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View Full Version : so sick of throwing away food!!!!!



Rickers83
11-02-2014, 05:17 PM
Argh its driving me nuts!

I have to cook for 9 people including my family & the mindees

I have a couple of fussy eaters so most nights I have to do 2/3 different things & even after catering for what they will/wont eat i.e. plain pasta & sweet corn, I still end up throwing most of it away
I only do small portions so its not that, I'm lucky if some eat 3 mouthfuls!

now my own children are starting to get like it, which is frustrating me even more as they are such good eaters

no point to this post really, just having a rant :0(

alex__17
11-02-2014, 05:35 PM
My own son is also a fussy eater, I'm sick of chucking food too, so now freeze what he doesn't eat in ice cube trays so I have small portions and can defrost them as needed, saves on wastage, although I do seem to still chuck most of what I defrost and heat up but at least I've not had to cook it each day too

critch
11-02-2014, 08:21 PM
This is my pet hate, my children aren't allowed to leave the table unless the plate is clear, I found it so difficult when mindees came, I start with small portions as they can always have more, I've explained to parents that i will ask them if they like it and if not it's toast or nothing, I keep value bread in the freezer too !

alex__17
11-02-2014, 08:27 PM
That's a good idea about toast as the other option, my son is 18 months and where before I used to make something else which he usually didn't want either, now when he starts messing about and pushing dinner away he's asked once then it's gone! If he's had a little he can have pud, if he's had nothing he doesn't as he can't be hungry, will most likely apply the same to mindees, if they don't want to eat they stay up at the table until others have finished, too stressful cooking lots of seperate dinners!

VeggieSausage
11-02-2014, 10:54 PM
Speak to parents and say they are eating virtually nothing so you will be cutting afternoon snacks and if things don't get better you will not be doing tea anymore....

hectors house
12-02-2014, 07:47 AM
What ages are the children? If they are mostly school aged could you involve them in the meal options, try to do a survey with them and their parents on what they will eat (willingly without being nagged) at home - I certainly wouldn't do so many choices and if it was something that I wasn't sure children would eat, I would do as Critch suggested and just give them a little to try - once you put it on their plate then if they don't eat it you have to put it in the bin, but if it is still in the serving dish you can pop it in a container, label and date it and pop it in the freezer. Any children which didn't want the meal could have plain toast instead.

childminder54
12-02-2014, 08:00 AM
I was having problems like you, and told parents I was not supplying food now parents send children with food and it's so much better, I just explained that each child likes different food and they know what they are eating its so much better and stress free.

bunyip
12-02-2014, 09:29 AM
Food waste drives me nuts too. Not just the cost, but the wasted time and effort. I can look at the money aspect in a hard-nosed business way: just another expense, like all the paper and paint that gets wasted, but the time and effort are something else.


I know lo's will have food preferences just like you or I, so I've never believed in forcing stuff upon them, but it gets ridiculous. It seems to grow exponentially with the number of mindees, as each new starter teaches the rest not to eat crusts, anything with bits in, any yoghurt that isn't a radioactive form of pink, anything that doesn't have Tesco printed on the packet, anything that isn't dinosaur-shaped,etc. etc.
I dream of getting through a mealtime without having to hear: "Eyeeeeeeeew. What's that? I don't like that!" (even though you've never seen nor tried it, you little bogger. :mad:) Schoolies are the worst. They spent the whole of reception year learning every bad habit and attitude from every other child in Year R (and not much else.) :(

I get fed up of the almost inevitable routine with the parents. When they start, they so like the fact we give them home-cooked food. Then, when I have to tell them their little darling won't touch it (cos they're so used to eating cr4p at home and won't touch anything that actually looks like food) mum gets ar5ey.

Half the time, we end up resorting to 'fill-ups' of toast and fruit just to get something inside them. I've even lowered my lunchtime standards once or twice a week, to make sure some of them don't get totally traumatised by the idea of coming here to be 'poisoned' by our lovely proper meals. One of my mindees came to me from another CM who used to give them a proper cooked meal and talks about the "horrible" food there as if she had been under torture. But you can tell she's simply used to TV meals out of tins and/or the freezer.

hectors house
12-02-2014, 09:38 AM
I am so lucky that all of my mindees started with me from babies, they seem to like my cooking better than they do their meals at home - although when the occasional school age one comes back just for an odd day in the holidays I have noticed that they won't now eat eg: tuna pasta bake anymore which I made specially for them as it used to be their favourite!

