# Monster Portions - Why?



## Smurfmacaw (Dec 29, 2015)

I was with my wife in our favorite diner in San Diego and when they brought her BLT it was the size of a dinner plate....seriously. No possible way for a normal human being to eat all of it. There is also another restaurant we very occasionally go to that EVERY dish is outrageously huge. The food in both places is quite good - not world class, but good enough I am willing to return.

My question - is there reasoning behind ginormous portions beyond the giggle factor? Personally I'd rather have a reasonable portion of an exceptionally well prepared dish as opposed to a giant portion of a pretty good dish....or even a reasonable portion of a pretty good dish. At either restaurant, the prices aren't so stratospheric that I would have felt cheated with a human sized portion for the same price.

I think one of my favorite dining experiences was at a little place in St Louis called Fio's La Fourchette (no longer in business sadly)....each diner got a tasting sized portion (i.e. bite sized) of all the items offered that night and you could ask for more of the ones you liked...really cool. Not sure of the business model and if that was the reason for their demise but you didn't end up with a lot of food to throw away (I'm not a doggie bag kind of person).

For the pro's that make their living making food and pleasing customers....thoughts? Is it for the wow factor....do customers demand it?? Just curious.


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## Pensacola Tiger (Dec 29, 2015)

It's the "If some is good, more is better" fallacy that our society accepts and is reinforced by advertising. 

Portions have gotten so outsized than my wife and I have resorted to ordering appetizers rather than entrees.


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## Asteger (Dec 29, 2015)

I remember being caught off guard and kind of appalled by the portion phenomenon my first time back in N.America after a few years in Asia, though mondo-portions probably aren't as popular in Canada as further south. Still, all that extra food didn't seem appetising and it was easy to think of the health and environmental implications that went with it. 

I think in the food business the portion thing is just a way to woo customers and give added value, depending on the cuisine. If you have a BLT order it's just about as easy to assemble a huge one as a reasonable one, although restos will lose on food costs. Maybe it's also like a kind of arms race where competitors do it and so you do it too. I'd have a negative impression of a place that did so, though.


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## WildBoar (Dec 29, 2015)

I don't mind leftovers so I am fine with the concept. In general, I'd rather pay $35 for an entrée that will take 2 meals to finish than $25 for a one-and-done. When traveling though it sucks to pay more for those bigger entrees when you cannot realistically take the leftovers.

I've found the plate price is not always directly proportionate to the amount of food. A portion 1/2 the size is usually priced closer to 2/3s or 3/4s of the price of a comparable place with larger portions. Smaller serving sizes seem to invite higher % markups. Of course that is not true for all establishments, but it is my general experience in the DC area at restaurants that are not 'neighborhood restaurants'


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## daveb (Dec 29, 2015)

Food cost is a relatively small part of menu price, 20% or so. So an increase in food cost does not directly correspond to a price increase. That said a rest can serve an average size piece of Laz ($2 cost / $10 price) or a wow! sized piece ($3 cost / $12 price). They want you to remember "wow" not "average".


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## Castalia (Dec 29, 2015)

I lived in Europe for several years and had some reverse culture shock upon returning to the states, restaurant portions being one of many. It seems to be a draw for many to particular restaurants, "wow the portions are huge!" goes the refrain, as if that is something worth returning for. It is a tough job to find just the right portion for each customer, but the current theme is bigger is better. The giant portion trend takes some willpower not to leave feeling unpleasantly stuffed. I don't know if it is some particular American mindset that is responsible for this phenomenon, but giant portions of food at all sorts of restaurants is on the rise.


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## ecchef (Dec 29, 2015)

Diners I kind of expect to see stupid big portions; it's always been like that (East Coast anyway). Part of the shtick and perfect after a night of drinking.

In fine dining, sadly to say, I agree with Rick. I believe it's a societal thing to distinguish the modern bourgeoisie from the proletariat. The wealthy can live opulent lives, for those that aren't, excess is a good substitute. Personally, I'd always opt for quality over quantity.


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## malexthekid (Dec 29, 2015)

It is funny because over here it is almost the reverse in fine dining in that its a race to the smallest portion.

And then a "lets see what we can get people to pay forbas sides". Your main may come with a little mash of some description a bean or two and a small carrot. Any other veg/salad/starch is additional as sides

Though i must admit in most restaurants it does mean that what you get is tol quality


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## ynot1985 (Dec 29, 2015)

ecchef said:


> Diners I kind of expect to see stupid big portions; it's always been like that (East Coast anyway). Part of the shtick and perfect after a night of drinking.
> QUOTE]
> 
> every time I go to the states, my jaws drop at the size of the servings. I think an entrée is at least 2x a normal meal in Australia. OMG, the size of the cobb salads!!
> ...


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## brianh (Dec 29, 2015)

I know many people who don't know quality food, nor even care much for it when they have it. They prefer NJ diner food: bland, cooked from frozen, but lots of it. Many times have I heard about a restaurant, "They don't give ya enough."


