[entropyie]

I have two kids and this is pure bollox. They'll eat what they are given if they are hungry enough. Or eat the leftovers yourself. Cook the fruit and make compote. We never throw out edible food, virtually zero waste. Just make an effort.

[irishcoffee]

Same here, 3 kids, we don’t waste food. As an aside, we’re all slender. We just figured out how much of what to buy each week, plan our meals, etc. I also personally like eating leftovers for both breakfast and a packed lunch, which probably helps a bit.

[disgruntledphd2]

> I also personally like eating leftovers for both breakfast and a packed lunch, which probably helps a bit.

That definitely helps, I'm pretty bad at eating leftovers unless I put them in a new meal so we end up with more food waste than necessary.

Kids completely changing what they'll eat on a weekly basis also has a pretty large impact.

[irishcoffee]

Kids are difficult, I can attest to that. Realizing you’re not feeding your kids poison because you’re eating the same meal, is also a difficult realization.

I see nightmare kids via friends/neighbors, and all I can think is “stop treating your kids like they’re your coworkers, they’re your kids and they actually yearn for structure and ‘discipline’ in the sense that you are their whole worldview structure”

Kids want structure, rules, boundaries. They will test them, which is good.

[disgruntledphd2]

> Kids want structure, rules, boundaries. They will test them, which is good.

Oh yeah, totally. That being said, our eldest was super picky and changeable (and often didn't eat enough so it was a little concerning) so we often ended up with lots of staples that she one day decided she didn't like :shrug:

Mostly fixed now that she's older, but I can see how food waste happens. And more generally, if the kids get excited or distracted, there will often be waste.

[hattmall]

You are the outlier then, the situation described was spot on for all the parents I know.

[entropyie]

I think if you take a global outlook, you'll find I am not the outlier. Wasting food is a recent Western phenomenon.

[eudamoniac]

Is this like the famous "my dog will only eat fresh roasted chicken" you hear from certain kinds of owners? Because I'm pretty sure when a kid is hungry enough they will eat a banana.

Source: grew up poor, there was no food waste, none