I don't cook the meals specially for the mindees, I just cook extra in the evening when I do our main meal and dish it up into the childrens bowls to reheat the next day - I don't mind the waste too much as I have dogs or chickens who will eat up any left overs but that rarely happens.

loocyloo
12-02-2014, 10:10 AM
Mine all eat what I give them! I work around real dislikes or 'can't haves'. Occasionally I get one not eating but I don't make a fuss but neither do I offer anything else.

If I am not sure I give a tiny amount to try so am not wasting it and for Schoolies if they put it on their plate ... Then they are expected to eat it!

I only cook real food. I had a schoolie for a term who didn't eat anything at the start of term but by the end was having a try of most things ( now at afterschool club ... is given spaghetti on toast! )

Lol I have LO sitting next to me who last week LOVED his crumpet ... Today he is looking at me as if I am poisoning him! Oh well. Not long till lunch!

Rickers83
12-02-2014, 10:26 AM
What ages are the children? If they are mostly school aged could you involve them in the meal options, try to do a survey with them and their parents on what they will eat (willingly without being nagged) at home - I certainly wouldn't do so many choices and if it was something that I wasn't sure children would eat, I would do as Critch suggested and just give them a little to try - once you put it on their plate then if they don't eat it you have to put it in the bin, but if it is still in the serving dish you can pop it in a container, label and date it and pop it in the freezer. Any children which didn't want the meal could have plain toast instead.

the 2 I have problems with are 4&5, I was told when they started about the extremes of their fussiness, but they won't even eat the foods ob the lists I was given of things they "always" eat!

one only eats chicken korma, no Veg not even onions in it, or he makes himself sick. If he tries anything else he is usually sick.

the other only eats plain pasta and sweet corn, if I try to put anything else on his plate, it "accidentally" ends up in the floor when in not looking.

& even when I give them these "always eaten" meals they only eat a couple of mouthfuls and then say theyre not hungry.
thing is my prices are all inclusive with meals, so don't know how I'd stand only giving them toast.

& now having my own children, not eating or in the case of my 19 month old, tipping her plate on the floor, is driving me mad!

AliceK
12-02-2014, 11:17 AM
Food waste drives me nuts too. Not just the cost, but the wasted time and effort. I can look at the money aspect in a hard-nosed business way: just another expense, like all the paper and paint that gets wasted, but the time and effort are something else.


I know lo's will have food preferences just like you or I, so I've never believed in forcing stuff upon them, but it gets ridiculous. It seems to grow exponentially with the number of mindees, as each new starter teaches the rest not to eat crusts, anything with bits in, any yoghurt that isn't a radioactive form of pink, anything that doesn't have Tesco printed on the packet, anything that isn't dinosaur-shaped,etc. etc.
I dream of getting through a mealtime without having to hear: "Eyeeeeeeeew. What's that? I don't like that!" (even though you've never seen nor tried it, you little bogger. :mad:) Schoolies are the worst. They spent the whole of reception year learning every bad habit and attitude from every other child in Year R (and not much else.) :(

I get fed up of the almost inevitable routine with the parents. When they start, they so like the fact we give them home-cooked food. Then, when I have to tell them their little darling won't touch it (cos they're so used to eating cr4p at home and won't touch anything that actually looks like food) mum gets ar5ey.

Half the time, we end up resorting to 'fill-ups' of toast and fruit just to get something inside them. I've even lowered my lunchtime standards once or twice a week, to make sure some of them don't get totally traumatised by the idea of coming here to be 'poisoned' by our lovely proper meals. One of my mindees came to me from another CM who used to give them a proper cooked meal and talks about the "horrible" food there as if she had been under torture. But you can tell she's simply used to TV meals out of tins and/or the freezer.

Couldn't have put it better myself. I agree with all of this entirely.
I too am absolutely sick and tired of children who just refuse to eat a balanced "proper" meal. I am now at the stage where I am on the verge of giving up :angry:

xxxx

hectors house
12-02-2014, 11:29 AM
the 2 I have problems with are 4&5, I was told when they started about the extremes of their fussiness, but they won't even eat the foods ob the lists I was given of things they "always" eat!

one only eats chicken korma, no Veg not even onions in it, or he makes himself sick. If he tries anything else he is usually sick.

the other only eats plain pasta and sweet corn, if I try to put anything else on his plate, it "accidentally" ends up in the floor when in not looking.

