Eating only until tummy is full bollocks

[pjmask]

It's all gone too far. Lunch with dsis, bil and their kids in a local restaurant. Their DC order meals that are clearly going to be far too much just from the description. Before they have even started dsis is reminding them they don't have to eat all of it, or even any of it, just until their tummy tells them they are full.

They eat a very small amount of the most unhealthy, nutritionally void part of the meal then announce they are full. Fine. Then they order puddings five minutes later. I will not let my dc order puddings as they have also not finished their meals parroting "tummy says no" nonsense. I suggest we pop to the supermarket on the way home and get ice cream to enjoy later when tummy is not so full instead of wasting money and food buying puddings for four full children. Get told by bil in a rather patronising way that "in our house we choose not to battle over food"

A. What a total dick he is
B. Telling a child who is full to wait a couple of hours before pudding is not having a "battle" over food
C. They are sadly not the only people I've encountered recently who have over-embraced this mantra. For the record my eldest is 22 and I've never been a "clear your plate" sort of parent. The days of great aunt gertie holding your nose and forcing liver and onions in your mouth are hopefully gone! But there is a balance to be had surely, in teaching children not to overload their plates, over-order and simply to appreciate food (especially meat) and how easily available it is?

Aibu?

Food waste actually applies to all food waste - from the top of the supply chain and to the bottom.

Highest food waste = US and Aus. Lowest food waste = India and China as per 2017 figures.

Developing countries tend to have waste at the top of the supply chain, affluent countries - at the bottom.

Top of the chain in low income countries is centred on limitations of harvest techniques, storage, transport infrastructure.

In wealthy countries food waste centres on restrictions on quality and appearance of food, and consumer behaviour - poor attention to purchase planning, and over-concern about ’best-before’ dates etc.

The causes of food waste in any particular country relate to local conditions. Overall, however, FAO has identified a pattern. In affluent countries, loss is greater in the downstream part of the food chain. In developing countries, conversely, food tends to be lost or wasted in the upstream part of the supply chain, in post harvest and in the early stages of the supply chain.
FAO posits that these differences are strongly related to variables such as infrastructure, consumer behaviors and quality standards. In low-income regions, loss is concentrated around limitations in harvest techniques, storage and transport infrastructure. On the other hand, high-income regions are characterized by higher loss rates downstream in the supply chain, especially at the consumer level. Waste in these regions results from restrictive quality and appearance standards in the supply chain, as well as by consumer behavior. Inadequate attention to purchase planning and excessive concern about "best-before dates" contribute to excessive household food waste.

www.ifco.com/countries-with-the-least-and-most-food-waste/

I think its best to move away from the concept of "being rewarded with desert." It sets up the expectation to eat everything.

Its far better to focus on learning how much food to take at home. And talk around hunger levels. Obviously if someone plates up for you or if you're out you dont have control over porrion size.

Its not waste to not eat all the cooked food. The food is already cooked and our bodies are not wastè disposal units. Far better to learn to eat to fullness. And following on from that to gauge appropiate amoints to cook. Again not possible when eating out. Still far better to stop eating than eat it for the sake of it!

TatianaLarina

You are being completely disingenuous with your comments about not understanding why people see puddings as a treat- it’s for the same reason anyone has a treat, because they like it.
And --like a lot of things that people actually really enjoy doing-- it needs to be in moderation-having a restaurant style dessert everyday would not be a very healthy way to live- therefore it’s a treat that has to be moderated. In my opinion eating out is the perfect opportunity to enjoy treat food. And why not ?

Sorry I didn't know there were any new comments! Thank you I just read them all, amazing how some posters know so many intricate details even though they weren't there (looking at you mathanxiety )

Especially the OP has herself acknowledged that her whole family may have an issue with food thanks to the way they were parented

Wtf? You totally made that up!

Anyway I enjoyed the debate and I'm glad there are some like minded people ! Might send a link to bil

@pjmask, sounds like mathanaxiety is projecting a lot of their own anxieties over food and eating out onto your op. I'm hoping a lot of the posters misread the part where your sister told the kids they didn't have to eat any of the meal they'd ordered before they'd even started eating. That's just really odd to me. Fair enough if you start eating and there's too much food, but seriously do people really order meals for their kids and not encourage them to at least try to eat some of it?

@Stefoscope imagination overload, much?

@pjmask
TheHumansAreDefinitelyDead Wed 01-Jan-20 22:06:57
Sounds like you and your sisters attitude to food was messed up by your own parents, and you are both trying hard not to repeat the same mistake... but are going about it a different way

pjmask Wed 01-Jan-20 22:08:31
TheHumansAreDefinitelyDead hadn't thought of the connection! Will have a think about childhood mealtimes now