Portion sizes in pubs and restaurants-why are they so big?

[AlternativelyWired]

Unless of course it's somewhere very fancy.
Inspired by the calories on menus threads I was wondering why portions are so big. One place we go to does a children's pizza, chips and peas. This is just short of 900 calories. It's a Chicago town style pizza with a large handful of chips and a portion of peas. Even the adult menu has very little that's below 800 calories. Starters to share (for two people) are over 1000 calories. Some of the meat 'challenges' are over 4000 calories each! Why?
Surely if portion sizes were smaller or rather, appropriate, this would be better than stating calorie values and would help avoid food waste. Food waste induces a lot of guilt in me, and the calories do too as a former anorexic, and although eating out is a treat that we don't do often, I don't want a huge plateful of food that I won't be able to finish. I think the meat challenges are obscene but that might be my eating disordered and veggie brain speaking.
Why are pizzas so big? And burgers? Over 1000 calories for a burger and that's without the chips.
Could places offer small portions? Although even the seniors menu is a larger than normal portion.
I don't particularly want to know the calories of the dishes on offer but I do want a choice of smaller portions rather than contributing to food waste.
And while I'm at it, what happened to sandwiches on menus? In the 80s and 90s everywhere we went had a sandwich section with egg mayonnaise, prawn mayonnaise, beef, ham, cheddar ploughman's and now sandwiches don't seem to exist except in cafés. A nice sandwich with a salad garnish and maybe a handful of crisps. My mum would be so happy if they came back. And omelettes.
Bring back proper plates, the ones we had in the 80s not the huge ones we have now.

I’m not a huge eater, used to have an ED as a teen that’s fortunately gone (cannot ‘diet’ as I always take it too far) but always called a rabbit as I genuinely get full after a few bites.

I always ask for my food to be boxed up as I’ll have it for lunch the next day but cold chips, no thank you.

While I wish I could ask for smaller plates I do understand that the business model is as food is so cheap that it’s piled high. When I go out to eat with family we usually go to hungry horse/beefeater/harvester as we often eat last minute. Most of the men in my family are trades/labourers can absolutely finish a huge plate and mine. What should they do? Ask for two mains of burger and chips on top of their starter, side plates and dessert?

But OP I do agree that I miss being able to get a sandwich with chips or a panini without having to go to the local garden centre/cafe. Childrens menus should have more ‘proper’ food as quite often my nieces/nephews would rather have lasagna/carbonara as often the pasta choice is pasta in chopped tomatoes or a cheese pizza.

Before I get slated for the types of restaurants I eat in, I do eat out a lot, rarely Michelin star, but a full range of independent/pubs/chains.

@CheesusWept

I always ask the restaurant to box up the leftovers and then that does me and DD for dinners for the rest of the week.

I’ve got into the habit of doing this as well. It’s absolutely standard in the US where portions are really enormous and I find everywhere is happy to do it here as well.

@100problems

I don't understand why it's not just the case that diners overwhelmed by portion sizes can't use their voice.

If I eat in a pub I expect larger portions. So if the menu says burger and chips, I might all right never, but to illustrate my point ask for no bun or replace the chips with salad.

Likewise, I went to a cafe last week and asked for a jacket potato with no butter and just half the normal serving of tuna mayo.

You don't have to sit there balefully looking at a plate the same size as everyone else's if you don't want to.

Because they don't just want less food, they want to pay proportionately less for it - even if, as has been repeatedly explained, that isn't viable for the pub. Also, they apparently want pubs to magically know exactly how much they personally want to eat, needing to ask for it is some sort of offence for reasons that aren't clear to me.

Do you not think the fact the food is deep fried has alot to do with the calorie content?

You do assume it's fat people who like big portions.

Based on science it's not the most outrageous assumption ever though is it?

@CounsellorTroi many do plus you can ask them to leave the bun off

DH and i usually share. We have a starter each and share the main. Depending on the place we sometimes just order one starter and one main and share.
Or when we are out with the kids DH shares with DD and i share with DS and we dont jve to order any kid meals.

@Florenz

Restaurants should be legally required to offer a half size portion of every dish they offer, at half the price of the full size one.

It doesn't work that way. Half a portion doesn't mean it cost the restaurant half to prepare and serve.

