Large portions of food

I am daunted by a plate that’s piled high. I always serve food at home in what I think is called ‘family style’ (ie in dishes on the table rather than plated up). My MIL was a very good plain cook, but she plated up, and I was horrified when she gave me a massive Sunday lunch the first time I stayed there. I was brought up to clear my plate, but as an adult that meant eating what I had put on it, and I hated having a huge plate of food put in front of me.

I used to go to SE Asia a lot with my work, and the culture there was built around restaurants, rather than home cooking - many of which were of the ‘eat all you like’ variety. In the more touristy areas several of them charged for food left on the plate as well as the cover charge. Locals took only what they wanted, but Westerners often piled their plates and left more than they ate. I think the ‘greed charge’ is a good idea.

Having said that, at home in the UK I am happy to ask to take home my leftovers if they comprise portions I have been served, as opposed to those I have taken myself, and when we have a takeaway I split mine into three balanced portions so I’m not left with just rice or whatever. I find that a third of what they give you is usually enough for one sitting.

Huge amounts of food is a complete waste to me as I can’t eat it. When served with a huge meal I inwardly groan as I know it won’t get finished unless my husband is hungry and helps me out. When I’ve been somewhere before and know it’s large portions I opt for a child’s menu or small portion meal if it’s on the menu.

About 30 years ago I was working in an Asda cafe. As a special offer we we serving half a chicken with chips for £1.99. We sold hundreds of portions and many of the plates came back with only a small portion of the breast eaten. It used to make me so cross. Those chickens had been reared in less than perfect conditions so that greedy humans could have a few mouthfuls of a "Bargain" and throw the rest away!

Overloaded plates put me off. I love my food but prefer to see some plate. At home Mum always gave us reasonable portions and told us we could always have more. She put the extra veg or meal in serving dishes.

When I first visited my husband’s family everything his Mum cooked was put straight on to your plates. Mountains of it. All the pans were emptied. I found it very off putting.

We don’t often have carveries as I would rather eat somewhere where they have tureens of veg on the table where you can take as little or as much as you like.

sodapop

mumofmadboys

Restaurants should definitely sell smaller meals- less waste and hopefully less obesity!

Absolutely momb I am put off my meal immediately if the plate is piled high.
Restaurants in France are now obliged to give you a box to take home any leftovers, that's a better option than waste at least.

French restaurants (serving over a certain number of covers) have been obliged to do so for years. Not sure he w well their customers have responded, as they aren't obliged to take their waste home.

mumofmadboys

Restaurants should definitely sell smaller meals- less waste and hopefully less obesity!

Absolutely momb I am put off my meal immediately if the plate is piled high.
Restaurants in France are now obliged to give you a box to take home any leftovers, that's a better option than waste at least.

I'm not very big and can't eat big portions of food, but when I go for a carvery I find that my plate does get a bit overloaded. This is because there is so much choice and a little bit of this and a little bit of that soon mounts up.

That's why I like places like Brasserie Blanc- small portions but exquisite!
Pubs tend to compensate for quality by piling on the quantity.
One solution an aunt used to have was to go for a starter and a pudding. You get more choice that way too!

Restaurants should definitely sell smaller meals- less waste and hopefully less obesity!

I have found that lately, with starters large enough for a main course, and plates covered with meat, vegetables, dressings, accompaniments etc. for roasts. i did ask for a smaller portion at a restaurant recently and was told all the meals were plated up and chef wouldn't allow anyone to touch them.
I hate apologising for leaving good food, and one of the waiters said privately that the portions were too large for an older clientele (that's us) and they were distressed by the amount of food that went into the bin.

Judy54, in a case like that, I would have asked for a side plate and taken some of the extra off my plate. Just so there is room to see it nicely plated. Sometimes I find there is no room to cut the meat without something else flying off the plate!

Also ask for a take-out container for left-over, there is no shame in that.

Georgesgran

There was an article on TV recently where a landlord who has a carvery, is going to issue fines to people who pile their plates so high, then leave half of it. I think he said people were welcome to go back for more vegetables, but he is sick of the wasted good food he has to throw away.

The same happens at hotels with buffet breakfasts, have seen people piling their
plates high then leaving loads on the table when they leave. I can only manage some toast and cereal with fruit, is what I have at home so that’s what I have at a buffet breakfast. People seem to think it is free food so they have to take loads, but they paid for it in the price of the hotel/carvery.
Strange behaviour 🙁

I can’t eat large portions any more, I can’t eat anything that is too sweet either. I think it is the result of getting older, I am 81.

Georgesgran

There was an article on TV recently where a landlord who has a carvery, is going to issue fines to people who pile their plates so high, then leave half of it. I think he said people were welcome to go back for more vegetables, but he is sick of the wasted good food he has to throw away.

“Eyes bigger than bellies”.

I suffer from GERD and big portions would have me rocking and rolling with agony.
If I know a pub or restaurant does bigger portions I ask for a child’s portion.
Or a salad 🥗

I have asked for the same meal in a child’s portion before now. The waiter said I wasn’t allowed to have the cheaper meal. I said either I have the small meal and then a dessert or the adult meal and no dessert, it was their choice. They decided I was allowed the small meal and the dessert.

We tend to eat little during the day, no crisps, no biscuits, & then at around 6 we have a generous main meal. We rarely have puds (DH has always said he prefers more of the main, & they are sugary). So if we go out for a meal I do like a generous portion. When I leave DH to get his own tea he'll often have a readymeal for 2 plus boil himself some baby potatos or a pack of green beans as a side.It is expensive eating out & a bit of a downer to go home feeling hungry, as occasionally happens to us. So maybe it's the likes of us that are to blame? Sorry!

I don't eat big meals, few places we go to offer small plates/portions or I'll have a starter if I know their portions are large. I hate to have my plate piled up, it's very off putting and although I do like to have french fries I always ask for a small portion often to accompany a starter!

I too really dislike it . Please give me the "main " feature and sauce / gravy whatever with side dishes as they should be on the side .
Our local Sunday carvery is very good and when feeling lazy we pop up, always amazes me how much people can get on a plate ! It is so ridiculous. Why, oh, why !!

I usually have the smaller portion in restaurants as I can't eat a lot in one go. I like carveries but too many people pile their plates high and I wonder if they do that at home.
It's just greedy if you can only eat half of it and I don't blame the owners for charging extra for food left on plates.

Completely agree I hate to be over faced with food piled up. I feel bad if I leave anything and often comment in a restaurant it was so good but I just couldn’t eat it all !!

Completely agree.I just can't eat large meals anymore. I love to eat out but so many places serve very large portions. I also think it is contributing to our obesity problem because many people will think,Well I'd paid for it so I'm going to eat it.

ExDancer - A lot of places offer a different menu for children with things like sausage or chicken nuggets and chips instead of the nice food on the adult menu so that's not the answer.
Sometimes ordering a starter instead of a main is the answer but, if it is the first time visiting somewhere, you won't know what the portion size will be.

Ask for a child's portion.

We go to an Indian buffet restaurant in Dundee. They have a card on the table with a cutout face on it. It states if the food left on your plate covered an area larger than the face you paid £2 to a food charity.
It’s a fabulous friendly place, we eat there whenever we visit the V&A.
Also we went to an Indian restaurant in Glasgow for a pre-concert meal. They had “small plates” on the menu but we didn’t realise it was all small plates.
We ordered 2 curries with various accompaniments it was a small meal, but we realised it was plenty.