& even when I give them these "always eaten" meals they only eat a couple of mouthfuls and then say theyre not hungry.
thing is my prices are all inclusive with meals, so don't know how I'd stand only giving them toast.

& now having my own children, not eating or in the case of my 19 month old, tipping her plate on the floor, is driving me mad!

My son in law is 30 and won't eat spaghetti bolognese unless he picks out all the onion and peppers - now I just blitz the veg and he eats it as he doesn't even know it is there - don't have this much bother with the mindees! Used to have a mindee who would projectile vomit if he found some veg that he didn't like in his meal - once had a new mum staying to lunch so I could see how the baby liked to be fed and the big mindee threw up all in his roast dinner just because I accidently gave him a "speck" of leek!

critch
12-02-2014, 12:48 PM
What ages are the children? If they are mostly school aged could you involve them in the meal options, try to do a survey with them and their parents on what they will eat (willingly without being nagged) at home - I certainly wouldn't do so many choices and if it was something that I wasn't sure children would eat, I would do as Critch suggested and just give them a little to try - once you put it on their plate then if they don't eat it you have to put it in the bin, but if it is still in the serving dish you can pop it in a container, label and date it and pop it in the freezer. Any children which didn't want the meal could have plain toast instead.

I went through a phase of them picking the menu choice, so child gave me a list of what they would eat one slight problem is that there was only ever 7 things to choose from which isn't fair on the others and I want my kids to try everything so they dont become fussy, I asked mum and she says they eat everything!!!!! I mentioned to mum last week that they hardly eat anything and she was surprised, probably just playing me, I like to win though!

fionamadcat
12-02-2014, 02:17 PM
Oh tell me about it. I really think you can tell which children eat home cooked food at home by what they eat with me. The worst I am finding just now is the 2 yr old who keeps changing her mind about her likes and dislikes. She likes eggs just now I was told so made them omelettes she ate a mouthful and told me she doesn't like eggs anymore. She used to eat pasta but not anymore, doesn't eat soup unless it comes out a tin, won't eat any veg and very little fruit, won't eat potatoes. So she eats very little with me but have to say I worry about it as she is getting very skinny. Not really sure how to go forward. Having others who do eat makes no difference as my other 2 preschooler eat really well (they get home cooked food at home)

wee_elf
12-02-2014, 03:25 PM
I used to look after a child at nursery who was 'afraid of potatoes'........:eek:
Mum told me this in front of the child during nursery registration and then each day would remind me and just totally reinforce this, imagine my surprise after a week she asked to try hotpot covered in sliced potato! After that she had every variation with us, but mum still insisted she had a deep rooted fear of the potato lol :panic:

Rickers83
12-02-2014, 05:02 PM
So tonight I do sausage, pasta & veg (all foods on the ok list)
mindee eats pasta then says had enough, I tried to encourage to eat more but was having none of it. Then mindee asks fir desert!!

am i wrong to have said no?
i explained if you've got room you have to eat dinner first & also my own children are here and are never allowed desert without eating their dinner

mindee is now sulking saying he wants to go home!

loocyloo
12-02-2014, 05:20 PM
So tonight I do sausage, pasta & veg (all foods on the ok list)
mindee eats pasta then says had enough, I tried to encourage to eat more but was having none of it. Then mindee asks fir desert!!

am i wrong to have said no?
i explained if you've got room you have to eat dinner first & also my own children are here and are never allowed desert without eating their dinner

mindee is now sulking saying he wants to go home!

There are varying schools of thought on this!