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## Smurfmacaw (Dec 29, 2015)

Personally, I'd like to have several courses without feeling I need to go to the vomitorium to make room for the next course. Maybe I'm weird but I would MUCH rather have a smaller course that leaves me wanting another bite than something I have to try to eat and can't and then can't have the next extraordinary taste....again I guess I'm weird. Shock me with the taste rather than the size.....


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## ecchef (Dec 30, 2015)

I find the portion size in the majority of dining establishments here (mainland included) perfectly adequate for most Americans. 
Maybe because I've been here a while?


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## mark76 (Dec 30, 2015)

I had my first shock of American portion size a long time ago when I visited the States for the first time. In a NY restaurant we ordered pizza. Over here, a large pizza is something one person orders when you're hungry (medium is the standard). In NY a large pizza would feed at least 4 people. That was 20 years ago...


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## panda (Dec 30, 2015)

Because, 'murca.


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## Matus (Dec 30, 2015)

More is better. Just a consumerism at ist best. Nothing more. I have encountered some oversized dishes here in Germany. They usually come in medium to low cost class restaurants where customers value more size than taste or quality.


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## WildBoar (Dec 30, 2015)

I don't understand why the overriding thought is that you need to eat it all while at the restaurant. We have no qualms about setting some aside and getting it in a doggie bag. No one forces you to eat every morsel while you are at the table.


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## jbl (Dec 30, 2015)

It's just obscene. Food waste at an all time high, obesity at an all time high. Here in the UK, our supersize fast food meals are equivalent to small US meals in the same 'restaurants' and we still have a developing obesity crisis. 
It's the fallacy that more is more, and the doggy bag thing being normal is bizarre. Why should it be a given that there is too much food on a plate to eat in one sitting?
My grandfather said one should always leave the table wanting more. Eating til bursting and still not finishing a portion boggles my mind.
Gross


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## Smurfmacaw (Dec 30, 2015)

WildBoar said:


> I don't understand why the overriding thought is that you need to eat it all while at the restaurant. We have no qualms about setting some aside and getting it in a doggie bag. No one forces you to eat every morsel while you are at the table.



Sometimes it feels like the Costco dilemma....I want a normal sized portion of a certain food but the chef "forces" me to buy much more than I want (For those that aren't indoctrinated into the bigbox store paradigm....Costco is a warehouse store where you MUST buy in bulk (ostensibly to save money although you can usually save on any given item somewhere else if you are willing to comparison shop)...you can't buy a single loaf of bread, you must buy either two or three whether you want to or not. Pretty wasteful if you don't like freezing bread and you don't eat it fast enough to keep it fresh without freezing it.) No, no one forces a customer to clean his plate but having serving sizes so large that no normal human being could possibly eat it is ludicrous. I'm not even complaining about the cost of the dish, as previously pointed out, the food cost is not that high really....I'm paying for someone to prepare a dish that is better than something I can make myself...it is just slightly....I don't know....offensive to serve ginormous portions. Keep the price and use better ingredients and skill to make an eye wateringly good dish without me having to waste it by not eating it. (I only use doggie bags if I have something like an osso bucco and have a nice bone since my macaw loves to dismantle heavy duty bones.) That is a personal choice I realize....but still - I don't want the chef to MAKE me take it home. Maybe have size optional portions - human and redneck or something.


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## chinacats (Dec 30, 2015)

panda said:


> Because, 'murca.





Smurfmacaw said:


> Maybe have size optional portions - human and redneck or something.



:lol2:


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## WildBoar (Dec 30, 2015)

this would be an even better conversation if it included asking why most restaurants make you get a 750 ml bottle of wine -- they want me to drink it all before I drive home?  With 2 people 3-4 glasses of wine cost as much or more then getting the full bottle (which is usually 7 glasses worth). I see many people drinking more than they want to in order to empty the bottle, or paying for a full bottle and then having 1/4-1/3 of it wasted. And that has to account for even more $ than the food waste. And this is not an issue centered around the US in my experience -- European restaurants force you to drink excessively or waste a lot as well.


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## aboynamedsuita (Dec 30, 2015)

I agree that many of the fast food / diner portions are larger than what seems necessary, but I don't go out to eat anymore and do most cooking myself. Not sure it's also like that at higher up places in Canada too perhaps spoiledbroth or Godslayer can comment from a Canadian perspective.

For what it's worth, I can do a Costco shop sometimes and leave spending under $5.00 on a bag of baby kale, spinach & Swiss chard.


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## malexthekid (Dec 30, 2015)

WildBoar said:


> this would be an even better conversation if it included asking why most restaurants make you get a 750 ml bottle of wine -- they want me to drink it all before I drive home?  With 2 people 3-4 glasses of wine cost as much or more then getting the full bottle (which is usually 7 glasses worth). I see many people drinking more than they want to in order to empty the bottle, or paying for a full bottle and then having 1/4-1/3 of it wasted. And that has to account for even more $ than the food waste. And this is not an issue centered around the US in my experience -- European restaurants force you to drink excessively or waste a lot as well.



