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.

It’s meant to be a rare treat. You go to eat in these places because it’s a treat. Of course, if you were going to these places every single day, eating these big portions every day, it would eventually become a health issue. But once in a while? Not every thing has to be about the calories.

I see the teeny tinys are all out in force, shocked no one has mentioned stuffing, guzzling, gobbling or shoveling food in yet, or even the faux “What is an oven chip”.

I find portions are typically quite small, I do go for lower carb options as I have type one diabetes, but I’ll generally have a starter, then a main with at least two sides, while nice it’s rarely enough for me. My husband is similar. We went out yesterday and his meal had chips, there were 9 chips!!! Who only eats 9 chips?!

@Florenz

If restaurants stopped serving half pints of beer or served wine only by the bottle, not the glass, or spirits only in doubles, people would think that was ridiculous. So it's not ridiculous to suggest that they should offer half portions of meals at a lower price.

but the lower price won't be as good value because of the fixed other costs...and the fixed costs for food are more than the fixed costs for drinks. Wine by the bottle is often much cheaper than wine by the glass.

@HoppingPavlova

YABVU.

As a family we eat out every quarter or so. I have several who, while over 6’ and built like toothpicks and eat extremely healthily at home, take that quarterly opportunity to get their high fat, high salt, high sugar fix in abundance. And I mean in abundance. Think 2 starters each, 1.5/2 entrees and a huge main, rounded off with desert.

I don’t eat like that when our, nor does DH or DD, just hollow legged DS’s (all adults). I don’t see why they should have a teeny portion put in front of them to satisfy you. If DH, DD and I don’t find Noah, and it’s something that can be reheated we just ask for it to be doggied up. No big deal. I’ve also never stayed in any accommodation that hasn’t had at minimum a bar fridge where you could stick doggy bags - how else do you keep the milk for in room tea/coffee?

While I agree the OP is being unreasonable and a bit weird - two starters and two mains is just pure greed. Also must make the meal take ages and be very boring.

Also, the fact you've never stayed in any accomodation without a fridge belies your privilege. I can't recall the last time I stayed somewhere that did have a fridge in the room and I stay away a few times a year - Travelodge and Premier Inn don't, for example (they give you long life milk).

Though I'm not even sure why hotel rooms having fridges is relevant because not all meals out are in hotels, the vast majority must not be

@MummyInTheNecropolis

I just order a side salad and a glass of water. By the time I’ve drank the water I’m too full for the salad so I take it home and have it for dinner for the rest of the week.

A whole glass of water???? That’s an awful lot. I just tend to drink a drop of morning dew off a leaf. But I am only three apples high and live in a mushroom.

A kids pasta that feeds them and then an adult lunch maybe two I have heard it all now

@amicissimma I don't like piled up food and find it very off putting. I just ask for an extra dinner plate when the meal comes. They never mind. Then can transfer over what I want at a time.

Over all I think restaurants have to cater for a variety of appetites. It's easier to put extra chips/ spuds (cheap filler) on a plate than have customers complaining that they leave hungry. I worked in a rural country farmer pub/restaurant 10 ish years ago portions were huge!! Most people did finish their meal but they always had take away plates so just ask if you want to take it home.

Ppl giving out about breakfast cals in McDonalds, I don't go there often but it's not to be healthy!!

@Wren44

It’s meant to be a rare treat. You go to eat in these places because it’s a treat. Of course, if you were going to these places every single day, eating these big portions every day, it would eventually become a health issue. But once in a while? Not every thing has to be about the calories.

Yep. And even if you are in there every day, it’s your choice to finish it.

Like the poster on this thread wistfully sighing about wishing the burger didn’t have a bun, and had to be told, “you can just ask them to not include it.”

My favourite pub pie is really filling. Not in an MN way - genuinely massive, really think pastry. Their chips aren’t great, but I know if they’re on my plate I’ll have some and end up bloated. So I just say, “no chips please!”

Don’t police other people’s choices because you don’t like your own.

@NoodleNuts

If I wanted a ham sandwich with a salad garnish and a handful of crisps, I would make myself one at home in about 5 mins. That to me is not a treat and I wouldn't be ordering one in a pub or restaurant.

That's great, but you don't always go out for just a treat do you? What about if it's a meal that you've been invited to, or a meal out before something else? Surely you don't need or want that kind of 'treat' every time?

Also, one thing that my dietician said to me when I said something similar when I waddled into her office at 22st 12 years ago was you need to reset your mindset around food. How is something that is bad for your body, making you gain weight, a 'treat'? You deserve better!

I agree with you OP. Portions are usually way too big. Seeing a heaped plate of food kills my appetite stone dead. I either just have a starter or I take some of it home.

A standard 8oz steak in a restaurant served with a salad and chips will do me for one meal in the restaurant and then make a couple of steak sandwiches for tea over the next couple of days. Or a Pizza Express Romana - I'll eat a third in the restaurant and then the other two thirds over the next couple of days with veg or salad to beef it up.

