Stretching Your Food and Reducing Waste
I wrote a lot about portion control in our Groceries On A Dime e-books but there was one tip I left out (I try to think of everything but, once in a while, I slip up) :). If you are really trying to stretch your food or have more control over your family’s portions then fill their plates at the stove or in the kitchen.
Don’t serve your food family style with large platters and bowls on the table to pass around. It is a proven fact that most people will eat more with large piles of food sitting in front of them. If someone is really full but they want seconds because it tastes so good, they will probably think twice about it if they have to get up and walk into the kitchen or to the stove to get more.
Here is a point that I did cover in the Groceries On A Dime e-books but I think it is worth repeating. Get serious about watching the food you throw away, especially with little ones. If they didn’t eat a whole potato last time, chances are they won’t eat one the next time so start small, even if means having to give them seconds.
When my kids were little (and even now with my grandkids) I usually took very little food on my own plate because there was always food left on the kids’ plates. Since I don’t mind eating their leftovers, I usually eat what is left on their plates.
When my kids were little they would take a drumstick from the chicken, pull two or three bites off and leave the rest. I never took my own piece of chicken because I got more then enough cleaning their “bones”.
Those were just a couple of ways I managed to feed my family on almost nothing. For more tips like this, check out the Groceries On A Dime e-books.
-Jill
Photo by: jbloom