Restaurant portions
BoxerBrawler
Posts: 2,032 Member
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!
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!
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Replies
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Well typically I only order things that I know will fit in my calories, so the portions are fine.0
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Um.. you are complaining about too much food? I am not sure what is going on here... :huh:0
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Well typically I only order things that I know will fit in my calories, so the portions are fine.
^^ this0 -
I agree with OP! I have such a hard time not just picking away at a giant heap of fries in front of me, even though I am full, know they are just a pile of carbs I don't need, and that they won't keep. But they are there and they taste good! I agree, and I also prefer fine dining!0
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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!
Highly dependent on the types of restaurants you go to. Portions tend to be much smaller in higher end restaurants from my experience0 -
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.0
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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.
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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.
Agreed, +10 -
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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!
You are employing a good strategy. Plus, two meals in one!
Think about an average restaurant. When you hear people talk, what do they comment on? Portion size. Lot of food? Favorable response. Small portion? B!tching and bad mouthing.
The restaurant industry is between a rock and a hard place. If they cut portion size, they are out of business.0 -
I agree with OP! I have such a hard time not just picking away at a giant heap of fries in front of me, even though I am full, know they are just a pile of carbs I don't need, and that they won't keep. But they are there and they taste good! I agree, and I also prefer fine dining!
I order steamed vegetables instead of fries. Takes care of the fry problem, cuts calories, and helps the meal fit into my macros.0 -
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.0
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Try sharing, when I go out with a few friends we get 3 or 4 things and all take a few bites of each thing and we start with salad or soup...I have to agree with others I don't normally see 4 or 5 serving sizes if anything it is a normal portion.0
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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.
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.0 -
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I noticed that for the first time at this Italian restaurant I went to at 17. The portions were humongous. I was used to randomly getting a burger and fries (still a lot of food here) but nothing like the huge plates of pasta.
I don't think these serving sizes help. My boyfriend lost 100lbs and a big part of that was portion control. He was actually kind of irritated with his parents (he'd been overweight his entire life) because they made all kinds of food for dinner and it was looked down upon if you didn't clean your plate.
That just makes me wonder how many people kind of do it out of habit or shame for not eating it all? I'm not sure.
I gained many pounds over several years and those portions made me miserable, but I ate them still for some reason. Last week we went to the same restaurant and I got a lunch portion of ravioli and was full after eating about half of it. I thought it was an enormous amount of food. That's because it actually IS. Wasn't something I've thought about too much until I've been on a diet for a bit and I'm adjusting to small portions (NORMAL portion sizes).
I take the excess home as I know the amount of calories in the food I eat so I can either eat it or give it to a family member.
Surely you could order food and say "Hey, I really only want a cup or two of that" and they'd comply with the request. I know a lot of people can't help but eat food until they are more than full and that seems like a reasonable request to me.0 -
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.
Whenever I've been to the UK, there is no comparison to the USA portions. You folks have it right. The sizes are more appropriate, the plates are smaller, and there's less of drizzle, grease, oil, and all that. Your food seems more fresh, freshly made, and better prepared.
Perhaps you need to frequent better restaurants domestically0 -
Typically when I go out to a restaurant it's a Friday or Saturday night, which is when I allow myself a cheat dinner. I don't worry about the serving size too much. Or, I work it into my calories.0
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order the appetizer - one or two depending on how big/small they are. some appetizers are actually a small meal.
You can get a doggie bag to take home. I went to a restaurant and got a $20 plate of misc entrees, and I managed to get 3 meals out of it. (it was delicious Indian food, so I had tandori chicken, some chicken biyira, and another plate of some kind of chicken. Delish!! $20 for the whole thing.. not sure why that was considered one meal - maybe some people could eat all that.
I love to go to this one restaurant for lunch. the waiter always tries to push more food on me, and "do you want a refill of Coke" when my glass is half full sheesh. he keeps on asking me so many times that I have to say no about 10 times, I swear. I order the lunch appetizer and he keeps on trying to suggest if i get the lunch portion i could have a salad for about the same price. A couple times I got it, and my stomach was so full i was sick. I told him not to keep suggesting/forcing food on me, and he says "I just want you to get the best value". Even when i try to tell him, DONT OFFER ME SUGGESTIONS, ONLY WHAT I ORDER, he still keeps coming back and offering me refills, dessert, more dinner rolls, more butter,, sheesh !!!!!
I know you all would tell me to go sit elsewhere, but i feel bad because over the months we have become kind of friends, and so i feel like i always need to sit in his area or else i will be dissing him. that sounds silly but its true..0 -
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.
Whenever I've been to the UK, there is no comparison to the USA portions. You folks have it right. The sizes are more appropriate, the plates are smaller, and there's less of drizzle, grease, oil, and all that. Your food seems more fresh, freshly made, and better prepared.
The quality of food obviously depends on the restaurant, but yes, you are right, we do seem to have smaller portions. If I divided my meal out into two, it would be pretty small. :laugh: And doggy bags or 'to go boxes' are not a common thing here.0 -
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.
Whenever I've been to the UK, there is no comparison to the USA portions. You folks have it right. The sizes are more appropriate, the plates are smaller, and there's less of drizzle, grease, oil, and all that. Your food seems more fresh, freshly made, and better prepared.
The quality of food obviously depends on the restaurant, but yes, you are right, we do seem to have smaller portions. If I divided my meal out into two, it would be pretty small. :laugh: And doggy bags or 'to go boxes' are not a common thing here.
Yes, and one country is more obese than the other....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?0
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this is what we call : FWP0
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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.0 -
next time I go out to eat, I will have them wrap up half of it togo before they bring it out. it is out of control. It's why I don't eat out much anymore.0
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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.0 -
This is why I have to substitute everything or stay out of those types of places.
Or you can stay home and cook.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!
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!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.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:0
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