AIBU to stop my children wasting food at the holiday buffet?

The worst behaviour ive seen is adults, not young children.

Like the family (eirh adult "children") who piled a plate high of pastries, got full glasses of juice each, a plule of exotic friut...

Then just left it all on the tabke after a few bites each.
Tbh... they all looked extremely hungover.

It is a good opportunity to encourage them to try new things. One of mine developed a love for calamari, artichokes and seafood pasta on an AI holiday.

But yes, you are right in my opinion that the correct approach is to take a tiny spoonful of something you're not sure about - if you like it, you can go back for more.

No waste within reason was my rule. Ok if they have tried something new and really don’t like it but I supervised them at the buffet so they only took small amounts at a time.

I agree OP. Last time we went on holiday my DC only selected food they knew they liked so ate really well. My DSD was then a super fussy eater and decided this would be the time she would ‘try new food’ - we had full plates of random food I knew she wouldn’t eat completely wasted and she refused to get food we knew she liked. Complete nightmare having a pretty much starving child most of the holiday nevermind the waste.

Going away again this year but she’s definitely grown and I’m hoping she will select food she will eat this time!!!

It's a shame buffets don't have little serving taster spoons. But I can totally see someone just putting it right in their mouth 🙈

Maybe do one plate with them to show them? Charge them for left overs😂 that seeems to control people. 20p of pocket money

I think this has just highlighted that them being able to serve their own portions is something you need to work on.

If they are used to you always serving up food for them, then it sounds like they haven't had the chance to do this and it could be a great chance for them to learn how to do that themselves. It's something that comes from practicing.

I would supervise them at that age. Encourage small portions or even just one piece/spoon of something in case it's not likes and then encourage revisits for seconds or thirds.

It's glutenous to be piling a plate high and then wasting it.

You are quite right to think about this and raise it wiht your kids. There is a balance between the ability to try (and reject if you dont like) new stuff at AI and not being a wasteful pig. Just keep having age appropriate and kind conversations about it and see it as a journey.

Exactly. A plate of tiny tasters. That's what we do. They are kids so you have influence. Pps are right it's great way to taste stuff, just teach them how.

Teach them for life so they don't end up like the twats with 5 platesleaving 4.5 of it🙄 Fucking hate these people.

You’re overthinking honestly. But buffet food is hit and miss, sometimes you won’t like it and they account for that when preparing food.

I'm with you completely. Hate waste. I'd have to do something so they don't start to think it's acceptable. Not sure what exactly but I definitely would do something.

Can you encourage them to take small portions of new things and then if they like it they can go and have more ? Maybe introduce a family tasting course.

I hate waste too so this would drive me potty. Tell them it’s ok to take something new and then discover you don’t like it but you take a small bit the first time to check!

Maybe remind them they can go up multiple times and to save room for pudding. Tell them you don’t like waste. If they continue as before, go with them to the buffet to guide them on portion control. Eyes are often bigger than bellies at that age!

You are on holiday. You need to relax.

Yhey are young snd still learning how to do things.

Part of me thinks that half of the the fun of the buffet is try something new. Maybe you will take one bite and not like it.

Tell them one piece of anything new; they can always go back.