Why Do I Cover Up Food in the Garbage Like I’m Hiding a Crime?
(And Other Psychological Side Effects of Growing Up in the Clean Plate Club)
The Great Garbage Cover-Up
I am a full-grown adult. I own property. I have legally signed documents. And yet, every time I throw away unfinished food, I instinctively cover it up with something else like I’m in a high-stakes witness protection program.
Why? Is there a Garbage Uneaten Food Police I don’t know about? A secret tribunal waiting to judge me for not finishing a tuna melt?
I mean, my family has literally witnessed me do this, so it’s not like I’m being slick. They’ve caught me in the act—like a raccoon with opposable thumbs, furiously disguising the evidence under a paper towel.
And yet, even when I’m alone, I still do it. What am I afraid of? That my trash can is going to tell on me?
The Clean Plate Club: Where It All Began
Let’s face it—in America, the home of the Clean Plate Club™, parents set us up for either a lifetime of disappointment or chronic overachievement.
We were trained from an early age that leaving food behind was a crime. Wasteful. Unacceptable. An insult to the spaghetti gods.
And now, as an adult? I can’t NOT finish my way-too-overfilled plate. Because what am I supposed to do? Not eat it? Be a disgrace to my childhood training?
Next thing I know, I’m staring at an empty plate, full of regret, wondering why my Target cargos are holding on like ants forming a land bridge.
(Spoiler alert: It’s because my portion control skills were doomed before I even hit kindergarten.)
Dinner Table Strategy: Survival Tactics of the 80s & 90s
I have vivid memories of watching my parents dish up my plate, each heaping spoonful a telepathic dare—taunting me to see if I could beat the clock before the meatloaf got cold and Dennis Anderson wrapped up the Northland News with, “That’s a wrap, everybody. Good night, and be kind.”
I tried every trick in the book:
✅ Feeding food to the dog. (Flawless except when the dog refused participation.)
✅ Hiding it in my napkin. (Until I forgot and found a cold wad of shame in my pocket later.)
✅ Pushing it around the plate strategically. (Foolproof, until the dreaded parental “Keep eating” reminder.)
And when none of those worked? The Hail Mary move: Sitting there, staring at my plate, hoping that if I waited long enough, they’d forget about me.
They never forgot.
Oscar the Grouch Might Be the Root of My Trash Guilt
Maybe my fear of throwing away food and leaving it visible stems from a deep-rooted childhood fear of Sesame Street’s Oscar the Grouch.
Think about it. This grumpy, trash-dwelling Muppet terrorized an entire generation. He lived in a garbage can, angrily judging anyone who interacted with his domain.
What if, subconsciously, I still feel like he’s in there…watching me?
Like my upside-down plate of uneaten portions is his silver metal garbage lid for a hat, and I’m putting a lid on that grouchy childhood guilt once and for all.
Business Tie-In: What Are You Covering Up in Your Own Life?
Let’s take this garbage metaphor to the business world, shall we?
The same way I hide my wasted spaghetti under a napkin, people hide their dissatisfaction with their jobs, careers, and business decisions.
🚨 Have you ever:
Stayed at a job you hated just because leaving would feel wasteful?
Held onto a failing business idea because you already put in so much time and effort?
Ignored an opportunity because the thought of starting over felt like too much work?
In psychology, this is called the “sunk cost fallacy.” We convince ourselves to stick things out because we’ve already invested in them—whether it’s a meal, a job, a business, or a bad relationship.
The truth? Just because you’ve spent time on something doesn’t mean you have to keep forcing yourself to finish it.
I mean, if you were halfway through a movie and realized it was absolute garbage, would you force yourself to sit there just because you already started? (Wait. Don’t answer that if you’ve ever sat through a Hallmark Christmas movie on purpose.)
So, How Do You Break the Cycle?
If you’re feeling stuck—whether it’s in a job, a business, or a life decision—ask yourself these questions:
1️⃣ Does staying where I am bring me joy, stability, or opportunity?
2️⃣ Am I afraid of leaving because of guilt, or because I genuinely see potential?
3️⃣ If I could start fresh today, would I still choose this?
If the answer to #3 is a hard “absolutely not”—you might be wrapping a napkin over something that belongs in the metaphorical garbage.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, it’s okay to throw things away. It’s okay to leave behind jobs, careers, business ideas, and relationships that no longer serve you.
Just…maybe don’t make direct eye contact with the trash can while you do it. You never know if Oscar’s still in there.
💡 What’s something in your life that you KNOW you should throw away but can’t? (Metaphorically or literally.) Drop it in the comments!