Dealing with extra treats sitting around the house for the holidays?

we got a TWO towers of treats delivered by out of town family. They are larger and larger boxes stack on each other with different things in each box. I guess one layer is fruit which we love and immediately put into a bowl on the table to enjoy. I might have either tossed the rest or taken it to work but we do enjoy a bite of chocolate after dinner a couple of times a week. So, anything that works for that I hid in the laundry room for later. I'll get it out one little bag at a time and we'll enjoy it over the next few months. If the laundry room stuff was going to be a problem for me or my husband I would toss it and not feel bad

susan100df wrote: »

ongoingwhy wrote: »

I guess this is another first world problem. I wonder how many people we can feed with the amount of food being thrown away by people in this thread.

I'm giving the family one more day and then everything is going in the trash. I'm done with the excess calories. I feel awful today and the scale is way up. No way could it all be water. I'm disgusted with myself. Getting right back to my routine now.

I have zero guilt about throwing food away. My family doesn't need all these empty calories either. We are all moving around like slugs. Enough is enough. They will complain for a couple of days but they know I'm right.

I live in a first world country. All my problems are first world problems.

The people in the shelters don't need my half-eaten, stale, empty calories food. Not only that but it would be illegal for the shelters to take it due to food laws surrounding commercial kitchens.

Agreed. The whole 'first world problem' stuff needs to stop, honestly. I highly doubt that anyone who doesn't live in the 'first world' would be on MFP in the first place, so it's insulting to make that time of comments.

Therealobi1 wrote: »

Francl27 wrote: »

susan100df wrote: »

ongoingwhy wrote: »

I guess this is another first world problem. I wonder how many people we can feed with the amount of food being thrown away by people in this thread.

I'm giving the family one more day and then everything is going in the trash. I'm done with the excess calories. I feel awful today and the scale is way up. No way could it all be water. I'm disgusted with myself. Getting right back to my routine now.

I have zero guilt about throwing food away. My family doesn't need all these empty calories either. We are all moving around like slugs. Enough is enough. They will complain for a couple of days but they know I'm right.

I live in a first world country. All my problems are first world problems.

The people in the shelters don't need my half-eaten, stale, empty calories food. Not only that but it would be illegal for the shelters to take it due to food laws surrounding commercial kitchens.

Agreed. The whole 'first world problem' stuff needs to stop, honestly. I highly doubt that anyone who doesn't live in the 'first world' would be on MFP in the first place, so it's insulting to make that time of comments.

I love the line all my problems are first world problem

I think you will find people from all countries are on here. And just because you live in a third world country doesn't mean you are poor

Right, I should probably have said that you won't find many people who have problems getting enough food on here. But anyway...

ongoingwhy wrote: »

...Fine, let's say that everyone here had reasons that made it impossible for them to properly get rid of the food without wasting them. However, let me ask you this. Will this happen again next year? Are you going to have new reasons for throwing away food? Why did you buy so much if you weren't going to eat them? Why didn't you refuse the gifts? Is it out of politeness? Do you think that it's polite to throw away gifts? In the end, it's all just excuses and you know it.

I apologise if I have upset some of you, but isn't it ridiculous that no one here seems to be upset about food wasteage? I guess no one ever taught you guys not to waste food when growing up?

This is food for thought

Yes, next year people can be proactive about not receiving so much unwanted food. I told a coworker she didn't have to send as many goodies as last year and she sent me MORE, so I will have to communicate more clearly next year. I think I'll freeze some of it in my fiance's freezer and break it out for Valentine's Day.

Food waste does bother me. I create very little of it, and compost that. I'm even bothered by my garden producing too much food and when everything is popping in the summer, give away the excess to a family I found on freecycle.org.

Most of these tips are not specific to unwanted gifts, but are worth a read.

Reducing Food Waste During the Holiday Season

...10. Give gifts with thought: When giving food as a gift, avoid highly perishable items and make an effort to select foods that you know the recipient will enjoy rather than waste. The Rainforest Alliance, an international nonprofit, works with farmers and producers in tropical areas to ensure they are practicing environmentally sustainable and socially just methods. The group’s certified chocolates, coffee, and teas are great gifts that have with long shelf-lives, and buying them helps support businesses and individuals across the world.

Read more: http://www.worldwatch.org/reducing-food-waste-during-holiday-season

dhimaan wrote: »

i was taught to eat every last grain of rice and not to throw a single grain away. Growing up I have seen distant family members in villages suffer from droughts and food shortages. From then on I gained appreciation for the food I have in front of me because if I was living in the village with my relatives I would have to go days without eating.