Personally for me it depends on age of child. Little LOs get a little more leeway but older LOs have the same rule as Schoolies. They have to eat a fair amount ( but I only give small amounts until I know a child likes it and even then, I'd rather give more when meal eaten rather than waste it if they are not hungry ) and if it's something they have helped themselves to, like veg, then they are generally expected to eat it all. If they then say they are full up without having had enough, then that is fine but as not hungry then they don't need pudding! Or anything else!

silvermist
12-02-2014, 05:24 PM
All three if my schoolies are really fussy! I asked parents to sit with their little darlings and write a list of foods which they would eat here.
So I now have lists giving me ideas for meal times.....except now I get "we had that at home last night" grrrr!
The final straw came when yesterday they had a school dinner so 'I was allowed to offer sandwiches', all three of them said could they have cheese. So I grated some cheese and made the sandwiches when one of them refused to eat it. When I asked why they said "I dont like it in bits I like it sliced!"
I was ever so slightly annoyed and said it tasted exactly the same but no, he wouldnt eat it so I had them for my tea and remade his with sliced cheese.
When mum came to collect I mentioned it thinking she would support me and all she said was "oh yes, he doesnt like grated cheese....sorry"

It really is driving me crazy! When these three mindees move on I will never offer meals again. I have wasted so much time and money on food it's ridiculous!

critch
12-02-2014, 08:01 PM
So tonight I do sausage, pasta & veg (all foods on the ok list)
mindee eats pasta then says had enough, I tried to encourage to eat more but was having none of it. Then mindee asks fir desert!!

am i wrong to have said no?
i explained if you've got room you have to eat dinner first & also my own children are here and are never allowed desert without eating their dinner

mindee is now sulking saying he wants to go home!

Strict rule here especially as my twins are at the table to, now pudding unless all dinner gone!

tigwig
12-02-2014, 09:07 PM
This is also driving me nuts. One family of mine with 3 siblings are fussy as hell! I have adjustable my whole menu on the days they are here and know they are things they like. They are getting worse and worse each week and it affects everyone. Even more annoyingly the youngest one copies them and now screams blue murder either before she even sees a meal or after a mouthful of food. She keeps it in her mouth and screams! She does the same at lunch and tea and barely eats a meal. She is clearly hungry but will not eat properly. She just waits til she gets home and has snacks. After yet another day of food going in the bin I am seriously considering refusing to offer tea anymore but then the worry about how it will affect the mindees that do eat! Plus I think some parents much prefer it that their children have had tea with me. I feel your pain arrgh!

bunyip
13-02-2014, 08:46 AM
I don't think the ever-changing adivce we get from nutitionists and Change4Life et al is particularly helpful.

I've asked NHS nutritutionists for advice at the local children's centre and they seem to have 'set' answers which they expect to work magically. Also, too many hard and fast rules which don't even make scientific sense. eg. "Anything home-baked has to be better than shop-bought." (Oh really, well I'm off home to bake chocolate cake, then.) And "no butter" - cos heavily-processed supermarket 'spreads' (aka "axle grease") just has to be so much more natural and good, eh?

I'm fed up of being fobbed off with easy answers: "here, take this nifty little 'snap-swapper' wheel." Children aren't going to swap their chocolate for a celery stick, just cos some NHS bod has put it on a brightly-coloured resource. Oh, they'll eat their veg just cos I arrange it on the plate to look like a happy face, will they? Will they :censored: .

We keep being told to offer healthy meals, and all the lo's do is pick out the bits they like. As for getting pudding in return for an empty plate, the nutritionists would shoot you for that too. Their official line is that the pudding should only be offered if it's part of a balanced meal, and as such, we have no place withholding any part of the whole meal. Using any food as a 'reward' is a definite no-no, according to the "professionals". :mad:

kellib
13-02-2014, 12:51 PM
I have one 3 year old who can be a nightmare at lunchtimes lately, his mum sends his food in so thankfully it's not my food that's wasted! LO will quite happily sit at the table for over 45 minutes refusing to eat his food. His mum normally sends in homemade soup for him but lately she's just been giving him sandwiches which seem to be better received by LO! I did wonder if he's just bored of soup!

Luckily the other LO's I have will eat anything I give them, on Monday we made our own pizzas for lunch & today they've just scoffed some haggis & mash.

amylouise867
13-02-2014, 12:58 PM
I read this thread earlier and just logged into my emails and Netmums have published an article -

Dealing with fussy eaters

Haven't had chance to read it yet but here's the link -

http://www.netmums.com/family-food/food-for-kids/dealing-with-fussy-eaters#utm_source=Campaign%20Monitor&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Food%20newsletter%2012th%20Feb%202014

bunyip
13-02-2014, 06:57 PM
I linked to the 'Netmums Top Tips for a Fussy Eater' Gallery to find myself faced with an ad for 'JustEat'.

Maybe that's the answer: order takeaway and take all the stress out of it. :D