Restaurant portions
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Are just out of control! I can't imagine who needs three, four or five servings on a plate! I think it's a mental thing... most people feel that they want to get a lot for their money. Personally, I'd rather have healthy, well cooked, well presented thoughtful food in a very small portion than a heap of crap on my plate just because... This is one reason my husband and I like fine dining... you get limited choices, small portions and high quality foods!
If and when we go to a regular place I always ask for a to go box when my meal arrives and I immediately take my appropriate serving size and put the rest in the box!
Agree!! Everything has to be supersized nowadays! That's why obesity is such a problem. However....that's where will power and commonsense should kick in. Eat half, save the rest for later (thumbs up on getting those to go boxes ahead of time). Even when challenged we have to stick to portion control!
Agree! Some people just don't know, truly. I worked with a women who opted for a bagel, egg, cheese and sausage sandwich instead of a salad... she thought the bagel sandwich was lower in calories. I asked her what she normally put on her salads and her response was she hates vegetables except for potatoes LOL. Not making fun or judging it's just that most people aren't educated in proper nutrition. Not that I know everything because I don't. But I take the time to learn from folks here and other legit resources and I read my labels and do my best to opt for a healthy meal (9 times out of 10). But yeah... obesity is a problem that's for sure in large part to everything being so huge.
Have you seen those giant sized herseys bars, york and reeses they have now? Jeesh.... sure, as an adult with will power I am sure most of us could buy one, have a taste and put it away. Most people would consume it in a matter of days if not hours!0 -
Portion sizes vary so much from person to person.
I own an Asian restaurant (Thai, Indian and Japanese food) and our menu has items from 200 calories per plate to 2000.
We've had fit people order two entrees and polish them off (for lunch even!) while most people do take some home. And this is high quality - meat, vegetables, rice, ect.0 -
This is why I have to substitute everything or stay out of those types of places.
Or you can stay home and cook.
Trust me, my whole day on Sunday is planned around shopping and preparing for the weeks breakfasts, lunches, snacks and dinners to the T. Everything balanced and measured appropriately. However, me and my husband indulge in date night once a week. It's how we roll :happy:
So then the problem is your lack of self control? Gotcha.0 -
I usually only eat around half of the meal and then bring the rest home for the next day or for my fam. You don't have to eat it all in one sitting.0
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Portion sizes vary so much from person to person.
I own an Asian restaurant (Thai, Indian and Japanese food) and our menu has items from 200 calories per plate to 2000.
We've had fit people order two entrees and polish them off (for lunch even!) while most people do take some home. And this is high quality - meat, vegetables, rice, ect.
Oh I want to eat there... Do you have calorie info on your menu?
My main issue with huge portions is that before ordering, you have no idea how big it's going to be. So I could totally order that 1500 calorie entree if it's huge, and just eat half... but I have no idea how big it's going to be before ordering... what if it's tiny for 1500 calories? It's just annoying...0 -
I am thankful for my food, and I am thankful that I can afford to go to a restaurant that has large portions, or small. So many people are hungry and wish they had too much too eat.
+1 Best perspective here.0 -
What I want to know is how they figure what a portion size should be. I think it is dependent on the person. For example 4 oz of chicken. Can it be enough? For some people yes but not everyone. I realize that when you start adding in other stuff, 2 oz of pasta, and then throw on some sauce that it becomes a meal but how do they determine a proper portion size for all?
Not sure I understand? Restaurants are in business to give people what they want, not count proper portion sizes. High end restaurants typically have smaller meal sizes because they are using more expensive ingredients. Proper portion sizes are...proper portion sizes. There's no reason why you can't double up on portion sizes if it fits into your calorie needs, which are wholly individual requirements.
Sorry for the confusion. I meant portion sizes in general. How does FDA, USDA, whoever it is, determine what a portion size is? For example: a serving of pasta is 2 oz. How and why do they figure that is one serving?
Just curious.
I'm guessing maybe the manufacturer chooses what to make the "serving size"? Here's an interesting article I read recently:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/06/business/06portion.html?pagewanted=all&_r=00 -
Portion control was my main challenge when I decided to slim down. At the beginning, I just figured I'd eat slower. You know, let the stomach catch up with my eyes. It helped. But, I would find out later that the fish and orzo meal I liked at Macaroni Grill was like 1,500 calories. It came with a side of veggies. It was fish. But, it was parmesan-encrusted fish. And, you got like half of a huge plate of orzo pasta.
It wasn't until I started counting my calories that I really, truly understood what was going in my body. It's taken a while to get to the point where I get full on a normal serving of food. My body has had to adjust ... and now, I can safely order a huge restaurant meal and know that I'm taking home the leftovers. Most of the time. I do splurge from time to time, but at least I realize the damage and try to make up for it.
