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.

@CounsellorTroi

I wish places would offer a burger without the bun. A bunned burger and chips is too much of a carb fest.

Just don't eat it or ask the waiter to leave it off your plate.

@stuntbubbles

Usually I just ask for an empty plate, hot from the dishwasher. The sensation of warm crockery is filling enough. Pubs honestly don’t mind serving no food and tap water, they profit simply from my presence.

😅

@roarfeckingroarr I eat out very often, probably too much for my bank account, but very large portions don't bother me - if it's too much (which isn't often in a good pub), I take it home. Sure, sometimes one is staying in a hotel without refrigeration, but for the most part it's a stroll, car or bus ride home with a cardboard box with a bit of roast that'll do for a sandwich the next day (or a teen's midnight snack).
I also don't think portion sizes at restaurants are driving how much people eat at home - if anything I think it's the opposite.

@WhenWillThisEverEnd

This thread is a good example of why so many in this country are over weight. The portion sizes in restaurants have changed our perception of what a normal amount of food is to eat. Portion sizes have got bigger as people have got fatter. We now have bigger plates and bigger glasses. This impacts on portion sizes at home. Of course there are a few people that can eat all this and stay slim but the fact is we have a major problem with obesity in this county it causes major health issues. Those that think it’s fine to eat a massive plate of processed food is fine because it is a treat are deluding themselves. Many counties in Europe have much smaller portions in restaurants and are generally slimmer than us. America huge portions and a huge obesity problem. The quality of food also counts. Restaurants only serve big portions of cheap, usually low quality food.

Totally agree, but prepare yourself for the outrage this sensible comment will provoke.

@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.

If you're selling beer by the glass you have to serve it in 1/2 or 1/3 of a pint or multiples of due to licencing laws. Same as if you sell wine by the glass you have to offer 125ml and 175ml and multiples thereof.

To not do so can cost you your license as you have to be a responsible retailer around alcohol, and that means offering smaller sizes for people to choose from.
That's probably because of the impact alcohol misuse has and so the license holders are obliged to offer smaller measures so that people have a choice- if people choose to go for the larger measures that's their choice to make, and if they choose to buy the larger option and drink it all, that's also their choice, though if they then appear drunk they shouldn't be served any more (also by law - but in reality that doesn't happen very often).

So while there is a precedent for controlling what we can buy and consume legally, the effects of alcohol are more immediate through anti social behaviour, acute illness and injury etc than eating too much (although there are long term effects with alcohol too of course) no one ever got banged up for the night behaving like an idiot or fighting because they've cleared their plate in 'Spoons and that's the effect it's had on them.

It's strange how many protest they are fine with eating a huge restaurant portions every now and then "as a treat" but also have a huge arse on about calories being printed on menus.

Get yourself a child’s portion if you can’t manage an adult’s. Skip lunch and/or breakfast if you’re worried about calories, or have a baked potato instead of chips. Pizza is probably the worst thing you can have, so chose something else. Make yourself a sandwich and have it at home or get a meal deal and eat it on a park bench if that’s all you fancy eating. 🤷🏻‍♀️

@HailAdrian

Oh god, here we fucking go. 🤣

And if you don't want a bun, just ask them not to give you a bun...

This 😂😂

Think outside the box people

@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.

You do know you aren’t just paying for the food on the plate. Paying only 50% for the food on the plate might not make it that much of a difference.

I don’t get when people say there was too much food in a restaurant.
It isn’t a requirement to eat any of it.
If you find burger buns a carb fest then don’t eat the bun.

Sorry, but this sounds to me like your eating disorder talking. What's wrong with an 800-900cal meal?

In general women are recommended to eat around 2000cals a day and men 2500. Even if you split your calories evenly across the day that would be around 670cals per meal for women, and 830 cals per meal for men.

Most people in my experience don't do that, they have smaller breakfasts/lunches - personally my breakfasts and lunches are normally 400-500cals. Leaving me at least 1000cals for dinner (or if I were eating out for lunch I'd just switch and have a light meal later).

I think the worst example of food waste is at carverys (where you’ve got the option to go back up for more veggies if you want them) as some people seem to see it as a challenge to play ‘food Jenga’ - I’ve seen people choosing to fill their plates with truly mammoth amounts … then leave loads of it! Same with unlimited salad bars.

