Going to a restaurant to order food then hardly eat any of it - why?

[doorss]

I just don't get this. People come into a restaurant and order food. Its one of those restaurants you pay in advance. Food arrives, they just eat about a quarter of the dish - maximum. Then all leave with everyone in the group leaving loads of food left.

Why do people do this? If not hungry, don't eat. If pushing for time, don't eat. It's disgusting that people leave that amount of food. A bloody waste

Pay in advance- do you mean like a fast food place where you order at a counter? Maybe the food is horrible and/or the portions are too large.

Maybe they don't like it?

Do they think they are on telly?

Gives me the rage when I see this all the time in dramas and films.

Seriously though, yes it is highly annoying and wasteful behaviour when many people live in poverty.

It's not your money, they are spending.

Probably on Mountjaro and can't manage it all ! I was at a food festival and my friend left half of an expensive delicious looking dish probably because she's on MJ.

If not hungry, don't eat. If pushing for time, don't eat
Sounds like they followed this advice?
If everyone only ate a tiny bit, and didn't take the rest away with them, the food must have been gross.

I did this the other night on holiday because I wasn't as hungry as I thought and the portion was massive.

Even if I wasn't particularly hungry I still would've gone as there were 4 of us and it was a fantastic night.

I often find portion sizes far too big, especially now I’m getting older.

What is worse is that they then want to order dessert!!

Why - when you couldn't even finish your dinner?!

Or maybe like me, they just weren't as hungry as they thought?

Not everyone who cant manage to eat their food is injecting themselves with a drug.

Then order starters instead.

Why should they?

The starters are often different to the mains.

As long as they're spending their own money it's no-one else's business.

If they ate all their food , there would still be those same people living in poverty. People who say this about people who leave food on their plate are basically virtue signalling.

Why is it any less wasteful to leave food on your plate than it is to force down more than you want or need? If you're the resturantuer then I'd advise you consider offering large plate/small plate options and/or doggy bags.

I don't have a large appetite, but I love food.

If there are two starters I really like I'll often have that, but if there isn't, or there is a main I really fancy, then yes, I'll order it, and eat my fill.

If they offered a smaller portion I'd order that, but many don't - so what do you suggest?

You seem to be saying that I shouldn't eat out, or if I do, restrict my options, just because I can't eat large portions, even though I'm paying for them. Is that really what you mean?

Whatever the reasons, wasting food is awful. Plenty of people do not have enough to eat, the least you can do is not waste any yourself.

Mounjaro for sure.

No worse than continuing to trough it down even though you’re full just because it’s there.

(Cue the ‘We’ve lost sight of what a healthy portion size is’ klaxon)

I can’t get too excited about it.

Some people might not enjoy it/too much food. Why is it considered wasteful to leave it on the plate when it’s been cooked and paid for?

Humans aren’t a waste disposal bin. Don’t dump food down your throat to avoid ‘wasting’ it.

Nandos you pay in advance. I had lunch at an independent cafe on Saturday and that was paid in advance. I believe more eateries are reverting to pay in advance to prevent people eating and walking away without paying.

If portion size is much bigger than I'm expecting it makes eating feel more like a chore to me. It becomes something I'm just trying to get through. I find restaurants can be funny about you ordering just a starter though, especially at dinner, because they want people to be ordering the much more expensive mains. I've also known posher places to not like it if you don't want to do their wine pairings. I basically avoid places that do wine pairings because of that now.

What kind of restaurant do you pay in advance? Do you mean a pub?

I've had stomach surgery and just eat what I enjoy which isn't much. Don't be so judgmental

Paying in advance is nothing to do with portion sizes or how much you then choose to eat, though?

Because someone people are terrified of weight gain, but still want to go out! I wish I had such self control I will scoff the lot 😍