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Original poster

Restaurant portion sizes are huge

800 replies

Paq · 31/07/2021 22:05

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.

OP posts:

Thread gallery

DustySpringboard · 01/08/2021 07:28

I might struggle to eat a whole salad (aka rabbit food in this house) but have absolutely no trouble hoofing down a family sized bar of chocolate

Neondisco · 01/08/2021 07:31

@FizziWater

A salad is not a meal IMO. It's something you have with a meal. Do people really bring home leftovers?

You know people bring home leftovers. Probably not normally a salad though.

grasstreeleaf · 01/08/2021 07:34

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

It highlights that I do burn a reasonable amount of calories and still restaurant portions are too large.

Neondisco · 01/08/2021 07:37

@ApolloandDaphne

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

Yeah the explanation of how much salad was there hasn't helped!

grasstreeleaf · 01/08/2021 07:38

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

No, but leftovers don't always keep well until you get home, as plenty of PP pointed out. And why is it a portion is geared more towards a 6ft muscular male rather than a shorter, relatively less muscular female who will burn less? Why shouldn't we have the choice to eat a more appropriate portion?

ThorIsAGod · 01/08/2021 07:38

Could you not eat it because you got bored of it? Even with loads of it it doesn't sound very filling. I'd want cous cous, potatoes or bread with it!

Original poster

Paq · 01/08/2021 07:39

Yeah the explanation of how much salad was there hasn't helped!

honestly, it just went on and on.

I'm going back, ordering it again and taking a picture!

OP posts:

ThorIsAGod · 01/08/2021 07:40

Although I do agree some portions are huge. My children struggle as sometimes they want the adult meal but it's far more than they'd usually eat and unlike many adults actually stop eating when they are full!!

Happy36 · 01/08/2021 07:41

Haven't eaten out for ages. My typical order is the fish of the day, omelette, or sometimes quiche. Depending on the venue, it comes with side salad, chips, or both. I eat the fish/omelette/quiche, and a bit of the side salad for variety, then leave or eat as much of the chips or remaining salad to fill me up that day, ditto however much bread (or no bread) I feel like eating at that moment.

In my experience, when portions are big, it's because there's a load of potatoes or other inexpensive/non main ingredient. Not because they've served me an entire shark as the fish dish that day. (How many MN meals would a shark yield?)

grasstreeleaf · 01/08/2021 07:44

It means I end up ordering a starter and side salad or splitting my main and asking for an extra plate in places that don't do an option of reduced portion. It annoys me because I have less choice that way. And in company it can make you feel a little self conscious, especially if the company were like the people on here!

TeachesOfPeaches · 01/08/2021 07:46

Imagine the staff watching OP as she puts her salad in a Tupperware box to take home

GerardWay123 · 01/08/2021 07:49

Please do Paq. This thread is so funny. P.s. I agree with you.

LolaSmiles · 01/08/2021 07:51

And why is it a portion is geared more towards a 6ft muscular male rather than a shorter, relatively less muscular female who will burn less? Why shouldn't we have the choice to eat a more appropriate portion?
You do have a choice. Nobody forces you to clear your plate.

Meanwhile the rest of us who enjoy larger portions when eating out get to enjoy a rare meal out without leaving feeling hungry because the restaurant has decided that everyone has small appetites.

I don't like to book somewhere that does small portions. I'd much rather go somewhere that does generous portions and eat what I want to eat. Sometimes that means eating everything, sometimes it means leaving some of the side dish.

LauraFlashley · 01/08/2021 07:52

I've never know a salad to be that big it lasts for one meal and two lunches?

Where was this, Fatso's Bar & Grill?

grasstreeleaf · 01/08/2021 07:57

Nobody forces you to clear your plate.

No, but I am paying for extra food which I won't eat, which won't necessarily keep and which will go to waste? What is wrong with having a choice of meal sizes?

Meanwhile the rest of us who enjoy larger portions when eating out get to enjoy a rare meal out without leaving feeling hungry because the restaurant has decided that everyone has small appetites.

Is this MN or an eating competition?

LynetteScavo · 01/08/2021 07:58

Where are you all going to be served such huge meals? I feel like I'm missing out!

I do find deserts quite large in restaurants though, but still manage to force them down

grasstreeleaf · 01/08/2021 07:59

Where are you all going to be served such huge meals? I feel like I'm missing out

Just google a few pubs or restaurants which give nutritional info for their meals.

Original poster

Paq · 01/08/2021 08:04

@TeachesOfPeaches

Imagine the staff watching OP as she puts her salad in a Tupperware box to take home

The charming staff were only too delighted to provide takeaway boxes, which seemed a regular request.

OP posts:

LolaSmiles · 01/08/2021 08:06

No, but I am paying for extra food which I won't eat, which won't necessarily keep and which will go to waste? What is wrong with having a choice of meal sizes?
It's still having a choice of portion size. You can choose how much to eat.
The food cost from the part of your meal you don't eat is probably a tiny percentage of the meal price. It's not like an extra handful of salad leaves or a few extra potatoes makes a huge difference to the price.

Is this MN or an eating competition?
No eating competition at all. A statement of fact that people who don't want a half empty plate might choose to go places that have appropriate portions, eat what we want, and leave what we don't.

Where are you all going to be served such huge meals? I feel like I'm missing out!
Same here. It's a mumsnet food thread though. First rule of mumsnst food thread is that DCs must all be tall, athletic and eat at least 1500 calories in one meal otherwise they'd fade away and starve to death, but some Mumsnet posters are bursting at the seams from the sight of a fairly standard plate of food. That plate would feed them for 3 meals.

RuthTopp · 01/08/2021 08:08

We don't tend to eat out in the evening , but will often go somewhere for lunch .
We find that sharing a plate between us is fine , and as it is just lunch , no-one bats an eyelid. For example we share a panini and a portion of fries ( obviously have a drink each )

hashbrownsandwich · 01/08/2021 08:10

Maybe the hummus was going out of date so they threw more on?

hashbrownsandwich · 01/08/2021 08:11

@RuthTopp

We don't tend to eat out in the evening , but will often go somewhere for lunch . We find that sharing a plate between us is fine , and as it is just lunch , no-one bats an eyelid. For example we share a panini and a portion of fries ( obviously have a drink each )

You honestly go out and eat half a panini at lunch?!

grasstreeleaf · 01/08/2021 08:13

A statement of fact that people who don't want a half empty plate might choose to go places that have appropriate portions, eat what we want, and leave what we don't. (

I'm not asking for an empty plate but one which more caters to the needs of over half the population. More like what I serve at home. Half the plate should be salad or non starchy veg - theses foods do not have a high calorie load. Meat / fish / other protein source and carbohydrates fill the rest of the plate.

An appropriate portion generally means there needs to be minimal food wastage.

BigSandyBalls2015 · 01/08/2021 08:15

That salad sounds odd!! Lots of mush in there, must have made the rest of it sloppy for the next day .

As for half a panini for lunch ... why even bother going out!

grasstreeleaf · 01/08/2021 08:20

Do the people posting that restaurant portions are ideal for them know how many calories they burn in a day? Are they overweight? What exercise do they do?

I'm curious because even though I exercise a lot I would put on weight if I ate like that at all regularly.

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