It is really disturbing when people recommend throwing food away. What an enormous waste. Give it to someone else or donate it. I cannot for the life in me image throwing food away but I guess this is what happens when people live in a privileged society.

kshama2001 wrote: »

This is food for thought

Yes, next year people can be proactive about not receiving so much unwanted food. I told a coworker she didn't have to send as many goodies as last year and she sent me MORE, so I will have to communicate more clearly next year. I think I'll freeze some of it in my fiance's freezer and break it out for Valentine's Day.

Food waste does bother me. I create very little of it, and compost that. I'm even bothered by my garden producing too much food and when everything is popping in the summer, give away the excess to a family I found on freecycle.org.

Most of these tips are not specific to unwanted gifts, but are worth a read.

Reducing Food Waste During the Holiday Season

...10. Give gifts with thought: When giving food as a gift, avoid highly perishable items and make an effort to select foods that you know the recipient will enjoy rather than waste. The Rainforest Alliance, an international nonprofit, works with farmers and producers in tropical areas to ensure they are practicing environmentally sustainable and socially just methods. The group’s certified chocolates, coffee, and teas are great gifts that have with long shelf-lives, and buying them helps support businesses and individuals across the world.

Read more: http://www.worldwatch.org/reducing-food-waste-during-holiday-season

I am glad that you were able to understand where I am coming from. It's easy to act defensively when someone criticizes your actions, so I wasn't really expecting someone to understand. Thank you.

JaneiR36 wrote: »

Think about how many people you could feed by forgoing your first world comforts and truly living at a third world level. Oops, I mean living like a poor person in a third world country. There really is nothing you do that's a complete and routine waste, compared to how really poor people must live?

It's true that I probably waste a lot of resources in my daily life, but this still doesn't change the fact that throwing away food is wrong. This is known as tu quoque.

ongoingwhy wrote: »

dhimaan wrote: »

i was taught to eat every last grain of rice and not to throw a single grain away. Growing up I have seen distant family members in villages suffer from droughts and food shortages. From then on I gained appreciation for the food I have in front of me because if I was living in the village with my relatives I would have to go days without eating.

It is really disturbing when people recommend throwing food away. What an enormous waste. Give it to someone else or donate it. I cannot for the life in me image throwing food away but I guess this is what happens when people live in a privileged society.

kshama2001 wrote: »

This is food for thought

Yes, next year people can be proactive about not receiving so much unwanted food. I told a coworker she didn't have to send as many goodies as last year and she sent me MORE, so I will have to communicate more clearly next year. I think I'll freeze some of it in my fiance's freezer and break it out for Valentine's Day.

Food waste does bother me. I create very little of it, and compost that. I'm even bothered by my garden producing too much food and when everything is popping in the summer, give away the excess to a family I found on freecycle.org.

Most of these tips are not specific to unwanted gifts, but are worth a read.

Reducing Food Waste During the Holiday Season

...10. Give gifts with thought: When giving food as a gift, avoid highly perishable items and make an effort to select foods that you know the recipient will enjoy rather than waste. The Rainforest Alliance, an international nonprofit, works with farmers and producers in tropical areas to ensure they are practicing environmentally sustainable and socially just methods. The group’s certified chocolates, coffee, and teas are great gifts that have with long shelf-lives, and buying them helps support businesses and individuals across the world.

Read more: http://www.worldwatch.org/reducing-food-waste-during-holiday-season

I am glad that you were able to understand where I am coming from. It's easy to act defensively when someone criticizes your actions, so I wasn't really expecting someone to understand. Thank you.

JaneiR36 wrote: »

Think about how many people you could feed by forgoing your first world comforts and truly living at a third world level. Oops, I mean living like a poor person in a third world country. There really is nothing you do that's a complete and routine waste, compared to how really poor people must live?

It's true that I probably waste a lot of resources in my daily life, but this still doesn't change the fact that throwing away food is wrong. This is known as tu quoque.

Nobody's perfect.

For myself, I give money (which is usually preferred to my sloppy, half-eaten falafel sandwich) when I can and want to. Yup, it's fickle like that, and that's the case for everyone who gives. We make decisions based on nothing. How "right" is it to leave the wellbeing of those who struggle up to the idiosyncratic sensibilities of people who've got change to spare? Because maybe I'll give my dollar to someone who seems friendly, and not to the guy who *really* needs it, because he's acting in a bizarre or antisocial manner and that interaction is maybe a little stressful.

