The Hidden Dangers of Eating Off Your Kid’s Plate

We all know sneaking bites of our kids’ pancakes or sampling their macaroni or polishing off their PB&Js isn’t the best idea for our waistlines. I used to treat my kids’ dinner as my appetizer — not smart when you’re trying to lose the baby weight. But there’s another side effect of this mindless grazing that I hadn’t anticipated until now. I share it with all of you as a cautionary tale…

Over the weekend my husband and I cooked a special dinner for his parents, who were visiting from Michigan. Salmon, steak, mashed potatoes, a big salad and roasted Brussels sprouts (with bacon and toasted pine nuts — yum!). My six-year-old eats really well and I was so proud when he asked for seconds on the Brussels (my daughter, who’s four, kept demanding mac and cheese, but that’s another story). As dinner was winding down I noticed Alex had left a few sprouts on his plate so I grabbed them (they had bacon in them, what can I say?). And that’s when it happened. I was chewing and felt something that did not taste or feel like a Brussels sprout. I feared the worst and—when I secretly pulled the offending bit out of my mouth—the worst is what I got: A big piece of already-chewed-up-but-not-by-me steak. Mostly fat.

Adding insult to the injury: I am not a red meat eater. On the rare occasion I have a piece of steak, it must be well done — with every scrap of fat removed. I literally had to do my Lamaze breathing (and take a big swig of wine) so as not to dry heave at the table. Even thinking about it now makes me cringe. Lesson learned: Kids are kind of gross and once food goes onto their plate you should proceed with caution. Or better yet, not proceed at all. Of course that’s easier said than done. Keeping our paws off our kids’ food requires an incredible amount of willpower and when things are chaotic (i.e. mealtime with little people) willpower can be the first thing to go. Especially when bacon is involved. A friend recently posted this on Facebook, which, obviously, I loved (and liked):

“New low: eating a small scrap of bacon off the floor after Luke discarded it. It may or may not have been in his mouth prior to hitting the floor. Throwing away bacon? What's wrong with this kid?”

I feel like every parent has done some questionable things when it comes to eating their kids’ food. Moments of weakness or mindlessness that we aren’t very proud of but that unite us as a group and make us feel way better about our own “rock bottomish” experiences. I shared my steak fat episode with friends and one admitted to being so hungry once that she ate old goldfish out of her son’s car seat. Another has recently started snacking on her baby’s dissolving O's — after picking them off his drooly chin. Perhaps my favorite: My mom friend who has eaten what she calls "bib seconds" (all the crap that falls out of her baby’s mouth and into the plastic bib thingy). So I guess I’m not alone. But I’m still a little skeeved. And gun shy. This morning I reached for my son’s tomatoes that had slipped off his bagel but I stopped myself. Lord knows where those things had been.

Have you ever eaten food off your kid’s plate? How about food that’s fallen out of their mouths? (Done that too). Ever have it backfire like me? Do tell. Misery loves company!

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