"Serves 2" - Does it Fuck.

[MarmiteMakesMeHappy]

Or are me and DH pigs? possibly, yes

About once a week, we have a 'ready meal'. Usually a 'naice' Waitrose/M&S/Charlie Binham type thing - so a Beef Sroganoff, Moussaka type thing.

There's never enough.

I am not sure if it's because we don't do 'starters' and 'pudding' on a Tuesday night, or stuff our faces with bread and olives first, but we are always left feeling a bit hungry and a bit ashamed that we want more.

Even when DD, 11 and I shared a Waitrose meal for 2 the other week, we weren't quite full so maybe I'm the pig

I have come to the conclusion that they probably do serve two, IF YOU'RE A HAMSTER.

Or is it just us?

I only buy the Charlie Bigprice meals when they're reduced - £3.50 isn't too bad for a 'luxury' ready meal that stops me ordering a takeway. If I have lots of vegetables with them, then the portion size is about right for me and DP (he does lots of cycling and some manual work, I just walk loads).

But yes, meal manufacturers figure out the amounts of calories, salt, sugar etc they want to market the item with, then create portion size accordingly. Which makes sense - if you are eating a very rich creamy dish, you should eat less volume than if it's a comparatively-healthy stew. If I'd made my own there would be about 6 portions that ended up as 5 meals...

I don't think you can judge people's eating habits by what they eat in a restaurant for one meal. I know if I eat a big lunch I will have a small dinner, or if I have a massive dinner I'll eat less the next day.

I do agree noble, it was just the first time I really thought about it. When we go to pizza express a pizza isn't enough for dh and he had dough balls too. 1 pizza is just about right for me at about 1200 calories.

I just remember one colleague following portions as if they were for all and being tiny framed but not able to lose weight. We are together in the canteen everyday and she would have the same as me and I am 5ft 10 and would be going to the gym everyday after work and for s fast walk/swim at lunch.

It's like the Jamie Oliver 15 min meals, I have to do a serves 4 recipe for just me and dh and he still wants a pudding. I find in general the protein too low and carbs too high.

We went to the oxo tower for dinne once and dh ate his dinner in 4 bites. We were finished starter, main and pud and out in 40 mins and he was still starving. I must say I was cutting tiny bits and putting my cutlery down and looking out the window etc between mouthfuls just to drag it out but the portion was minuscule. Then dh was staring at my food hungrily.

To those wondering about my weight. I am not skinny, and probably half a stone overweight, but nothing problematic. I am 5.6' and weigh 10.5 stone, I could do with losing a bit, but under 10 stone doesn't feel right on my frame. I am a dress size 12.

I don't do loads of exercise but I walk a dog for at least an hour a day, play tennis a couple of times a week and work in film production which is lots of being on my feet.

So fairly average I reckon, and I'm telling you IT DOES NOT SERVE 2

We always eat half a packet of sage & onion stuffing with a roast - between two of us.

Packet says serves 12..