I can be a sneaky, sneaky mama. However, when my daughter starts to eat a pear, takes a single bite all around the middle and then determines that she is finished, I despair. I don’t like wasting food. Here are a few sneaky ways that I avoid food waste.
I cut things up. Cutting things up means that when my daughter eats half a pear, there is still half a pear for me to eat. It means that I get more logical about portion sizes, and that is always a good thing. While I may be the odd mom who gives her preschooler a single centimeter of milk at a time, I consider this to be frugal and less wasteful than the alternative. Give a preschooler a whole cup of milk, and it tends to go down the drain. Give her a centimeter at a time, and somehow she drinks a whole cup of milk.
I make food interesting. Granted, I am not the best at this. I don’t excel at bento boxes, although we do have a lovely little tiffin box with several levels that I can use to hide interesting snacks. I also love creating sandwiches (without crusts of course) using cookie cutters or lunch punches. These create little pictures or puzzles on the sandwich – they’re fun to play with and fun to eat, too! Teeny tiny wraps with almond butter and jam or melted cheese work well for us too. Next on the menu: little bamboo toothpicks with fruit and veggies on them. Any time the food has play value, it’s more likely to be eaten.
I recycle food. No, I don’t dive into the garbage bin, although those who know me might think that would be a possibility. If we have pieces of apple and pear leftover, they become apple and pear sauce. If my daughter doesn’t bother to eat her banana because it has brown spots, it becomes banana bread. I try to give food a new life while maintaining some standards – even a sneaky mama has her limits.
Do you have any sneaky food tips that work for your preschooler?