So, for the uneducated and the willingly blind (like I once was), these restaurant meals add a lot of extra calories. Heck, so do a lot of my home meals.0 -
What I want to know is how they figure what a portion size should be. I think it is dependent on the person. For example 4 oz of chicken. Can it be enough? For some people yes but not everyone. I realize that when you start adding in other stuff, 2 oz of pasta, and then throw on some sauce that it becomes a meal but how do they determine a proper portion size for all?
Not sure I understand? Restaurants are in business to give people what they want, not count proper portion sizes. High end restaurants typically have smaller meal sizes because they are using more expensive ingredients. Proper portion sizes are...proper portion sizes. There's no reason why you can't double up on portion sizes if it fits into your calorie needs, which are wholly individual requirements.
Sorry for the confusion. I meant portion sizes in general. How does FDA, USDA, whoever it is, determine what a portion size is? For example: a serving of pasta is 2 oz. How and why do they figure that is one serving?
Just curious.
I'm guessing maybe the manufacturer chooses what to make the "serving size"? Here's an interesting article I read recently:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/06/business/06portion.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Great article. Thanks.0 -
No one is forcing you to eat it all.0
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The food is the cheap part. It's the infrastructure (lights, plumbing, kitchen equipment, electricity) and employees that are the bulk of the expenses.
So a good way to increase revenue without increasing expenditures is to give a lot of food and charge a higher price. If some restaurant gave smaller portions and charged the same, patronage would go down. If they gave smaller portions and charged less, they'd make significantly less money.0 -
most people feel that they want to get a lot for their money. Personally, I'd rather have healthy, well cooked, well presented thoughtful food in a very small portion than a heap of crap on my plate just because...
It's about demand...the vast majority demand quantity for their dollar with decent quality...thus restaurants deliver as such. Being aware that restaurant portions are on average roughly twice the recommended serving sizes is good knowledge to have...makes it easy to decide what you're going to do...either eat less of it or eat the whole thing and make up for it elsewhere.0 -
All good responses.
Hey, I don't have a problem with portion control and I can resist what's on my plate. I too substitute a lot e.g., double veggie vs a veggie and a starch. It's just gross to me, especially when there are people starving in the world, that folks get this big heaping plate of sub-par overly processed food and just eat it mindlessly not even knowing if they're full or not. People eat it because it's there and then complain that they are too full or too heavy or have a stomach ache or whatever. The fault doesn't lie with the restaurant, it lies with the consumer. And yeah, this is why we only do it once in a while and why we choose fine dining over a chain.
Also, have you ever noticed that some menu's are like 20 pages long and almost every single item is covered with cheese or onions or deep fried... like can't anyone just have chicken? does it have to be offered with cheese, mayo, fried onions, blue cheese crumbles, bacon, sauce, on a giant buttered bun with a pound of overly salty fries on the side and cold slaw with extra mayo, etc, etc, etc...???????
This is why I have to substitute everything or stay out of those types of places.
Why cant you just ask for "no mayo, bacon, etc" if you have a problem with it? Fat is flavor and not everyone is eating for the same reasons as one another.0 -
Are just out of control! I can't imagine who needs three, four or five servings on a plate! I think it's a mental thing... most people feel that they want to get a lot for their money. Personally, I'd rather have healthy, well cooked, well presented thoughtful food in a very small portion than a heap of crap on my plate just because... This is one reason my husband and I like fine dining... you get limited choices, small portions and high quality foods!
If and when we go to a regular place I always ask for a to go box when my meal arrives and I immediately take my appropriate serving size and put the rest in the box!
Highly dependent on the types of restaurants you go to. Portions tend to be much smaller in higher end restaurants from my experience
^this quality over quantity.0 -
im a regular at harvester, i order off menu and ask for to go boxes and have always been accomodated0
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All good responses.
Hey, I don't have a problem with portion control and I can resist what's on my plate. I too substitute a lot e.g., double veggie vs a veggie and a starch. It's just gross to me, especially when there are people starving in the world, that folks get this big heaping plate of sub-par overly processed food and just eat it mindlessly not even knowing if they're full or not. People eat it because it's there and then complain that they are too full or too heavy or have a stomach ache or whatever. The fault doesn't lie with the restaurant, it lies with the consumer. And yeah, this is why we only do it once in a while and why we choose fine dining over a chain.
Also, have you ever noticed that some menu's are like 20 pages long and almost every single item is covered with cheese or onions or deep fried... like can't anyone just have chicken? does it have to be offered with cheese, mayo, fried onions, blue cheese crumbles, bacon, sauce, on a giant buttered bun with a pound of overly salty fries on the side and cold slaw with extra mayo, etc, etc, etc...???????
This is why I have to substitute everything or stay out of those types of places.
You have a lot of anger towards food. I'm sorry.0 -
never had a problem getting a to go box in resturants even if some have just been small cardboard boxes with a bit of greaseproof paper in them lol0
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The food is the cheap part. It's the infrastructure (lights, plumbing, kitchen equipment, electricity) and employees that are the bulk of the expenses.
