To think we don’t need that much food

[Moonpiecake]

I feel portions in restaurants and takeaways are bigger than most of adults need and also majority of people buy and eat more food than is necessary for our bodies.

If you are over 30, fit, healthy and manage to remain within the healthy body weight for your age and height how much do to eat.

I want to save money on food but also loose a few kilos and look and feel good so looking for advice

@Caffeineislife , ah! Thanks for explaining.
Over the whole day is a different matter. The potato would be doable if it was a miniature one.

I like pigging out if I have a meal out but I only do it about once a year, and I'm another 'one meal a day' person.

Generally, it's a veg-based meal and a large one.

Just to add to my post, I'm a 58 year old woman going through the menopause.
I'm not worrying about plate size, I have cut out virtually all upf's and have food in the way it originally looks as much as possible, eg a potato boiled rather than a packet of crisps and I eat until I'm full.

£20 a week for 3 meals 7 dasy a week for 2 people? 🤔

Are you in training to star on "Eat Well for Less"?

No way I could eat 500calories per day.

I am also 5’’1 and agree reg 1500 maintenance calories and 1200 if I want to loose weight. I do a bit of excercise but not enough

Different people need different things

I work best on 3 meals and multiple snacks , I need lots of veg , meat about once a week

The difference between me being a stable weight and gaining would be the equivalent of one slice of dry toast a day - that would be around a stone a year in weight gain - so it's unlikely there are huge savings to be made by eating less

You save more by eating wisely
I eat loads of veg - but it's often cheap veg , seasonal or frozen

I agree about portion sizes when eating out. It's one of the reasons we rarely eat out these days. When we do we just have a main.

We went out for an Indian the other day. DH and I had a main course each then shared one portion of rice and one naan between us. We didn't finish the rice or the naan. We didn't have poppadums or a starter.

We aren't competitive undereaters, we just can't manage huge portions these days.

Kids portions are usually enough for me but I’m petite and weigh 50 kg

i don’t think most people need as much as they eat. But food brings pleasure so here we are 🤷🏼‍♀️

I eat much more when I am out for dinner. I am slim but good to know staff are judging me!

Is it age-related? I could eat more at 25 than I can at 55. The portions might be just fine for a 21y old active man. Restaurants can’t cater for all appetites I guess.

We don’t eat out much and do the rare take away of fish and chips, 2 to share between 4.

I am 50 and feel I need to eat very little to not put on weight

I'm 5ft 5 and eat around 2000 calories. Three meals or two meals and a snack, it depends what I'm doing. I eat whole foods, full fat everything. Lots of eggs, small servings of meat (things like curry, chilli, bolognese, keema, casserole), about five serves of veg including fermented, two of fruit, usually two recommended serving sizes for grains a day, kefir, greek yogurt.

Yes portions are usually too big. But if restaurants gave people smaller portions they’d have to reduce prices, and they don’t want to do that. It’s easier to make a profit from selling 10 people £20 worth of food each, rather than selling 20 people £10 worth of food each. They always give you huge piles of cheap carbs too - because it makes the meals look bigger (and therefore better value) but doesn’t cost a lot.

A restaurant can't tailor make tor everyone coming in.
Do you suggest they give men bigger portions.
What if the woman is bigger than the man
Do they know if I have a big appetite, small appetite
Do they know if I have eaten another 2 meals that day or if this is my only meal of the day
Do they know if I have an active or sedentary job

Just take the portion. If you want more order more. If you want less then leave some.

I don't believe anyone spends £10 a week on food.

one 2kg bag potatoes, 1 bag apples, I loaf of bread, I tin beans, I block cheese, 2lts milk, 6 eggs from ASDA is £9.68 (cheapest options too)

Now you could get creative with those ingredients, possibly stretch them out. No way on this earth is it going to make 21 meals!!

I live alone, I'm super frugal with my food budget, but unless you are eating porridge with water for breakfast, toast with one egg for lunch and a baked potato with cheese every night. I don't believe you spent £10 a week. Well yes you could, but it's not healthy food!

The cost of fresh items is eye watering, I grow a lot of food and I eat incredibly well all summer, I preserve and freeze, I forage. I have fruit trees etc, but in winter, it's a lot more expensive to eat fresh fruit and veg. A cucumber is 80p now, tomatoes, even tasteless ones are 90p. No one can eat well on £1.30 a day.

1600 cals a day is a good ballpark. It’s surprising how much food that is when you’re packing fruit and veg into your diet

I only ever managed half my Chinese meal. They are huge portions. We order 2 meals between 3 now. There is plenty for all 3 of us. I think portions have got larger over time.

Yes you should have 5 portions of fruit/veg a day. I think the research actually said 7 but it’s marketed as 5 as easier to achieve.

Most people do need 3 meals a day yes.

Maybe just start thinking of the fruit/veg as the focus of the meal. People tend to over do protein and carbs.

I feel portions in restaurants and takeaways are bigger than most of adults need

Doesn't matter for most people since usually a meal out or takeaway is a treat. No big deal.

Hahaha.. thanks for the laugh. Never have I been called teeny tiny. Lol.

Agreed. There always seem to be quite a few posts on threads like these that are basically pro-ana.

Anyone who thinks 500cals a day might be suitable for any adult needs help. There was another recent thread where someone was saying one small meal a day was sufficient... it's seriously dangerous stuff and I worry that vulnerable people might be reading it.

Kids portions are usually enough for me but I’m petite and weigh 50 kg

This thread is like MN bingo.

Tbf my mum buys half portions she is not 50kg tho. She just doesn't do big meal at once usually and it doesn't sit right

Mn is very unhealthy place to ask for eating advice

It is a bit. But it is also indicative of how each person varyies due to age, lifestyle, genetics, metabolism etc etc.

I am 70kg, overweight, so obviously not undereating, but at 58 I have a small appetite, I just can't eat any whole meal when we go out. Even a pizza is never wholly eaten. I tell you why too. English pizzas even in authentic Italians have too much on them, too much cheese, too much topping. Ditto pastas, huge plates, massive portions, overly sauced. They have to provide it, because that's what people want, but it is over the top, and not what our European cousins would be eating