Do you ever notice how kids leave behind half-eaten plates of food, which always ends up in the trash? Here’s how to get your kids to be less wasteful!
by Atomic Mommy Editors
This post contains affiliate links. To learn more about affiliate links and how they work, please read our Affiliate Disclaimer HERE.
When you were a kid, if you didn’t finish your food, would your parents tell you that there were starving kids in other parts of the world that would appreciate that food? It’s a common remark to say to a kid that’s wasting their food. Kids are known for being picky eaters, and their appetites are constantly changing. While it may be annoying when kids do not finish all their food, the bigger problem is the amount of waste that goes into the trash.
Wasted food is far from eco-friendly, and all consumers need to find ways to help improve this issue; this includes picking up more sustainable habits. While getting kids to be less wasteful is a challenge, it can be done, so here is what you need to know!
Get Them to Cook
If you’re looking into getting your little ones or even your teen to start cooking, this can help them fight back against food waste. How so? Well, for starters, it’s really all about them getting to see the labor for themselves that is put into cooking. If they have to cook, they’re going to be far less inclined to start wasting the food (unless they made a mistake somewhere and it didn’t come out the way it should). A benefit of getting them to cook could eventually open up a passion for them. Everyone needs to learn how to cook eventually, so you may as well start young.Â
Take a Good Look At Your Grocery List
Everyone needs to have a grocery list when they’re filling up the fridge and pantry for the family, but it may be best to look over some of that food. For starters, are there brands that your kids really seem to dislike? What about certain seasonings and foods? While parents shouldn’t bend over backward for their picky eater’s diet, you can at least offer some flexibility. You may not be able to get your kids to adore every dish, but meeting them in the middle, such as getting their favorite brand of yogurt or something, could help them eat without being wasteful.Â
Make Their Palate Expand
A lot of kids choose to waste their food because they dislike the flavors, or they think if they starve they will get their favorite meals instead. These are tactics that no parent should ever bother doing. So instead, when push comes to shove, you should force them to expand their palate.Â
Why? Well picky eaters can’t be picky eaters forever, it’s not healthy and this can impact their diet down the line. So as a parent, you should introduce more foods for them to eat. A great example would be instant pot corned beef and cabbage, but it’s really up to you. But forcing this may sometimes be the only option to get kids to eat and not be wasteful.
Educate Them
It’s so important to educate your children on why they shouldn’t be wasting their food. Chances are, they don’t actually know it’s wrong and they don’t truly know the damage that’s being done. This doesn’t mean that you have to inflict blame on them, but if you’re kindly educating them on the importance of not wasting, this can help them make better decisions.
In Conclusion
To get your kids to be less wasteful, it’s important to talk to them about it, educate them, and provide them with tips and alternative options when eating. This in turn, will help them not be so wasteful with food.
