On Restaurant Portions: "More Room for Dessert?"

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Permalink Reply by Mitchell Surface on May 26, 2007 at 4:28pm

I was reading a similar article in the NY Times. It made a good point, the cost of the food on your plate is a fairly small portion of the cost of the dish. So just because something is a half portion, doesn't mean you can charge half price for it and still maintain your profit margins.

I know I've thought that, setting in a restaurant and seeing a dish selling for $8.99 and a half portion selling for $4.99. I guess the smart move there is to order the full size and take half of it home. Of course how many of us can resist just eating the whole thing?

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Permalink Reply by Khürt Williams on May 30, 2007 at 10:21am

What's horrific about all of this is that some restaurant meals are over 2000 calories!!!

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Permalink Reply by Manny Hernandez on May 30, 2007 at 3:44pm

OMG.... No wonder we have such an epidemic of obesity!

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Permalink Reply by Kelly Rawlings on October 2, 2009 at 2:59pm

And just as scary for those of us battling diabetes, many restaurant entrées contain more than 2,000 mg sodium in one main dish. People with high blood pressure (nearly 3/4 of people with diabetes) should have no more than 1,500 mg sodium daily! And for any of us without high blood pressure but planning to live a long time with diabetes, it certainly doesn't hurt to limit sodium.

Fortunately, there are some ongoing committees at USDA and FDA looking into a lower daily sodium intake number, which would eventually roll out into packaged foods and restaurants.

And don't get me started on trans fats, which increase LDL (bad cholesterol) and lower HDL (good cholesterol), and worsen insulin resistance!

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Permalink Reply by Lucile K. on October 1, 2009 at 7:26pm

It pains me to see young children consuming entire adult size portions in restaurants.

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Permalink Reply by Sarah Sheffner on October 2, 2009 at 10:22am

On the one hand, it's frustrating not to be able to order a reasonable portion so that I'm not tempted to overeat. On the other hand, if I'm paying 3-4 times what I would pay for a similar meal prepared at home, it's nice to be able to take home the leftovers. That way, I can an extra meal (or even two) out of the deal.

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Permalink Reply by MelissaM on October 2, 2009 at 10:07pm

I went to cheesecake factory a couple weeks ago, it's nuts to see how much they put on a single plate.

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Permalink Reply by Teena on October 2, 2009 at 10:38pm

Sometimes tri-media advertisements (TV, Billboards, etc) does not help too. Reminds me of a TV show special of a chef Jamie Oliver, when he ambitiously wanted to "retrain" the eating habits of his country starting from children from grade school. It's educating children about healthy eating, taking in consideration ingredients, food portoning, and preparation. Emphasizing that healthy eating is synonimous to delicious and flavorful dishes. But it is such a massive endeavor! A similar project will be highly recommended here.

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Permalink Reply by Terrie8 on October 3, 2009 at 4:49am

That must be where the saying, "I can't believe I ate the whole thing", came from. I do not understand how a Person(especially a Diabetic)can willingly eat so much. They are just stretching their stomachs more, most likely putting their sugars out of whack for a long amount of time, adding extra weight if they are not Big on exercise, plus raising bad cholesterol and blood pressure, etc.

Oh poohy, the food doesn't get wasted if you take it home and eat it the next day or offer it to someone else for a snack later. Usually I have a salad with grilled chicken or pork or beef but on a recent trip to Toronto, I ordered a Montreal Smoked Meat on rye(fries came with it even though I didn't want them) and a regular Iced Tea(we never order desert). I ate 1/2 of the sandwich, 5 fries and 1/2 of my drink because that is where I felt comfortable(I think it is a waste of money to feel nausea from eating too much). I asked the Waiter to put the rest in a container for me to take to our hotel room for later which was okay with him.

I do admit to having 2 plates of food when we go to a Chinese Buffet(which isn't often). :P I normally eat the veg/meat selections and fruit dishes. Their plates seem smaller than many Restaurants. I still think that they have the MSG in their food or perhaps it's just the ton of sugar and salt. Why else does it taste so Good?? :D

Food commercials and ads don't make me hungry and I don't crave the foods that they are offering. I'm not sure why.

I love the occasional piece of cheesecake but I guess I will never go to the Cheesecake Factory. It sounds dangerous. :)

I agree that Restaurants and other food outlets should stop piling so much food on the plates and leave their prices reasonable. Not a Big feat. They are harming their present and future Customers.

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Permalink Reply by Rosalee Meade on October 3, 2009 at 11:32am

I wish the restaurants had a low carb menus so those of us with diabetes can have dessert. (sugar free of course)

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Permalink Reply by Danny on October 4, 2009 at 11:43am

A lot of times my wife and I will share a meal. Most people share an appetizer and then order separate main courses. We will share both the appetizer and our main course. This is of course if we are eating at a place that serves truck driver/lumber jack portions. Most fine dining restaurants serve normal to small sized portions.

I believe it is ultimately up to the consumer to make the final decision of what and how much they will be consuming. Bottom line the restaurant only wants your money, I highly doubt they care too much about the effects the food will have on your blood pressure.

Wonder if the "bigger is better" American still feels the same way about that saying when they receive their BIG doctor bills.

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Permalink Reply by Tanya (Baby Tee) on November 5, 2009 at 10:08pm

When I look at a menu, one of my first thoughts is "how will that be leftover?", because I can never eat a whole meal, and unless I'm sharing it, I will be eating it for a few more meals.

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