Slow Eater

My toddler is a SLOW eater. There are times when he eats fast, but those times are far and few between! It is so frustrating when we eat out with other people, besides my husband and myself. We don't let him leave the table until all the food in his plate is eaten. We want to stick to that rule to cultivate good eating habits. We don't want him to waste food, or be choosy. Sometimes, he takes more than an hour to finish his food. Sometimes, he sits there and eat, and whine about not having anyone eating with him. Sometimes, he just sits there and takes his time finishing his food. I do wish there's a way to make him finish his food the same time as everyone else, but we haven't come out with a workable plan yet!