Of course, the children wanted hot buttered cinnamon toast for breakfast, and of course, they left a bunch of crusts on their plates. Sometimes they come back and eat more; I often feel I should leave the plates out for a while to give the kids a chance to finish. There is a problem with this, of course.
I am a recovering crust-nibbler. Here is my slightly ridiculous coping strategy: I imagine that the impulse to eat those leftover crusts is not from me. I imagine that the food scraps themselves are talking to me. Don't waste us! Eat us up!
As long as the food lies there quietly and does not say anything, I can leave it there. But the instant it starts suggesting to me how tasty it would be, and lecturing me on frugality, I know it is Evil Talking Food and I scoop it right up and throw it in the trash. Get thee behind me, bacon!
(What? Your kids don't leave bacon on their plates? You see the peculiar difficulties I have to work with.)
OK, maybe the anthropomorphism isn't necessary. The point is, when I feel the impulse to nibble the leftovers, I take that as a signal that I must throw them out (or otherwise get them out of sight and out of mind). And I do it right away before I can change my mind.
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