So a good way to increase revenue without increasing expenditures is to give a lot of food and charge a higher price. If some restaurant gave smaller portions and charged the same, patronage would go down. If they gave smaller portions and charged less, they'd make significantly less money.
That makes the assumption that the same amount of sales would be made, just at a lower price point in your lowering the price and portion. It also doesn't account for less food costs. Interestingly enough, that is exactly what Darden and others are trying to increase growth, since they've been getting crushed by the fast casual sector.
Generally speaking, the larger the portions at a restaurant, the lower the quality of the food.0 -
If you really want to get sick of all the gobs of food - go to a buffet. You will see a lot of people taking plates of food heaping on thier plate, and then wasting a lot of it. Lots of food hoarding!
I love going to my fave restaurant. a lot of times you can order things not on the menu if you just ask. Instead of the generic bland looking fruit cocktail on the side, I order the fresh berries/bananas as my fruit side that is so refreshing - its the sliced fruit they put over the pancakes.
I have to ask for a 2 egg omlet rather than the standard 3 egg omelette because I will eat the whole thing, so im not totally perfect in portion control YET. but i do tell the waiter to stop offering me suggestions at my other fave restaurant as he gets overly like that to the point of annoyance. I may have to stop going there.0 -
My gran wraps up her leftovers in a hanky or a serviette. She always has, it's cute. We take it home for the cat or for later. It always used to be for me, though!
lol. I think there is less portion hugeness here in the UK but it is becoming more common, and I have even spotted a few food challenge things over here, too. I've asked for foil in places before to take stuff home but it's often a 'sneak it into the handbag' jobby tbh. 0 -
Have some kids. Share yours with the kids. Result - better portion size, no need to pay for a kids' meal!0
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Most of the times, if I don't order something that fits into my calorie goal, I ask for a to go box when I get my meal and put half in it as soon as I get it. That way, I only eat what's on my plate and won't eat the whole plate just because it's in front of my face.0
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I never eat out without first going to the restaurants website. Viewing the menu and hopefully a nutrition page. Most have them except for the mom and pop restaurants. I choose everything before I go. People think that the appetizers are a good way to go because they are small, but most appetizers have more calories than a 6 oz. sirloin with a salad (leave off the cheese and croutons), dressing on the side, and a cooked veggie. Also, more restaurants are listing the lower calorie choices with a symbol so you can do better.0
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Whenever I go out and eat I always order chicken breast, fish or steak no oils, & steamed veggies (NO OILS)
Never Fails
But when it's my cheat meal then I get what I want Eat half of the plate and I'm good to go 0 -
I am thankful for my food, and I am thankful that I can afford to go to a restaurant that has large portions, or small. So many people are hungry and wish they had too much too eat.
Oh good lord. Better not complain about having a hurricane either because we should be so happy that we have water.
"FWP" is so played out. Go live in Somalia and preach to them about how horrible we Americans are.0 -
I am thankful for my food, and I am thankful that I can afford to go to a restaurant that has large portions, or small. So many people are hungry and wish they had too much too eat.
Oh good lord. Better not complain about having a hurricane either because we should be so happy that we have water.
"FWP" is so played out. Go live in Somalia and preach to them about how horrible we Americans are.
Entitlement is so played out too. :yawn:0 -
Too much food is a problem with so many solutions, though.
This thread almost made me want to walk to the neighborhood Chinese buffet restaurant down the street. Then I thought of the price for their non-lunch menu. Or the fact that they won't give you a bag to put your box in when you pay for a to go box (no dine in) because of previous patrons who've stuffed food in the bag itself rather than the food containers only. Free with meal, get treated like criminal. *Shudders* no, thanks.0 -
Portions too big? Get one order with 2 plates. 1/2 price meals for 2.0
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I think it depends where you go in the UK. My local Hungry Horse had a MASSIVE burrito that my boyfriend ordered. When it turned up our jaws dropped. It wasn't the only massive thing on the menu either!I think in most UK restaurants a request for a 'to go box' or 'doggy bag' would be met with a blank stare. However, our portion sizes do tend to be smaller.
Agreed. The only places that openly encourage it to an extent, are pizza places.
I don't order and dump half my food, but tend to make alterations, i.e. jacket potato instead of chips, salad instead of buttered vegetables, dressing on side etc. Saves calories just but simply doing those.0 -
Are just out of control! I can't imagine who needs three, four or five servings on a plate! I think it's a mental thing... most people feel that they want to get a lot for their money.
Yes but if you are paying restaurant prices, this is what you would want given you could cook stuff at home a lot cheaper. On the other hand, there are restaurants who give tiny portions and charge the earth.
In my experience, those small expensive meals taste divine!0
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