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

What's more surprising to me is leaving drinks, especially alcohol. I was outside a bar the other day and a couple ordered snacks and two pints of lager. They wolfed down the snacks, had about 2 sips of the drink and left.

A lot of restaurants have had to increase portion sizes with cheap carbs to give the illusion of value because mains are so expensive now. My local pub doesnt have a main below £22. So people expect to go away stuffed. They can't afford to make the mains cheaper- so the portion sizes have grown accordingly.

They won't do a half portion because they can't afford to run a table of 4 with people only paying £15 a head.

I can honestly say I've never noticed this, definitely not to the point I'd post on Mumsnet about it, and I can't even see myself getting this upset about it if I did

Because they really like dessert so deliberately left some of their main course so they wouldn’t be too full for it?

It isn’t obligatory for adults to clear their plate before being allowed pudding.

Because generally main dishes are ridiculously big these days, especially in Nandos which I went to last week at my son's request. The portion of fries on the dish was ridiculous. Il generally just get a starter but if I really fancy something on the mains il get it. It's absolutely guaranteed I won't finish it but may request to take it home if it's a dish I can. Nandos wasn't.

What’s paying in advance before eating got to do with not finishing your food? This makes no sense!

So people should force huge portions down just for the sake of it? That will help the obesity crisis

The word eatery grosses me out.

Just off to the shittery, then are we heading to the drinkery?

See also: 'washed down with' 🤮

I’m on mounjaro and have never left any food on my plate because of it.

I did this very recently. Ordered a lovely salad and had one mouthful of it. It was infested with coriander and I couldn't pick it out. I hate coriander, it tastes like disinfectant. I was in a huff for the rest of the evening.

How is that going to help the people who dint have enough to eat?

Its like been back to 1980 and all the talk about the starving children in Ethiopia so children had to finish what’s on their plate.

Cue for ED or not knowing when you’re full and should stop.

This! I just got back from holiday, on mounjaro, and even though I wanted to eat with everyone else a couple of spoonfuls or even just half a coffee had me so stuffed I couldn't continue. And if nobody else wanted the leftovers I just left them as I knew I wouldn't be able to stomach any more until the next day at least. It's insane how effective this stuff is. I planned to eat anything and everything I wanted for the week and fully expected to put half a stone on as usual, came back having lost a couple pounds.

Possibly Because it wasn’t as good as they thought it would be or they were pushed into going when they don’t really like the food

My DD (17) does it. But we package it up to take home and she does eat it. She never eats a lot when out. Not sure why, she eats big portions at home. Very wasteful to just waste it.

People should stop eating when they've had enough, regardless of how much is left.

Have you really never ordered and then realised you've gone over hungry and struggled to eat it? Or found portion sizes way bigger than expected?

If I go out for a curry I can never eat it all in one sitting so ask for a doggy bag and have it cold for breakfast. I'm never letting a good curry go to waste.

I know, don't understand it 🙅 I either heat up the leftovers the following night or put them in the freezer and dig them out for a mystery meal a month later 😅 I'm not in the UK though.

Could be:

Meal was bigger than they expected.

Meal wasn’t good

Ate and found that they weren’t as hungry as they thought.

For myself, I research the restaurant beforehand so those people who take pictures of their meals are my kind of people because it helps me decide on what I’ll order.

I ask to have the rest as a takeaway when possible if I cannot finish.

I found it difficult pre-Covid in my area but after, not a problem.

or...like me.. have had bowel cancer and now a shortened bowel, and can only eat small amounts at a time,without really bad consequences , I deserve to go out and enjoy (but I hate waste, and always take the extra home as I have a husband with two empty legs)

It's all about taking pictures and putting the food on your Snap story.

The portions may be too large.

I also sometimes leave part because I'm gluten and dairy intolerant so if I'm not 100% sure of ingredients I might eat only some of it so I won't get too sick, especially away from home.

Places need to offer smaller portions. I'd be happy with a children's meal but for some reason most places have age restrictions on ordering a children's meal.

Because they need adults to pay adults prices. Adult meal prices subsidise the children's menu prices.

This. If I’ve paid for it it’s up to me if I eat it or not.

Yep. And where I am taking it with you is not a thing.