@MummyInTheNecropolis

I just order a side salad and a glass of water. By the time I’ve drank the water I’m too full for the salad so I take it home and have it for dinner for the rest of the week.

Is it a massive salad though or a side one?

@Florenz

If restaurants stopped serving half pints of beer or served wine only by the bottle, not the glass, or spirits only in doubles, people would think that was ridiculous. So it's not ridiculous to suggest that they should offer half portions of meals at a lower price.

Is a half pint of beer exactly half the cost of a pint then? (no)

Is the price of a glass of wine exactly proportionate to the cost of a bottle per ml? (no)

That'll be those pesky fixed overheads then.

@ImanAccountant

Oh it's a teeny tiny thread! Yay

Ironically, the teeny tiny threads always get huge and bloated, so keen are posters to tell us just how little they eat and just how greedy they have observed lesser mortals to be.

YABVVU

Eat what you want and leave the rest or ask for a bag and take it home.
Specify your order if you don’t want to leave food waste behind.

People are different.They have different dietary needs and issues around the food. They don’t need policing their food intake neither customising to somebody else’s needs.

These threads are fucking hilarious 😂

Personal favourites so far:

OP I've never taken my children anywhere that offers pizzas and chips to children. I'd go somewhere different (pa ha ha ha ha ha)

And

bunned burger

And

legal requirement to offer half portions

There's a big divide on this thread between people who eat out very rarely and so want a huge, indulgent portion, and people who eat out regularly and therefore find it too much and wasteful. There's nothing wrong with having different attitudes based on your situation.

"Agreeing with everyone who points out that that's not how pricing works as the same fixed costs (rent, staff, depreciating value of equipment) have to be covered irrespective of the portion size."

How come pubs can sell beer by the pint and half pint?

I wouldn't give restaurants the choice, legally mandate that they HAVE to do this. It is a public health issue.

@Everydaydayisaschoolday

I agree with you OP. Portions are usually way too big. Seeing a heaped plate of food kills my appetite stone dead. I either just have a starter or I take some of it home. A standard 8oz steak in a restaurant served with a salad and chips will do me for one meal in the restaurant and then make a couple of steak sandwiches for tea over the next couple of days. Or a Pizza Express Romana - I'll eat a third in the restaurant and then the other two thirds over the next couple of days with veg or salad to beef it up.

Wait wait wait! Add this to my list of favourite comments, too! 😂

@roarfeckingroarr

There's a big divide on this thread between people who eat out very rarely and so want a huge, indulgent portion, and people who eat out regularly and therefore find it too much and wasteful. There's nothing wrong with having different attitudes based on your situation.

Nah, I eat out frequently and still want a huge portion so I can leave some if I want.

In the last week I've had two pub lunches (one big roast, I left half the Yorkshire which was almost 12" across), one restaurant meal for lunch, one Turkish grill where the meals are so big they serve the food on an actual tray - I left some chips, quite a bit of salad and two lamb chops (suppose I could have taken it home).

@roarfeckingroarr

Oh come on - this isn't about competitive under eating. Portion sizes are huge in any chain restaurant and most pubs. Decent and high end restaurants, less so. If I order pasta for my toddler, even a kids portion, there's enough for my lunch the next day, sometimes two.

You're seriously saying "oh come on" whilst going on to suggest a kids portion of pasta would last three meals?

Genuinely hilarious.

@MummyInTheNecropolis

I just order a side salad and a glass of water. By the time I’ve drank the water I’m too full for the salad so I take it home and have it for dinner for the rest of the week.

Glutton.

I’m usually too full up on air from my hearty walk to restaurant to even have a glass a water.

That air fills me up all week.

I take a side salad home and feeds me until it goes mouldy in the fridge. And then I donate it to charity.

They are indeed @Herejustforthisone 🙂

Leftovers for dinners for rest of the week.
2-3 chips every day. Fancy 5-6 days old reheated chips for dinner?

It’s better than MN chicken.

@roarfeckingroarr

Oh come on - this isn't about competitive under eating. Portion sizes are huge in any chain restaurant and most pubs. Decent and high end restaurants, less so. If I order pasta for my toddler, even a kids portion, there's enough for my lunch the next day, sometimes two.

And this. 😂

@Florenz

"Agreeing with everyone who points out that that's not how pricing works as the same fixed costs (rent, staff, depreciating value of equipment) have to be covered irrespective of the portion size."

How come pubs can sell beer by the pint and half pint?

I wouldn't give restaurants the choice, legally mandate that they HAVE to do this. It is a public health issue.

The half pint of beer is not half the cost of a pint though, is it?

Doing small portions is fine (but probably too much faff for them) but they wouldn't be able to charge them at half the price.

We went to a pub last night, 10 of us. We had walked for fucking ages and we're starving. Food was nice but the portions we're ridiculous. Only the teenage boys ate all of theirs. 8 plates where left with a third on. Such a waste of food had I known we would had split meals up.