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AIBU?

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Original poster

Do people REALLY only eat half a carton of fresh soup?

212 replies

sprigatito · 02/01/2026 20:00

I’m struggling to get my head around this! I’ve seen on MN several times lately that people eat half of a carton for a meal, and I know the calories are given that way on the packaging, so officially it’s a serving…but I’ve never met anyone in real life who doesn’t eat the whole carton! I’ve lost 4.5 stone this year and I eat soup most evenings for dinner. I don’t overeat generally. My soups are mostly homemade, but I do use fresh supermarket ones sometimes, and half a carton really would be a miserable little puddle in the bottom of the bowl! Is it really, honestly normal? And…why?

YABU: half a carton is ample. You’ve lost sight of what a normal bowl of soup looks like
YANBU: nobody actually does that. It’s soup, not golden syrup with extra chunks of pork fat.

OP posts:
user2848502016 · 02/01/2026 20:10

Sorry I voted YABU because I do usually just have half a carton- but it would be with some bread or cheese & crackers etc, and usually for lunch.

DH has a bigger appetite and I always make him a whole carton.

My DDs would only want half too, they’re 11 and 14 - we usually eat similar sized portions while DH has more

Original poster
sprigatito · 02/01/2026 20:10

Catwoman8 · 02/01/2026 20:08

Without bread, I would have a full carton presuming you are taking about the fresh ones like Covent Garden? They are about 600g.

If I am having bread with it then I will I only have half a carton and spread it over 2 days.

If I have a tin like Heinz, I would eat the full tin.

Yes, I mean the 600g ones! I have approximately the same measure of my homemade soup - it looks like a well-filled soup bowl, not excessive.

OP posts:
Tweakie123 · 02/01/2026 20:10

1/2 for me! I’m talking an m&s soup though, not sure if they are bigger than usual cartons?

Purlant · 02/01/2026 20:09

I have half and feel like 2/3rds would be a good portion. I should just do that as I never fancy it the next day and throw it out, so probably should just eat 2/3rds!

Tallypoo193 · 02/01/2026 20:09

Lunchtime I would eat half a carton with a slice of bread. Main evening meal, without bread - maybe the whole thing?

Whoneedsanamesuggestion · 02/01/2026 20:08

I'd eat half if I was having bread or a sandwich maybe, but half a carton on its own does not a luncheth make 🧐

Catwoman8 · 02/01/2026 20:08

Without bread, I would have a full carton presuming you are taking about the fresh ones like Covent Garden? They are about 600g.

If I am having bread with it then I will I only have half a carton and spread it over 2 days.

If I have a tin like Heinz, I would eat the full tin.

JamesWebbSpaceTelescope · 02/01/2026 20:07

Little big of in the middle - for lunch then yes I would have half a carton. If it was my main meal then I would have a whole carton.

ActiveTiger · 02/01/2026 20:07

Half a carton eh not for me always all but only rarely do i get them as hubby a fantastic soup maker and my mum lol

dynamiccactus · 02/01/2026 20:06

Whole one for me, too!

About 20 years ago I was in a restaurant/cafe and ordered soup for lunch. When it came, it was half a bowl. I complained and was told "well that's the portion". I didn't accept that. They did top it up and didn't charge me any extra. I think they were just trying it on and seeing who'd complain. Soup portions are often tiny. I can understand why if it's a starter, but not if it's an entire meal!

Moltenpink · 02/01/2026 20:05

Whole one here.

PullTheBricksDown · 02/01/2026 20:03

I blame the bizarre 'portion sizes' information now on a lot of food products, where 1 finger of a 2 finger KitKat is a portion and so on.
Edited to add: portion, serving, whatever. You get the idea.

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