It is important that we reframe the way we see food waste in our little ones and not insist that they finish their plates. Instead, let's take a moment to reflect on our habits as a family and what we can do that does make a difference.
If you consider reducing food waste as necessary, it can be helpful to identify the underlying values that drive your decision, such as responsibility, compassion, and gratitude. Once you have recognised these values, think of ways to model and teach them to your child without undermining their body autonomy and forcing them to finish their plate.

It's always a good idea to involve little ones in reducing food waste in our households, and here are some tips that you can follow as a family:
1. Mindful Menu Planning:
Plan meals that utilise ingredients efficiently to minimise leftovers. Invite children to join you in this activity as it teaches valuable life skills. Menu planning reduces food waste, simplifies grocery shopping, and helps save money.
2. Careful Inventory.
Keeping track of what's in your kitchen is essential, prioritising foods expiring soon and checking your stock before making duplicate purchases. Refrain from overbuying discounted food.
3. Storage Savvy:
Invest time in storing food correctly to keep it fresh longer. Proper storage can extend the life of perishables and prevent unnecessary disposal – especially in a humid environment such as Singapore. For example, soaking berries in vinegar water and storing them with a paper towel can prevent them from getting mouldy. Again, these activities are great for kids to help with.
4. Order Food and Plan Parties wisely.
Only order what you can eat; start with less food on the table and order more later if needed. Share dishes (great for kids), or ask for smaller portions. When hosting a party, downsize the portions of each dish if you plan to serve various dishes. From my food service management experience, I have learned that the larger the group and the bigger the variety of dishes served, the more you can reduce the portion per person.
5. Start with smaller portions or have children dish up their plates.
Avoid overloading plates, especially when serving new food to a cautious eater. Parents often misjudge how much their children need to eat. So, instead, start with a smaller portion or have kids dish up their plates and remind them they can have more. This is by no means a way to restrict your child’s intake. But starting with a smaller portion has many benefits, including making the meal feel less intimidating for a more cautious eater and giving you more opportunities to respond positively to food requests.
6. Creative Cooking.
Get creative with repurposing leftovers into new meals or batch-cook surplus ingredients. For example, last night's roasted vegetables can become a tasty addition to a frittata or blended into a pasta sauce with some tomato. Leftover rice can become a quick fried rice for kids’ lunch. I often plan for one evening per week as a “leftover night,” where we remove some leftover containers from the freezer and add some simple cut-up salad. It is a slightly bizarre pot-luck-style dinner, but it works.
7. Donate your excess food.
Where surplus food is still suitable for consumption, consumers and food establishments can donate it to organisations like Food Bank Singapore or Willing Hearts, Fei Yue Community Services, and Food from the Heart. Never donate food that has expired or spoiled.
8. Composting Consciousness.
Consider composting organic waste to give it a second life as nutrient-rich soil. It's an eco-friendly way to dispose of food scraps. And it makes for an excellent task for children to learn about household responsibilities.
By adopting a mindful approach to food waste and understanding its place in a child's development, we can foster a healthier relationship with food and responsibility to the environment for the entire family. Remember, it's not about the uneaten peas on the plate; it's about the journey towards a lifetime of positive eating habits.
What are some of the ways your family reduces food waste?
Comments