Were you taught?

[kiwi]

to eat everything that was on your plate? If so, do you still follow that rule? I generally do, because of habit.

Now and then, something is so bad, or I am not hungry, or for some reason, I can't clean up my plate. I feel a bit guilty then. Do you?

[poetica]

Yes, I was taught to eat everything on my plate...and NO I don't follow that rule anymore, nor do I feel guilty for it, either.

I remember as a child hearing that old guilt tripper comment used by moms everywhere "think of the children starving in India." Of course I never understood how me in America eating everything on my plate was supposed to feed them! I remember once after hearing my mother say that for the umpteenth time, I finally said to her "well send it to them, I don't like it!" and I got backhanded for it! My daughter said something similar in school once, and wound up having to stay after school for "sassing". I thought it was utterly ridiculous and I told the teacher so. She looked at me like I had grown two heads lol...

Clean your plate? With the gargantuan portions they give folks? and they wonder WHY there is an obesity epidemic?

Solution: Ask for and take smaller portion sizes or what's sometimes called a "no thank you" helping. That way you can "clean your plate" and not eat as much. I figure if you're really hungry then go for seconds. Don't let anyone pressure you into taking more if you don't want it.

[draco]

yeah i do
especially when my grandad says 'ive been slaving all day over a hot oven' he says hes joking but it still makes me feel bad