Wasting food

I really dislike wasting food.

I know the problems inherent in the admonition to "clear your plate", so I do stop short of that. And anyway, if you're not enjoying it, you're still wasting it in a sense.

Instead I advocate mindfulness about this ahead of time. Only purchase what you will likely use, and err on the side of smaller portions when serving yourself. That could mean you will be inconveniently hungry later, or miss out on something tasty. (Some time I will do another post on "feelings of deprivation"...)

I can't say I always live up to this ideal. I do wish others would share it more with me, though. The sad thing about it is that wasting food doesn't really benefit anyone, but it depletes resources and creates pollution that otherwise wouldn't have to be. Even sadder is the fact that others go hungry in this world.

Gratitude definitely helps to curb this. When you see food as a precious gift given to you, you're less likely to throw it away. You're less likely to over-indulge in the first place. Better to focus as much as possible on taking only what you need.