I'd rather we take care of our fellow citizens (and non-citizens, as the case may be) through our governments, via taxes. I do give as/when I can because I'm up for it. But good luck to them if they have to rely on you or me.

We put our cookies out on the porch in the winter. It's below freezing in MN, so they keep very nicely and it completely negates absentminded snacking.

ongoingwhy wrote: »

JaneiR36 wrote: »

Wrong is a simplistic conclusion. Wrong for you could be downright perfect for populations of people. Try to think beyond yourself. Me getting fat off of excess food that would have gone to no one else does nothing more than soothe your personal sensibilities. In my case, keeping the food is actually wrong for my health, and selfish, considering that i really should maintain optimum health to be useful to those that rely on me

You still don't get what I am driving at. For now, let's forget about the whole thing and focus on one question... Is this going to happen again next year?

tomatoey wrote: »

Nobody's perfect.

For myself, I give money (which is usually preferred to my sloppy, half-eaten falafel sandwich) when I can and want to. Yup, it's fickle like that, and that's the case for everyone who gives. We make decisions based on nothing. How "right" is it to leave the wellbeing of those who struggle up to the idiosyncratic sensibilities of people who've got change to spare? Because maybe I'll give my dollar to someone who seems friendly, and not to the guy who *really* needs it, because he's acting in a bizarre or antisocial manner and that interaction is maybe a little stressful.

I'd rather we take care of our fellow citizens (and non-citizens, as the case may be) through our governments, via taxes. I do give as/when I can because I'm up for it. But good luck to them if they have to rely on you or me.

You're right.

This isn't about donations though. It's about throwing away food.

I'm saying, in my experience, most people on the street prefer money to food. They'll take food, but they usually prefer money. Would you want a half-eaten sandwich or some who knows what coconut cookies, or $1-2 you can combine with other money to get what you actually want? Which in the case of the person you're giving it to - shock horror - might be alcohol or something you might not approve of, but gets them through the day. Or it might be pork rinds. Whatever.

tomatoey wrote: »

ongoingwhy wrote: »

JaneiR36 wrote: »

Wrong is a simplistic conclusion. Wrong for you could be downright perfect for populations of people. Try to think beyond yourself. Me getting fat off of excess food that would have gone to no one else does nothing more than soothe your personal sensibilities. In my case, keeping the food is actually wrong for my health, and selfish, considering that i really should maintain optimum health to be useful to those that rely on me

You still don't get what I am driving at. For now, let's forget about the whole thing and focus on one question... Is this going to happen again next year?

tomatoey wrote: »

Nobody's perfect.

For myself, I give money (which is usually preferred to my sloppy, half-eaten falafel sandwich) when I can and want to. Yup, it's fickle like that, and that's the case for everyone who gives. We make decisions based on nothing. How "right" is it to leave the wellbeing of those who struggle up to the idiosyncratic sensibilities of people who've got change to spare? Because maybe I'll give my dollar to someone who seems friendly, and not to the guy who *really* needs it, because he's acting in a bizarre or antisocial manner and that interaction is maybe a little stressful.

I'd rather we take care of our fellow citizens (and non-citizens, as the case may be) through our governments, via taxes. I do give as/when I can because I'm up for it. But good luck to them if they have to rely on you or me.

You're right.

This isn't about donations though. It's about throwing away food.

I'm saying, in my experience, most people on the street prefer money to food. They'll take food, but they usually prefer money. Would you want a half-eaten sandwich or $1-2?

Yes I reckon your right
But the saddest thing I have seen is someone rifle through the dustbin and take out food

Maybe if not throwing away food (that would end up in the trash anyway if you donated it because it's already open) is such a big deal for you, you should lobby with the government to make sure that supermarkets and restaurants donate their leftovers to soup kitchens (like they do in some countries, by the way). That would probably be a better use of your time than berating people online because they decided to throw away a few cookies.

But yeah, I wouldn't throw away food that was given to us either because there are 4 of us and it would be rude to do so, when I could just not have any and let the others eat it (although I realize that it's harder for some people, but again, with a husband and 2 kids, there are pretty much always snacks and treats in the house anyway so I've learned to deal with it, mostly). But if I was living alone and someone gave me a box of cookies or something that I didn't want, I'd probably donate it to the soup kitchen (before it's open, obviously!).