This post could be called food-waste friday, but it’s not. I love the idea of being so aware of our consumption that we can acknowledge, if not eliminate the amount of food we buy but don’t use. A number of people are working on this theme including The Frugal Girl. In fact she issued a challenge to her readers to document their food waste.
I have been considering her challenge. I wouldn’t say this is my first come-clean post as I have no wasted food picture to show. In fact, I can’t say I have any wasted food. Since I’ve been budgeting, menu planning and cooking 1-2 meals a day I don’t think I’ve thrown much of anything away. That’s not a brag, just a realization.
My discussion point is this…
I do throw food away. I’m not happy about it but I’m not sure what else to do. I don’t throw out food that I intended to eat but just didn’t get around to. I throw out food my son won’t eat. And my son doesn’t eat a lot. Now, mind you, he’s only 20 months old so his portions are pretty tiny. But it is still food going in the garbage. (We don’t compost as we live in an apartment without even a potted plant to feed.)
Before we had kids I told the husband we were not going to be the parents that eat what the kids don’t. I hate the idea of waste but I don’t think that’s a healthy pattern either. So, unless it’s O’s or animal crackers it’s a real crap-shoot whether Toddler L will eat what we give him. I will usually wrap it up and try again, sometimes as many as two more times for one dish. But after that, I figure it’s seen enough fingers, floor and fridge.
I’m not asking for parenting tips, I think husband and I are doing pretty well. We have a kid who’s developing his tastes slowly and I’m okay with that. (Mind you, for those that are thinking parenting tips, he ate everything we gave him when we started. It’s only his independent, grown-up self that is challenging us.) A forum is a place for discussion. I’m not sure exactly what the discussion is. I guess I just wanted needed to put it out there that this bugs me. I’m not sure what to do about it. As I’m sure Toddler L will grow into a boy who will eat us out of house and home I shouldn’t say much now. If only I could save the food he doesn’t eat today for the nights he has 3 helpings and still wants more.
Back to what I can control, maybe next week I’ll accept that challenge and share what waste we do have.
3 comments
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Friday, May 1, 2009 at 11:48 am
lala2074
I agree with you that meal planning is the best way to reduce food waste.
As far as the toddler food waste, it is hard with young children who sometimes don’t eat much and on other occasions want to eat everything on their plate and then some more! Don’t be too hard on yourself!
It sounds like you are doing a great job reducing food waste!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009 at 9:36 am
Angela
I wanted to say I think it’s much harder with a small child and you’re doing great. Don’t feel bad about the small amounts that go to waste that he won’t eat. The alternatives- either you eating it which isn’t good or healthy- or letting him eat only what he likes- might reduce your waste even more but aren’t preferable. I think it’s great you’re training him to eat food that’s healthy. I have a friend who let her son set up what he likes to eat when he was about four and they still make him his own dinner every night at age 14! He only eats tortillas and beans and rice or noodles. It’s absolutely appalling. It’s a fact that kids will eat starches only if it’s up to them, but you have to keep getting them to taste other foods without forcing them, so that they’ll eat a healthy diet.
Friday, May 8, 2009 at 8:59 am
calimama
It’s easy to say now what I want our family to be like in the years to
come. But just as I don’t want to be eating my plate and the kids, neither
do I hope to be making child specific meals for years to come. I don’t love
cooking that much!