How Do You Not Let Throwing Food Away Bother You?

[Papa]

I feed natures animals too

I think we all have "those little or non eaters". I am also on tier 2 and getting a quarter of the money that other providers on the food program get......my biggest complaint.
What makes me feel somewhat better is I collect food that the kids don't eat on their plates and put it in a dog bowl outside for all the critters to eat. We get deer, fox,squirrels, raccoons, feral cats and others. I feel good that at least something will have a nice full tummy.
Any bigger amount not served up I will eat for dinner or lunch the next day.

[laundrymom]

Yes. Yes. Yes.
This response right here.
I offer. I allow time. I dole out seconds to those who want. However, I do not allow seconds until firsts are finished. And I serve in a manner,( all foods fresh prepared and in covered individual containers)to limit contamination.
I serve. I do not do family style. I realize that it's not popular but it's how I keep things sanitary. My own family can safely eat from the daycare leftovers without worrying about germs.
I have one child who is probably hungry at pickup every single day. They have every opportunity to eat. They CHOOSE not to. They make the choice to wait for McDonald's or Burger King on the way home. The parent chooses to play their food game. I do not.


[QUOTE=cindys;254912
There is simply no seconds until the plate is clean. Sometimes (probably every time) they are going to go home hungry. You will have parents who ask you to supplement their childs meal with say hot dogs because it is all they will eat. Very tactfully explain, This is a child care home not a restaurant. [/QUOTE]

[Thriftylady]

It drives me nuts also. Some say it doesn't make a difference if they eat it or I throw it out, but I just can't see it that way myself. I have started not allowing seconds until they eat their other stuff. I just lost a family of three because they didn't like the food but oh well. I guess as much as trashing it bothers me, knowing I serve REAL food makes me feel some better. It is just that kids are not used to eating REAL food.

[Second Home]

I will serve seconds once the first serving is eaten .

I don't worry about throwing food away anymore because I give all leftovers to my chickens . At least my chickens love to see me coming out with their tray of daycare leftovers .

[Thriftylady]

I am not a dietician so don't quote me but I think they push the fruits and veggies because they are healthy.....healthier than junk food anyways, but I think it is probably because most people don't eat enough fruit and veggie servings in a day and eat way more bad carbs than good carbs.

Fruit and veggies are good carbs but so are grains. There are complex and simple carbs and your body needs the complex carbs. They take longer in your body to digest than simple carbs and that helps keep your bloodsugar even and make you feel fuller longer. Simple carbs give your bloodsugar a spike but then a crash so you are hungry and not hungry and hungry and etc etc....a continually moving roller coaster.

I think dieting in general is bad. If you cut out all carbs you ARE going to lose weight but you will need to eat that way forever or you will gain it all back. Diets should be a no-no. Changing your eating habits should be what everyone does.

Don't diet...make a life style change and live that way. If everyone ate like a diabetic eats, we would all be healthy and fit.

This!

And take an apple VS. the apple juice. The actual apple has fiber in it. so your body doesn't turn it straight to sugar you body has to produce less insulin to digest it. Apple juice does not have the fiber, you are just as well off drinking a coke.

[childcaremom]

I will serve seconds once the first serving is eaten .

I don't worry about throwing food away anymore because I give all leftovers to my chickens . At least my chickens love to see me coming out with their tray of daycare leftovers .

Except I don't have chickens .... it goes to my compost pile for my garden.

[Play Care]

Yes. Yes. Yes.
This response right here.
I offer. I allow time. I dole out seconds to those who want. However, I do not allow seconds until firsts are finished. And I serve in a manner,( all foods fresh prepared and in covered individual containers)to limit contamination.
I serve. I do not do family style. I realize that it's not popular but it's how I keep things sanitary. My own family can safely eat from the daycare leftovers without worrying about germs.
I have one child who is probably hungry at pickups every single day. They have every opportunity to eat. They CHOOSE not to. They make the choice to wait for McDonald's or Burger King on the way home. The parent chooses to play their food game. I do not.

I know this is an old thread, but I do as you do. Leftovers are then reheated for my family later on.
I plate the food for the day care and they can eat or not. Everyone has the opportunity to eat as much, or as little, as they want.

[Unregistered]

I guess what bothers me is having to have x amount available to the child. So even if I place a small amount on the plate I still have to have the x amount available in case they eat and want more. So if the child/ren don't even eat that small amount I end up throwing everything away.

I just wish we could make just the small amount and not worry about having to have more available (especially if we know they aren't eating it).

Leftovers? Snack?

[Lorna]

I think of it this way now. The parents paid for the food and the garbage disposal.

[Ariana]

I base a lot of my menu on what we eat as a family so I don't waste too much food. We eat healthy and I only serve what I think the kids will eat and then offer seconds. I have one child who will not eat vegetables. Apparently at home they eat really healthy but child won't eat veggies at home either. Mom makes her smoothies with veggies in it and they fill her up with Goldfish. For this child I always give her the bare minimum of veggies so it doesn't go to waste. This way it's there as an option but since she never eats it I am not throwing a pile of veggies in the garbage.

[DaveA]

It doesn't bother me. To me food is a consumable daycare supply. For me a kid not eating most of the food on the plate is the same as them drawing 1 line on a piece of paper and calling it "Done".

[Unregistered]

It doesn't bother me. To me food is a consumable daycare supply. For me a kid not eating most of the food on the plate is the same as them drawing 1 line on a piece of paper and calling it "Done".

Great analogy

[Mom2Two]

Woops

[Mom2Two]

I started composting. Then I just looked at the thrown out food and good compost for my garden.
I am getting lots of great black compost and a happy garden!

Yes! We have several composts and also chickens. One of our composts is a "clean" compost that has leaves and clean stuff in it, then we throw the good leftover food into it for the chickens to jump in and eat. It doesn't feel like waste then.

[renodeb]

That's funny, cheese quesadillas is a fav here. When I worked at kinderkare we through a lot of food away. It was shocking how much was tossed. I have been lucky and had minimal waste. Through the years I have learned how much of each thing to make. It does bother me but sadly it goes with the territory.
Deb