Say: „Thank you, I have enough.“ and „I want some more, please.“

This straightforward action is beneficial as it can help reduce food waste. Children learn to take less food and return for more if they want, so there are fewer leftovers. They learn to estimate how much food they can eat in a meal and they don´t take too much. In the long term, an institution can save a lot of food waste and money.

Learning outcome:

• children learn to take only as much as they can eat and return for more if they want,
• they learn that food is precious and we don´t throw it away,  
• children develop a feeling of their satiety,
• children develop healthy and responsible eating habits,
• they learn about their preferences and those of others,
• children get to know, that we are different.

Three weeks to develop a feeling of their satiety.

none

The activity is suitable for children aged 3 +. At the start of the activity, each child should be asked individually how much she thinks she will eat. This is how much to put on their plate. Suggest to her it is better to eat less and come back for more.

If there is a food they don´t want to try, ask them if you can give them just a little spot to try.  (if they don´t want, don´t force them).

After they eat, ask them if they have eaten what they expected. They will need about three weeks to develop a sense of how much food they can eat. After three weeks, they will understand how much is enough and will say "Thank you, that's enough" when they have had enough and will come back for more if they want to.

Society: children learn about themselves, their preferences and about other people, and they develop good eating habits.  

Language: children learn how to politely say no (if they don´t want to eat a certain food).

Environment/Nature: children learn how much food is enough for them. They learn that food waste is bad for the environment. They understand that is not polite to throw food away when many people are starving in the world.

Additional material:

Laura García-Herrero L., De Menna F., Vittuari M.,Food waste at school. The environmental and cost impact of a canteen meal, Waste Management, Volume 100, 2019. Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0956053X19306063

European Comission. JRC Publications Repository. Reducing consumer food waste: Recommendations for schools. Link: https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC134747