@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.

Crikey…that’s a very impressive MN over exaggeration !!

Though I agree with you about meat challenges

@Florenz

Restaurants should give people the choice of how much food they want to order. At the moment they have no choice, they are forced into ordering massive portions and either eating too much or wasting food, both of which are wrong.

All the food I have eaten out recently has felt like a normal portion, not massive. And I'm obviously not forced to eat it.

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.

[quote monicagellerbing]@AlternativelyWired the whole family has autism and sensory issues? [/quote]
That's not so unusual. It is mostly hereditary.

My son is autistic and my daughter is being assessed for adhd. My partner most probably is autistic and I'm probably autistic or have adhd (waiting to be diagnosed)

They're not wrong, it isn't easy to just pick somewhere else. It is easy to leave half a plate of food though or get it boxed up.

If I order pasta for my toddler, even a kids portion, there's enough for my lunch the next day, sometimes two.
What’s that smell in here? Oh right, it’s bullshit.

@Porcupineintherough

It's strange how many protest they are fine with eating a huge restaurant portions every now and then "as a treat" but also have a huge arse on about calories being printed on menus.

It's strange that I've never seen these comments. Can you show some?

I like a big meal and I don't mind if calories are on menus though I've only ever seen it in Pizza Express (I know it's the new law, but only chains have do it essentially, and I've not been to once since the new law came in).

I also don't have a huge arse.

@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.

I don't think you understand restaurant pricing and economics. You still need a plate, knife and fork, glass, someone to serve you and cook the meal, a table and chair. The cost of half a plate of food is not half the cost of a full plate.

The OP posts a thread about How BIG portions are everywhere- won’t anyone think of how much of a waste it all is.

People respond exactly as expected.

OP returns to say - but this is a post about neuro diversity - people so mean - I should have known.

I don't understand why it's not just the case that diners overwhelmed by portion sizes can't use their voice.
Same posters who have a panic attack if someone knocks on their door I imagine

@Florenz

Restaurants should give people the choice of how much food they want to order. At the moment they have no choice, they are forced into ordering massive portions and either eating too much or wasting food, both of which are wrong.

But there are choices.

Most restaurants do salads.

It is often possible to ask for fish to be steamed and served with vegetables.

And so on.

@VanGoghsDog

Thing is though the teen boys probably only ate it cos they can not because they need such a big portion. There’s a difference. No one needs the enormous piles of food on massive plates that some pubs serve, even teen boys who mumsnet seem to think should be allowed to eat a weekly shop in one sitting

@VanGoghsDog

“ I like a big meal”

Why exactly?

@WhenWillThisEverEnd

This thread is a good example of why so many in this country are over weight. The portion sizes in restaurants have changed our perception of what a normal amount of food is to eat. Portion sizes have got bigger as people have got fatter. We now have bigger plates and bigger glasses. This impacts on portion sizes at home. Of course there are a few people that can eat all this and stay slim but the fact is we have a major problem with obesity in this county it causes major health issues. Those that think it’s fine to eat a massive plate of processed food is fine because it is a treat are deluding themselves. Many counties in Europe have much smaller portions in restaurants and are generally slimmer than us. America huge portions and a huge obesity problem. The quality of food also counts. Restaurants only serve big portions of cheap, usually low quality food.

While I agree with some of your comment-portions got bigger and so did the plates I disagree with the rest.

What about people taking responsibility themselves on what and how much they eat?

Different people have different dietary needs. Some are able to eat more and stay slim,some are not.

2000 calories is recommended daily food intake. This 2000 calories might be 4 Galaxy chocolate bars or a wide range of food comprising of fruit,veg,meat,fish,dairy and grains.

Not everybody needs 2000 calories to sustain their weight.Some people need much less,this depends on age (and metabolism), gender and occupation.

Seeing as we’re talking here about portions in restaurants,depends on how often you go to the restaurant and which ones.

To me a restaurant trip is very rare so I’d rather go to independent one than the chain one (nothing wrong with it, each to their own).
It’s a very rare treat so I will have a starter,main and maybe dessert if I feel I still have a space for it. Never encountered massive portions and once in a while overeating now and again is not going to make my weight get out of control. I’m in charge what I eat and how much.