Does anyone else find it annoying someone that always leaves some food on the plate?

[nickiredcar]

Even if they serve themselves out they always leave something on the plate. I know their choice and everything, but to me it is a bit annoying leaving this food to be binned every meal. If you add it up over the year it's probably several weeks work of meals and at a time where so many need food banks.

I always leave a little food on my plate for "Mr. Manners". My parents would have been horrified if I had done otherwise. Not a huge amount of course.

I was taught to eat what was put in front of me. Wasn't allowed to leave things I didn't like without trying it first. Drives me nuts when people leave food.

It’s a non issue.

I hate it when people try and make me eat the last thing because it’s there. When I’m not hungry “oh go on, it’ll go to waste otherwise”.

No it’ll go to my waist otherwise!

Eating food when not hungry is a waste of food IMO as your body doesn’t need it.

I thought it was polite to leave a little. To finish your plate implies your host has been less than generous.

I often leave food on my plate. I think it is unhealthy to force food down rather than stopping when full. Even at my advanced age I can’t always judge to the exact mouthful how much I will eat when serving. It’s very rude in Russia not to leave anything because it shows you are still hungry and your host has not provided enough food, apparently. I don’t see the difference between someone eating more than they want and throwing out what’s left.
Obsessive plate cleaners should avoid travelling to the USA.

I almost always leave something
I eat until I'm full to bursting but my eyes are always bigger than my belly

And I have emetophobia so I wouldn't force myself to eat something if it turns my stomach
Sometimes this is food I normally love, so I might help myself (generously) but then not be able to finish it

I used to polish my plate clean because I thought that's what was expected of me but I will not make myself unwell now to please others

"I thought it was polite to leave a little"

No it's rude
The implication is that the food wasn't up to scratch, and it makes more work for the host when clearing plates. When I feed anyone I don't know I just put the food in servng dishes the middle of the table and expect guests to help themselves to what they think they will eat - and no more.

"Do not most councils collect food waste these days to recycle? "

No they don't. Ours doesn't.

I do this now, it feels better.

I went to Greece once where the English politeness of clearing your plate lost to the Greek host who worried that we weren’t full so KEPT bringing food until we gave up absolutely stuffed.

It's a cultural thing.

Here it's considered I'll mannered if you don't clear your plate.

In other cultures it can be seen as questioning your hosts generosity.

When I was in Egypt and went to a Bedouin town we were warned not to finish what we were given as they would think they didn't make enough.

Ill not I'll

I wouldn’t even notice. Leftovers go to the hens.

I always leave a little bit

So my dog can have it

Now it's a habit....

Was it not considered good manners many years ago to leave a small amount? I think particularly among upper class women? I read quite a bit of historical fiction, and I’m sure I remember that being a “thing”.

Unless you are vegan chickens shouldn't be fed on kitchen scraps sadly.

Lonicera Not so. If you leave just a little on your plate it shows that your host has judged things to a nicety. If you eat everything it implies that you may still be hungry and, if there is nothing left to offer you, the host may be embarrassed.

@nickiredcar i dish up what i think i want to eat, but may be full quicker than i thought so i stop eating.

I have never continued to eat if i am full. I stop, regardless of what is left on my plate.

My husband always does this Doesn't leave enough to bother saving but never finishes his food, maybe just a fork full or two. I usually finish it for him

I was brought up to not clear plates. I think it was to assure the host that they'd been generous enough with their offerings and that I wasn't needing more.

I was brought up to not clear plates I had the opposite, waste not, want not.

What my eyes would quite like to cram into my stomach is rarely the same volume of food that can actually fit in my stomach.

Love food, love the idea of eating a mountain, but just can’t do it. Like pp, I’m not stuffing myself to bursting point just to avoid wasting a couple of baby carrots or a lone spud! I stop eating when I’m full.

No, but one of my best friends is in recovery from an ED, so I know that people have different reasons for doing this.

It's not usually an 'eyes bigger than the belly' issue, as most people will want to finish.

We were raised to finish the whole plate and praised for clean plates. Consequently we’re all obese as we overrode our ‘full messages’ to the brain. I have raised my DC to eat until they’re full and avoid commenting on how much they’ve eaten. I do encourage them to eat at least a little of each vegetable. They are slim and hopefully won’t have food issues like I do. So no it doesn’t bother me when people leave food.

It wouldn't bother me if a guest did it - I'd be inclined to think if they left something then they'd tried something and decided they didn't like it, or there was something (like fat on meat or something) they could eat or really didn't like. I'd rather no-one felt they had to eat something they didn't want to.
However , like a poster on the previous page, my dc3 never leaves a clean plate. Doesn't matter how much or how little it is on the plate, doesn't matter if it is favourite cake or pizza or whatever, she always leaves a mess which then needs scraping or rinsing.
Drives me spare.
So I have sympathy with you OP.

Chickens aren't vegan.

@GobblersKnob same here. A behaviour I have adopted after beating anorexia. I always put more on my plate than usual so that I can leave a mouthful or two without feeling guilt.