I hate throwing out food :(

[DisneyPrincess]

I have had my daycare for almost a year now and I am very used to the fact that obviously not all kids will eat the food you give them because they are fussy. Most of the time kids eat well here and it is no five star restaurant it is very simple, but healthy plates. Portions are also small/big enough for children (I have the ikea bols and plates for kids). But there is one or two little girls that are the fussiest and really don't eat at all somedays, example today one so far had no snack, no lunch and didnt drink much either (she is often like that). All that to get to my question, how can I stop getting upset at throwing out good food in the garbage ? I cant really keep it or give it to another kid, cause its been ''handle'' already ? I probably just have to get over it :\ Also when they don't eat I get upset, although they are the ones who will be hungry because they'll get nothing else until next meal... Do any of you feel that way about waste of food or kids not eating ??? how do you deal with it ?? Tx

[sunnydays]

I give really small portions at first and then if they eat it I give them more. i still end up throwing out some food, but less than if I had served a whole portion and they didn't touch it. If I know a child doesn't like something, I serve even less of it, but I do serve some even though I know I will most likely throw it out...I want them still to have the option of trying it and to be exposed to it at least. I didn't really have any picky kids when I started them all as babies...but recently I moved an dhad to restock my daycare, so i had to take a couple of 2 and 3 year olds...the 2 year old is okay, but the 3 year old I started last month has yet to eat a vegetable and often just sits there and looks at her food. I serve her the smallest portions of all ;

[Monday 2 Friday Mama]

Remember when we were kids and our Mom's would tell us somebody, somewhere was starving so we darn well better eat that meal ? LOL I think you're doing all the right things. Try to have faith that the child will eat when she's hungry (I promise) If you know she's a light eater/picky eater just give her several small portions - at least that way you're only throwing out small amounts of food. Aside from that, you could always try reminding yourself that "technically" you're not the one paying for the wasted food - it's all covered by her weekly fees. It doesn't matter if she eats like a trucker or a bird - the weekly rate includes meals and snacks - whether she eats 'em or not is up to her ! LOL

[Spixie33]

I have a couple of kids who are picky eaters so I always start them off with a teaspoon of lunch and see how it goes and give more to the good eaters.

I have never seen a snack go to waste yet. I usually do a fruit and crackers or veggies and crackers or cheese and crackers or yogurt and crackers etc. Sometimes banana bread, sometimes cookies, or sometimes a muffin.

For lunch I also serve fruit or veggies along with it so I know that every child will at least eat the fruit or veggies if they won't eat the actual meal. I think it is important they get something in their tummy so they can nap. Hungry tummies means no sleep.

[Inspired by Reggio]

I agree ~ no one likes to throw out good food and it is totally natural to feel wasteful and resentful in doing so ... there are children starving in the world and here we are throwing good food away because our kids have been blessed to have an option of being picky!

I am another who starts out children known to be picky with a TINY sample of meal ... sometimes this helps because it is often not the new/different food but the quantity of it that overwhelms them to want to try or taste it. Depending on what was not eaten I have also reserved something for afternoon snack ... so for example the fruit portion rather than wasting it will get wrapped up with the kids initial on the wrap and given as the fruit with that child's afternoon snack so it is not 'wasted' while the other kids will get a new fruit option.

The other thing I remind myself is that I have budgeted for the food, I have bought and cooked the food and served the food so if it ends up in their belly or in the compost pile cause they refused to eat it either way I am not getting that money back for something else ~ it was slotted for food and it did its job.

[5 Little Monkeys]

I am a terrible person.....I throw food out all the time and I don't usually feel guilty about it. It's a bad habit of mine...

Having said though, I give them a small portion of it and if they want more then they can have more. I give them food even if I know they hate it because I feel that it's important for them to take one bite of every food. It takes a child (and probably an adult as well lol) ten times of eating something before they can honestly say if they like it or not. I also do the same snacks as Spixie and snacks are very rarely thrown out. If I have noticed a child not eat their lunch I will give them a piece of bread and butter(it's everyone's fav!) because I don't feel right not giving them food. I won't go out of my way to make 4 different meals but I also don't want hungry kids. I am a picky eater myself so I feel for picky children.

I buy all my groceries for daycare separate so like Inspired by Reggio, I tell myself it's no different to me if it's in them or in the garbage. I do hate when I give them our leftovers that I like and they don't eat it though haha.

[mickyc]

I am the same way. I hate throwing food away. So what I have done is if they don't finish their morning snack and/or lunch I will save it. When afternoon snack comes around everyone else gets to enjoy a yummy snack while the one who didn't eat is given the food that they didn't eat. I very rarely throw out food anymore. I also make sure I feed the appropriate portion size according to what the child will eat.

[playfelt]

One advantage of serving of separate foods instead of casserole type dishes is that it is easy to scrape off the compostable items and just toss the meat/dairy. My plants love my daycare kids poor appetites - me not so much. I find their lack of eating takes away any incentive on my part to go out of my way to make stuff too. I am not feeding any of my own kids at daycare so even less incentive. Makes for some really cheap and easy meals though but when you hear a parent whine at the door because you served grilled cheese or a hotdog and they say oh that was going to be supper you just want to get angry and chastise them for making their child the way they are and not making it possible for the child to eat a proper diet. I learned long ago not to fight it or put myself out.

[FunnyFarm]

I have two really picky eaters too. I have tried many different meals and can usually get the youngest to eat some of it. I'm to the point now that I know the one likes sandwiches. and will eat them. So I don't go out of my way anymore. I always have fruit and veggies that get eaten, so I figure a fed child is a happy child. I try my best to provide as many healthy choices through the day, but I am done going out of my way to make special "hot" lunches. Everyone likes a sandwich with fruit/cheese/veggies on the side so I consider it all good