Restaurant portion sizes are huge

[Paq]

Does anyone else find this? Went to a pub/restaurant last night and the portion sizes were insane. I managed a third of my salad, brought the rest home and shared it with DH for lunch today. DD got through half her curry and 6'1" hollow legged DH just about managed to finish his risotto but then felt overstuffed all night.

I struggle through OP.

Where there's a will there's a way

I am in a pub right now reading this now waiting for my meal, if it's not massive i will be disappointed, i am starving!

We're going to need a photo Deadringer

Diagram??

@Deadringer

I am in a pub right now reading this now waiting for my meal, if it's not massive i will be disappointed, i am starving!

I hope you don’t get overfaced /intimidated by your meal.

Absolutely need a photo

@Deadringer have you hit your Tupperware ready too?

Got

I genuinely can't imagine a salad so substantial and sizeable that I could eat only 1/3 of it. I mean I get that salad can be so dull I don't want to plough through loads of it, but it wouldn't be my stomach that stopped me. I'm a real greedy guts with nice food, but would rather stop when I'm not really enjoying it.

I had fish and chips and ate every scrap! Well i didn't eat the mushy peas, i hate them. I know some mumsnetters fantasise about veg so sorry about that. Thinking about gasp..... dessert.

You could have swapped the mushy peas for a massive salad.

I can normally quite happily horse down a starter and a main, but as PPs have said, if I'm going out to eat, I either don't eat beforehand or have a very light breakfast/lunch.

However, my mum, who is getting on a wee bit and doesn't have the appetite she used to, often can't manage a full adult meal and really appreciates it when restaurants offer half portions.

On a similar note: desserts. I don't really have much of a sweet tooth and having, as previously noted, horsed said starter and main, I don't want 3kg of strawberry gateau for dessert.

Would it kill restaurants to offer smaller, 'taster' desserts?

Would it kill restaurants to offer smaller, 'taster' desserts

No. I love it when restaurants offer this! Smaller portions more courses is my favourite kind of meal. Especially if there are drinks to match each course.

I was excited about going to New York as I anticipated being served huge meals in restaurants. Huuuge ones like I had heard all about and drooled over on Guy Fieri programmes. When I saw the prices on the menu on our first night I thought, just as well the plates will be huge - we will hopefully be able to take our leftovers back to the hotel to have for snacks the next day. Given that you have to tip 20% in US anyway (or apparently they kill you) we could certainly not afford to eat lunch and dinner out every day. I was disappointed when the fud came. It was a perfectly normal sized dish for each of us, we ate the lot. Much Monterey Jack and bread rolls, plus a big thing of barbecue sauce all from the supermarket formed our staple lunch and a dinner or two as well during our time in NY. Sorry, little to do with the thread that, but, actually to do with the thread, there was some legislation a while ago which stated that most restaurants in UK are obliged to offer a leftovers packaging option to reduce waste. Entirely sensible, no one should feel obliged to leave half a plate to go in the bin if they would want to take it with.

@grasstreeleaf

Would it kill restaurants to offer smaller, 'taster' desserts

No. I love it when restaurants offer this! Smaller portions more courses is my favourite kind of meal. Especially if there are drinks to match each course.

Same here - little bits of lots of things are my favourite too. Tapas is perfect, as I can order 2 or 3 small dishes and have room for a pudding.

I haven’t seen a huge dessert in ages. Everywhere we’ve been there’s been a very normal size portion of cheesecake or whatever. Or the choice of a v small dessert and coffee.
The Hungry Horse used to do a massive chocolate ice cream creation with Twix bars sticking out of it for sharing.

I cannot imagine a salad so vast that I was unable to finish it, never mind only a third. It's leaves and vegetables that are about 90% water!

We had a pub lunch today, if anything we all wanted slightly bigger portions.

Me
Starter roast pepper soup with sourdough roll
Main meat free burger, brioche bun, ‘cheese’ fried onions, onion rings, sweetpotato fries, coleslaw and side salad
Pudding mango and passionfruite sorbet sundae

Husband
Starter
Walnut and poached egg salad
Main goats cheese and squash risotto with a side of courgette and green beans
Pudding chocolate brownie and icecream

Grandma
Starter prawn cocktail
Main roast beef dinner
Pudding sticky toffee cake with custard

Last time we went out for a meal DS2 (6'4") ordered a chocolate cheesecake and was expecting a huge portion. His face fell when he saw the dainty little slice.
Perhaps they got his height wrong?

@FizziWater

Last time we went out for a meal DS2 (6'4") ordered a chocolate cheesecake and was expecting a huge portion. His face fell when he saw the dainty little slice. Perhaps they got his height wrong?

Sounds like they got the order mixed up with 5’ 2” lady on the next table.

Was this salad one of those challenges where if you eat it all then just free?

@RampantIvy
Thank you, that sounds completely delicious

Ahh the competitive mn under eaters who are stuffed full,replete on 1/3 salad. A salad so huuuuuge it takes two to lift and lasts four days inc feeding the rugby team. I was expecting to read a post about going for meal getting starters, mains and sides big ol restaurant portions.

What was in the huuuuuge salad? Half a horse? Monkfish? A kilo of tomato?

@grasstreeleaf maybe they mean when they eat out which isn't daily they like and can eat a big meal
If I am going to my favourite restaurant i eat a apple for breakfast and maybe veg soup for lunch so i can save those calories and can always pull them back in the week if need be, but when I go out I like to enjoy , if I ate out everyday that would be different , but then again a small meal at home can have just as many calories of it all the wrong things
Many pubs now offer smaller appetite and you can always ask them to put less on your plate of its renowned for large portions ( just expect to pay the same as its calculated accordingly) or I have a friend who often has 2 starers instead of a starter and main , or share starter and pudding.

Only on MN are people so proud about over-eating and being overweight. Bit weird.