@CheesusWept

I always ask the restaurant to box up the leftovers and then that does me and DD for dinners for the rest of the week.

This made me laugh out loud… the rest of the week… really? 😂😂 ffs!!!

@VanGoghsDog

“ You do assume it's fat people who like big portions.”

Umm well yeah! You do know most people become overweight don’t you?? They take in more calories than they expend. Don’t know why you’re exacting like that’s some kind of crazy assumption to make!

I meant today… you do know HOW must people become overweight don’t you

I've often asked 'can you do xx in a starter size portion' for lunch when I don't want to eat masses. Chain pubs are less accommodating, but I've found independents only too happy to oblige.

They usually charge a similar amount prorate to the starters

@LuckySantangelo35

YANBU portion sizes can often be massive in pubs.

And saying this is not competitive under eating or “teenie tiny”, it’s a fact.

People eat more now than they did 50 years ago. Loads more.

I really think this is true and I’m not a teeny tiny competitive undereater. I’m overweight. But when eating out I feel much happier being able to clear my plate than have to leave half of it.

@Joystir59

Because huge people want huge portions. People have in my opinion really lost the plot when it comes to portion size and it's link to obesity.

Don’t Google Kate Ovens then. It’ll blow your tiny little mind that a thin person can eat a large amount of food! Who knew!!

2000 cals a day is too much unless you’re exercising a lot which in the uk with the sedentary work and life styles most of us are forced into, don’t. 800-900 cal meals are therefore excessive.

No able-bodied person is forced into a sedentary lifestyle! People choose to drive rather than walk short distances, to watch tv rather than exercising, to take the lift rather than stairs, to park as close as possible to the shops.

FWIW, 2000 calories is my maintenance intake. Average height, build, job. I do exercise about 2hrs per week though (slightly below the nhs recommendation). 900 calories is an average evening meal.

There are a million reasons people are (generally) overweight. Eating a lot on the occasional meal out is a drop in the ocean. Insignificant when compared to food eaten at home and lack of exercise.

@SmallPrawnEnergy

It’s proper grim what Kate Ovens does.

It is of no benefit to anyone.

It’s especially grim given the state of the world at the moment with some people not having enough money to eat and there she is troughing mounds of food into her gob.

I find big portions offputting. The reason why I normally have 2 starters instead of a main. Tbh I rarely eat out because i find the food in restaurants to lack in taste.

Oh give over! If I am paying for food and it is a treat (which it is) I want a bigger portion than my normal amount of food.

I am now worrying restaurants will need to decrease their portion sizes in order to have more socially acceptable calorie counts, boo!!

Because its a treat. Sandwiches from pubs were always shit. And I'm not shelling out on a meal only to be hungry again when we get home. I want to feel properly satisfied and like it's different to what we have at home.

Plus. People with big appetites would complain there's not enough food. Whereas people with small appetites just leave/take home food.

I agree OP. We eat out a few times a month and frankly, I don't want it to be 4000 calories a time. People tak about 900 calories a meal - that's fine, but in one place we looked at the bacon cheeseburger with chips was 2400 calories, and the salted caramel cheesecake 740. Add in a starter and drinks, and that's two days worth in one meal. I knew it was fattening, but didn't think it was as bad as that.

Yes, I'll make different choices

This was my main in a restaurant yesterday, I am curious to know if people think this is outrageously huge, about right, or on the small side. There were more potatoes and green beans on a side plate, this is how much I took. Just curious.

@Deadringer

This was my main in a restaurant yesterday, I am curious to know if people think this is outrageously huge, about right, or on the small side. There were more potatoes and green beans on a side plate, this is how much I took. Just curious.

About right for me. Definitely not too big.

It must be difficult. How does the kitchen know whether the meal is going to a short, slight 7 stone woman or a tall rugby playing 17 stone man. If a restaurant gives stingy portions, people would be mightily pissed off. My dh and teens are all well over 6ft and wouldn't go back to a place with small portions.

@Deadringer

Not enough for me that's for sure. If I ate like that I would be super skinny, as I am slim. I would need some cheesy chips on the side .

You know if it’s too much for you, you can just leave it?

No one is standing over you making you clear your plate.

The restaurant don’t care if you lick your plate clean or leave it all as long as you pay.