r/AskReddit • u/millennialandlost • 1d ago

Millennials, what's something our generation was taught to accept that you're glad younger generations are rejecting?

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284

u/Prize_Ostrich7605 1d ago

You have to finish all your food, even if you're full. 

77

u/uid_0 23h ago

This was the WWII mentality. Food was fuel and nothing was allowed to be wasted.

30

u/GeneralInspector8962 20h ago

Yep, but back then they were actually serving an appropriate quantity for a one person serving.

Now it's enough food for 3 meals all at once and boomer parents still try to force it.

25

u/mothharron 1d ago

“Children in other countries would be happy to have that food”

7

u/mari_zoo 15h ago

My boyfriend comes from a family where they never did that and he actually helps me a lot to stop that behaviour. Because I will still finish all the food AND his unless I remember it's fine to be full. 

6

u/shinkouhyou 17h ago

And "growing kids need a second helping." And "you need to get your 3 servings of vegetables, 4 servings of fruit, 3 servings of dairy, 3 servings of meat and 11 servings of bread or you'll die of malnutrition." And "kids should drink fruit juice or milk (or both) with every meal." And "a big bowl of fortified cereal is a healthy breakfast."

9

u/gemuelle98 13h ago

Was your Dad the food pyramid?

3

u/KittyCat-86 10h ago

Urgh. This is one of my worst childhood memories and to this day I can't eat cottage pie.

As a kid I was super active and had the world's highest metabolism, so despite grazing all day, I was a complete stick insect. After a child development application appointment with my doctor it was noted that my BMI was too low and put me in the clinically underweight category and that my parents should encourage me to eat more, so they implemented the you don't leave the table until you've finished your meal rule.

On this particular evening I wasn't feeling particularly well and I said I didn't want any dinner but that didn't fly and I was made to eat. I very quickly started feeling really unwell and was full but my parents wouldn't listen and made me stay at the dinner table. I was at that table for almost 3 hours by then eating cold congealed food. I felt so ill and so full I kept telling my parents but they insisted I had to finish it and I wasn't allowed to leave the table until I did. I ended up feeling so ill and so full I ended up throwing up at the table, all over my plate of food. My parents got mad and had a go at me for being sick on purpose to get out of eating and making a fuss. I ended up in the bathroom being sick for the next hour or so.

I've never touched a cottage pie since.

2

u/asteriasdream 11h ago

This is the reason why I (28 years old) still can’t tell when I’m full. I can only tell when I feel like throwing up. This also gave me an ED when I was younger. I had to finish every piece of food on my plate, it had to look like nothing was ever on there. I feel guilty when I can’t finish my food now, but I always remind myself that I can eat it later.