# Is it normal to throw away cereal milk? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 4, 2013, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-normal-to-throw-away-cereal-milk/646034 "2013-01-04T06:47:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Glorpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/71c47a/32.png) [@Glorpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glorpy)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-normal-to-throw-away-cereal-milk/646034/1 "2013-01-04T06:47:59Z")
My friends whole family (including him) throw away the milk after eating cereal. The father isn’t a big fan of milk which is why everyone else has picked up the habit, which I kind of understand, but later, I found out that another friend also throws out the milk. Is this normal? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-normal-to-throw-away-cereal-milk/646034/2 "2013-01-04T06:54:15Z")
As opposed to what? Drinking it? Yeah, I think it’s pretty normal. I’d guess that more people dump it then drink it. If I’m going to drink milk with my cereal, I’d rather just have a glass of fresh milk then try to slurp it out of a cereal bowl and end up spilling some of it on myself. ---
**Author:** ![Sevencl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sevencl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevencl)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-normal-to-throw-away-cereal-milk/646034/3 "2013-01-04T06:59:43Z")
Depending on what the cereal was I might drink it. If it was a sugary unhealthy one yay, delicious chocolate/honey/sugar milk. Otherwise I’ll dump it, but I usually consume most of it in the process of eating the cereal anyway. Your friend’s family could just use less milk. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-normal-to-throw-away-cereal-milk/646034/4 "2013-01-04T07:02:05Z")
I use it to moisturize my feet. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-normal-to-throw-away-cereal-milk/646034/5 "2013-01-04T07:15:29Z")
I don’t eat much cereal these days, but back when I did, I ALWAYS raised the bowl and slurped down the remaining milk. If I liked the cereal, I was guaranteed to like the leftover milk. Besides, I was raised never to waste food. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-normal-to-throw-away-cereal-milk/646034/6 "2013-01-04T07:19:27Z")
No. It is wasteful and wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-normal-to-throw-away-cereal-milk/646034/7 "2013-01-04T07:25:17Z")
I have been informed by my Feline Overlords that I am not allowed to slurp down the last of the milk. Instead, I am to leave a couple of spoonfuls of both milk and cereal in the bowl, which shall be offered to said overlords. Actually, they’d vastly prefer to have their cereal and milk first, but I refuse to eat after them. They are particularly fond of Cream of Wheat. ---
**Author:** ![manila](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@manila](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manila)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-normal-to-throw-away-cereal-milk/646034/8 "2013-01-04T07:30:51Z")
Is this a thing? This is the second time I have come across this topic today on the few boards I visit. ---
**Author:** ![Sevencl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sevencl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevencl)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-normal-to-throw-away-cereal-milk/646034/9 "2013-01-04T07:36:02Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > No. It is wasteful and wrong. _Wrong_? ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-normal-to-throw-away-cereal-milk/646034/10 "2013-01-04T07:57:17Z")
I dump it sometimes, depending on the cereal. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-normal-to-throw-away-cereal-milk/646034/11 "2013-01-04T08:12:34Z")
> [@Sevencl](#): > > _Wrong_? Yes, it’s wrong to throw away food. ---
**Author:** ![GreedySmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@GreedySmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreedySmurf)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-normal-to-throw-away-cereal-milk/646034/12 "2013-01-04T08:14:39Z")
Definitely drink it. If I had of dumped it while growing up I would have received a well earned slap upside the head for wasting food. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-normal-to-throw-away-cereal-milk/646034/13 "2013-01-04T09:07:13Z")
> [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](#): > > Yes, it’s wrong to throw away food. Why? Food is plentiful and cheap. (And throwing it away won’t make it scarce and expensive somewhere else.) ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-normal-to-throw-away-cereal-milk/646034/14 "2013-01-04T09:24:18Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > Why? Food is plentiful and cheap. (And throwing it away won’t make it scarce and expensive somewhere else.) Not throwing it means using less of it, which leaves more available for the Food Bank folks. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-normal-to-throw-away-cereal-milk/646034/15 "2013-01-04T09:55:36Z")
I don’t get this. Why pour a load of milk over your cereals in order to then not drink it? Why not pour less milk and toss the cereal around in it a bit? Personally I drink whatever is left; it’s dang tasty. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-normal-to-throw-away-cereal-milk/646034/16 "2013-01-04T10:03:07Z")
If no one who cares is around I will drink it from the bowl, otherwise I’ll get what I can with the spoon. I was a very proud dad when I first saw my eldest daughter drinking the left over milk from the bowl :). ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-normal-to-throw-away-cereal-milk/646034/17 "2013-01-04T10:08:12Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Not throwing it means using less of it, which leaves more available for the Food Bank folks. The milk is used once it beeps over the scanner at the grocery store. Drinking the milk and throwing the milk away both have the same effect on the milk supply. Do whatever the hell you want. It’s your milk. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-normal-to-throw-away-cereal-milk/646034/18 "2013-01-04T10:49:29Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > The milk is used once it beeps over the scanner at the grocery store. Drinking the milk and throwing the milk away both have the same effect on the milk supply. > > Do whatever the hell you want. It’s your milk. While I agree with you (that the milk you’ve already bought won’t go back into the supply), by throwing food away you are obviously buying more than you need. If everyone is buying more than they need then that is causing unnecessary production. ---
**Author:** ![glaeken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@glaeken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glaeken)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-normal-to-throw-away-cereal-milk/646034/19 "2013-01-04T11:08:09Z")
Until seeing this thread it had never occurred to me that anyone would not drink all the milk used on cereal. I am still trying to wrap my head around the idea people actually throw away any remaining milk after eating the cereal. ---
**Author:** ![Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunzio_Tavulari)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-normal-to-throw-away-cereal-milk/646034/20 "2013-01-04T11:23:48Z")
> [@RobDog](#): > > While I agree with you (that the milk you’ve already bought won’t go back into the supply), by throwing food away you are obviously buying more than you need. If everyone is buying more than they need then that is causing unnecessary production. If they bought less milk, the farmers would claim hardship and the government would subsidize them instead of giving Africans money to by cows. It’s all one big circle of spending. I don’t drink my cereal milk, but I always try to pour just enough that it’s all used up at the end. I usually don’t succeed and end up adding more cereal to soak it up. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-normal-to-throw-away-cereal-milk/646034.md?page=2)