Meal time portion sizes and the cost of cooking

[SilveryMoon]

I was watching a friend of mine cook dinner the other day, they were having chicken casserole to feed 3 adults and 2 children (toddlers)
She used what I thought was a small amount of chicken for that many people.
She said that an adult should have 100g of meat in a meal.
I have also in the past watched her weigh out pasta portions when she cooks. She measures 100g for an adult and about 50g for a child.

Is this something I should already know?
She said that in her opinion, I used far too much food for each meal, and although it's not wasted as dp finishes all leftovers, I could use a lot less food and therefore lower my cost of food.

What do you all do?

When I was trying to loose weight after dc2, I could not understand how I wasn't shedding pounds as I was eating very healthily - hardly any fatty / sugary foods, whole grains, loads of veg. Then I started weighing my portion sizes when cooking -just for a few weeks. I was

I was eating 3 times the amount of musli I needed, and much too much carbs. Once I sirted it out I lost weight very quickly and I was surprised how quickly I stopped missing the extra - it was just habit. But then, I needed to loose weight - if you and your dh don't, OP, and you can afford your diet, then there's not an issue!

I buy chipolatas instead of standard fat sausages. That way a pack will feed 5 of us (just about) whereas a pack of 6 standard sausages wouldn't. But you can make a pack of 6 stretch to feed 5 people if you squeeze the sausagemeat out into little meatball things and cook it up with lots of veg.

Portion size def habit. The more you get used to bulking it out with veg/lentils or whatever, the further it will go without people complaining.

We use one baby chicken for 2 adults and 3 kids. Or one tandoori chicken. If we have roaster then we don't need potatoes in the curry.

If I actually make tandoori or roast chicken then I need to use more as Dh will have half, I will have half (think nandos) dd1 will have quarter, so would dd2 and ds about one drumsticks.

It depends what meat we are eating. If we are having a curry I will use 1/2 kilo of mutton for the 4 of us, 2 adults and 2 children and usually bulk it out with chickpeas, spinach etc. There is normally an adult size portion left over which I freeze. Half a kilo of mince will make 4 burgers or meatballs for all of us or if its something like spag bog or chilli which is bulked out with veg or beans there again will be a portion left over to freeze. If we are having chicken, a medium one cut into 4 serves us all. I am terrible with rice and pasta and always end up cooking too much!

I generally use 4 chicken thighs for 2adults and 3 dcs for fajita type meals and a pack of 12 chipolatas for sausage and mash/toad in the hole. I think 2 chicken breasts or 6 sausages is a huge amount and DH is a big bloke with an active job. I think leftovers tend to get eaten because they are in the fridge and wouldn't be missed if they weren't there.

Think portion size makes absolute sense including not overfeeding your children. Obviously my husband needs twice the portion of mine.

Mind you, I think cooking for more makes more sense in a busy household. I tend to make more and keep it back and this provides an extra meal in week. I would not leave it out - I pop in tuperware or freeze so no one can pick. Usually on a Monday we have enough left overs from the weekend to have a cook free evening and Tuesday's it just me and the OH we have the sunday roast mark II.