Food & eating boundaries with children

I’m a mom of two kids, ages 3.5 and 1.5. Whenever I try to eat something, both of my kids are all over me, asking for bites and crying if I say no. Yet, they won’t eat their own food which is the exact same thing I’m eating most of the time.

This morning I got up and made them breakfast. They ate maybe a quarter of it: scrambled eggs, tomatoes, and diced pears. After they were done and cleaned up, peacefully playing in the living room, I made myself a plate of the same thing and sat down to eat. Immediately, I was swarmed. My 3 year old grabbed a tomato off my plate. My 1 year old starting screaming “bite bite bite!” I said no, and gave them back their plates with food still on them. They refused. They wanted MY food.

I was firm and said no, this is mommy’s food, you have your own food. My mother in law is staying with us for the week and she said “you should just let them eat it, my kids did the same.” I explained that no, I’m setting a boundary, and I deserve my own meal too. She politely disagreed and said “moms really give up these types of things for a while. Meals, showers, alone time...” I stopped her right there and I said I disagreed with that and moms should not have to sacrifice eating a meal, something essential for her literal survival, because her children have not been taught boundaries. She made the point that they’re only little once and eventually will not want to be all over me asking for bites constantly and that I will miss it.

Do you agree with me, or my mother in law? Am I wrong not to share my food with my children?