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 work in hospitality, I once had a lady complain that 5 prawns in her salad was far too many and to advise the chef to reassess his portion sizes. She did enjoy multiple large glasses of wine tho

Ah yes, the pro-ana side of MN.

No, now I have a healthier attitude to food I don’t at all find portions to large, I often find

Really? How many calories do you burn in a day? Overeating is an eating disorder too. We have an obesity problem in this country.

I've logged my activity which is considerable as I run everyday and go walking but still restaurant portions are too large. I could eat them but would not be able to eat much for the rest of the day.

I actually think it is a feminist issue as they are more suitable for a taller more muscular, male physique. I don't want to waste money buying a protein which is too big for my needs.

I'm not anorexic but have been overweight with a bad back and cancer (incidentally labelled a metabolic disease'). I prefer to be a healthy weight, eat amounts appropriate for my activity and I do a considerable amount of exercise. I enjoy food but do not see why that means I should be happy to overeat.

Portion not protein.

@grasstreeleaf

Ah yes, the pro-ana side of MN.

No, now I have a healthier attitude to food I don’t at all find portions to large, I often find

Really? How many calories do you burn in a day? Overeating is an eating disorder too. We have an obesity problem in this country.

I've logged my activity which is considerable as I run everyday and go walking but still restaurant portions are too large. I could eat them but would not be able to eat much for the rest of the day.

I actually think it is a feminist issue as they are more suitable for a taller more muscular, male physique. I don't want to waste money buying a protein which is too big for my needs.

I'm not anorexic but have been overweight with a bad back and cancer (incidentally labelled a metabolic disease'). I prefer to be a healthy weight, eat amounts appropriate for my activity and I do a considerable amount of exercise. I enjoy food but do not see why that means I should be happy to overeat.

Yes, most people don't eat much the rest of the day if they're going to a restaurant. I've been out for lunch and so I haven't had any supper. Weird I know.

What's your exercise regime got to do with anything?

Oh dear. I often wonder if this is just pro-ana or if you want to be the next Messiah, but the locals in Galilee gave you too many funny looks.

@earthyfire

I'd rather have more than less. Hate going out to eat only to come home still hungry.

Has this ever actually happened to you?

I eat out once in a blue moon, and want to go away podged as its a rare treat. Doesn't mean I'm cooking restaurant sized portions at home.

I imagine it's an issue if your eating out every week, in which case either eat out less or leave leftovers or bring leftovers home. Its not the restaurants job to monitor your food intake

@m0therofdragons

I’ve no experience of this because I’d never go out to eat and order a salad.

Ha ha! Me too!

If I go somewhere that I know does huge portions I will order a kid meal. Saves me money and is usually the right amount of food. But in most places I just order whatever and then eat until I'm full. Sometimes I finish it and sometimes I don't.

Funniest quote even on mumsnet
‘I only managed a third of my salad’

Really varies from restaurant to restaurant in my experience - I've seen everything from wouldn't keep a fly alive to a Lord Mayor's Banquet. If you can't finish it, don't. If it's insufficient, order a big pudding (and don't go back there again).

I'm glad they're huge.
I like my money's worth.

Depends where you went. The better quality or higher the restaurant rates itself, the smaller the portions usually. If you have massive portions, it's usually a crappy chain pub meal that goes for bulk over quality.

Recently, I was out for the day with a friend. We had lunch in a cheap and cheerful cafe (absolutely spotless). Neither of us have massive appetites and the portions in this type of place tend to be enormous so we had an omelette, chips and salad between us, asking for an extra plate. It cost £8 in total and, when halved in this way, was the perfect size for both of us; indeed, even then, we left some. I think their portion sizes were based on lorry drivers.

In many other places, it is possible to have smaller portions (and cheaper) and I will often have these, as does my mother. Sometimes they are called pensioners’ meals and, while my mother is in this category, l am not so l become an honorary pensioner in this instance. 🙄

@OnTheBrink1
It's up there with shit in a box, for cereal, or sugar bags for peas.

@InsideNumberNine

A massive salad??? Only on Mumsnet...

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

You probably didn’t order a healthy salad if just a 1/3 got you stuffed. Next time be more mindful about the ingredients. Not all salads are healthy and some easily have 1k calories in them

Couldn't even think of buying more salad. My mum bought a chicken when I was 6 and were still all sharing that, it should last all the household a few more years but were getting through it faster now weve moved out/had children/got partners/ect.

Restaurant portions are big. I often have to bring the left overs home and will eat them for 2-3 meals after the fact. I get sick of leftovers and think I’m probably going to stop bothering bringing them home.

However, I have had 3/4 of my stomach surgically removed to make it that way. So yes, if you’ve a normal sized adult stomach then YABU.

Depends where you go. Some are huge, some standard and some tiny (the tiny ones are normally the most expensive and faffed about with on the plate like it's art 🙄)

Personally I've never met a restaurant meal that could beat me (not that I leave the house any more ) and quite enjoyed a bout of gluttony once in a while. But I'm a fat bastard not a teeny tiny thing 😁 If it's too much for you then start asking for half a portion or a child's portion. You can always have a pudding if you're still hungry. 🤷‍♀️

Oh this thread is funny I forgot it was Mumsnet massive salad season.

Firstly I'm not a competitive under eater or pro-ana I'm a perfectly normal sized person with as much likelihood towards gluttony as the average person.

This was the salad ingredients - from the menu:

mixed leaf, seeds, tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, hummus, guacamole, pomegranate and dressing

There was about 1/2 a tub of hummus and a third of a tub of guacamole in a shallow bowl that was easily 12" diameter.

DD's curry filled a similar sized plate with a tower of rice in the middle.

That really doesn't seem like much salad at all.

Actually, now I read the list of ingredients again I realise they forgot to add the tomatoes. I shall go back and ask for them