Or impulse buy some "binge" food?
I got some chocolates as a gift today, and I feel that if I don't throw them away I'll eat them all (500 calories!) in a day. I know it's a waste when so many people in the world are without food. But if I eat the chocolates I'll feel guilty and will have less calories to afford on healthy and nutritious food...

I like all the other ideas too, but I'll frequently eat the portion I want and throw the rest in the trash. 500 cals can't be a lot of chocolaty goodness anyway!

They last ages in the fridge too. Just have one a week. Chocolate is good for you.

I dont really use the "other people are starving" as an excuse to eat food just so it is not wasted. It will either become waste or put on your waist...if I can not give it away, I throw it out.

The entire mentality of "clean your plate" is also what contributed to me being obese. It is a saying that basically came from the 30's, when food was not the easiest to afford due to the depression. If I feel full, Ill throw that food out with pride knowing I can control my eating, and not let others guilt me to eat more than my body needs.

People are saying to put them in the fridge or the freezer and ration yourself to one a day. But why? She's already just said she can't do that.

OP, Get rid of them as soon and as safely as you can. Give them to someone if you can. Otherwise there's no need to feel guilty for chucking any junk food in the bin. Its all garbage anyway and is not going to actually help anyone. To some people it might provide some harmless pleasure to others its just as harmful to them as to you. So don't feel guilty. Bin it.

You will feel empowered and in control if you walk over to the trash and throw it in. This is all about you and what you need.

There's absolutely no excuse for throwing away a box of chocolates. Nobody is saying you should eat them, but throwing away good food is immoral.

I threw away a baked potato yesterday after I remembered I revised my meals due to excess carbs yesterday, I regularly throw away an ounce or 2 of salmon or chicken if it doesn't fit my macros. I stopped buying a weeks worth of chicken and salmon because I am to stupid to remember to thaw it, or it stays in the fridge too long and it becomes questionable whether it is safe to eat or not. I now stop on the way home every day and pick up what I will be eating for dinner.

I thaw my frozen food in the microwave using the defrost or vegetable function minutes before cooking it. I used to have lots of vegetables go bad before doing this, and cooked meat infrequently due to everything you mentioned.

Cut them up into manageable portions. Then freeze them. Save the manageable portions for a day when you can plan them in Like half a serving on Friday or something like that.

I dont really use the "other people are starving" as an excuse to eat food just so it is not wasted. It will either become waste or put on your waist...if I can not give it away, I throw it out.

The entire mentality of "clean your plate" is also what contributed to me being obese. It is a saying that basically came from the 30's, when food was not the easiest to afford due to the depression. If I feel full, Ill throw that food out with pride knowing I can control my eating, and not let others guilt me to eat more than my body needs.

This is my mentality too. The food on my plate is either going in my mouth or in the trash. The starving people aren't going to benefit by my eating it any more than by me throwing it out. Either way, it's not going to them. I have more than enough to eat, so throwing it away isn't going to make me starve either. It's actually more beneficial to my health for me to not eat it. I never understood that sentiment, even as a kid.

As far as throwing food away in general, I don't particularly enjoy throwing food away since it means I paid for something I didn't need. I avoid it by meal planning for the week and shopping based on that meal plan. We plan meals based on what's on sale and only buy what we need to make those meals. The only extras that we buy are things that last a long time before going bad, like cereal and rice. It has saved us a lot of money and I find that we aren't tossing out perishables like we used to.

As far as the chocolates (or the like), I'd either budget in one a day and eat them, or go the coworker route. I find that most goodies that people give out don't taste as good as you think they are going to. I budget it in and eat one, then realize that its not yummy enough to waste the calories on. I'd rather use my extra calories by eating my ice cream.

That "throwing food away is wasteful" idea is why I was obese in the first place...

With respect, it could well be that the "food is so cheap and disposable we can throw it away" idea is perhaps why so many in the west are obese in the first place.

I agree. And, being raised with frequent visits with extended family that took great exception if you didn't clear your plate, have seconds, and take more home as leftovers didn't help me either. I certainly clear my plate at home now when I cook, but only because I've weighed and measured my food, pre-planned my meal, and if I logged XYZ for dinner, I'm going to eat it!