There are two points to this: the first and lesser point is if they have a good wine selection the odds of someone choosing that same bottle before it starts to taint may be low. But the primary one is that they make a lot more profit off of alcohol. So that way they win either way. And end up with the same profit whether they waste the half drunk bottle or if someone buys an entire bottle.


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## _PixelNinja (Dec 30, 2015)

WildBoar said:


> I don't understand why the overriding thought is that you need to eat it all while at the restaurant. We have no qualms about setting some aside and getting it in a doggie bag. No one forces you to eat every morsel while you are at the table.


In America maybe. In other countries/cultures, the doggie bag is not really a thing because it simply does not exist/it is not socially acceptable to ask to take the food home. That being said, personally, when I go to a restaurant it's for the experience; if I wanted to eat at home I would order out.


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## boomchakabowwow (Dec 30, 2015)

i tend to lighten up when i go abroad for long trips. 

portions in asia are tiny compared to our's here in the States. it takes a while to recalibrate my brain-stomach interface..to even remotely feel full. 

heck..i still get taken aback at the size of our USA coffee cups. you go to italy and get a coffee..it looks like a toy cup.


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## spoiledbroth (Dec 30, 2015)

personally I'd never complain about a big portion 

Methinks this is a bit of a first world problem.


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## WildBoar (Dec 30, 2015)

_PixelNinja said:


> In America maybe. In other countries/cultures, the doggie bag is not really a thing because it simply does not exist/it is not socially acceptable to ask to take the food home.


Seems to settle the initial question right there. We don't have hang-ups asking to take leftovers home here, so no biggie if portions are bigger.


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## jbl (Dec 30, 2015)

It's not a hang up, just rarely happens that there is too much on a plate to eat in Europe so restaurants aren't used to offering/being asked to bag up the leftovers. Last time I sent a customer home with anything was two years ago, and it was a kitchen foil wrapped bone for a dog.


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## malexthekid (Dec 30, 2015)

Yeah, I don't think it is hang-ups per se. Just what is served.

Here in Australia, at your mid level restaurants you can get doggie bags etc. when they serve large portions and you can't finish it. But at fine dining and higher level restaurants, and the portions and food is such that it would be rare to have much if any left over.


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## WildBoar (Dec 30, 2015)

"is not socially acceptable" is not the same as a 'hang-up'?

FWIW, I don't see huge/ monster portions at high-end restaurants here in the DC area. If your entrée is too much it is likely because you also opted for an appetizer and probably a salad. And you probably has dessert afterward. The 'big portions' are pretty rare around here except in some ethnic neighborhood places (noodles, etc., BBQ joints). As far as pizzas go, the larges -- and even mediums -- are intended for multiple people to share. Plenty of places have 'personal size' pizzas, which are generally a bit smaller than the pizzas I've seen diners hork down on visits to Italy. One of my fondest memories was watching a slender woman who probably weighed all of 110 lbs slowly and methodically plow through what I would normally take 2 meals to eat. And other Italians were knocking down similar pizzas solo. I was in awe.


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## malexthekid (Dec 30, 2015)

My guess is it is more a perception thing than anything (though from my experience last year) the portion sizes were bigger at the restaurants that served large portions. But they were also the style of restaurants that would serve large portions over here.

But at the higher end places, their servings were a lot more aimed at single serve.


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## Adrian (Dec 30, 2015)

When I moved to New York for work a dozen years ago (I am back in the UK now) I was simply astounded by the amount of meat presented on a plate in steak restaurants. It was easily double what I considered a reasonable sized portion And I am a big guy - 6ft 3" at that time though an inch shorter now!). I am less shocked by it when I visit the states now, but I do think there is a misplaced expectation of quantity over quality. It must be of concern to many that the US has a really serious obesity problem and we are going in the same direction in the UK, at quite a pace. Bizarrely, although this is anecdotal observation only and a brutal generalisation, the least economically advantaged people seem on average to be the most affected by obesity, and the most attracted to sugar and salt laden, highly processed convenience foods. We do ourselves no favours in society with this approach I fear.


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## WildBoar (Dec 30, 2015)

Adrian said:


> Bizarrely, although this is anecdotal observation only and a brutal generalisation, the least economically advantaged people seem on average to be the most affected by obesity, and the most attracted to sugar and salt laden, highly processed convenience foods. We do ourselves no favours in society with this approach I fear.


Yep. Obesity here in the US is not due to restaurants, it is a lifestyle issue. Lots of lower-income people spend their $ on crappy food. Their kids don't stand a chance. It's weird that the people who grow vegetables, etc. around here are the people with money, and those scraping to get by also seem to have Cheeze Doodles and 32 oz Pepsis within reach. You would think those with little $ would see the health and financial benefits of growing some of their food.

At least in my area the 20-somethings are much more food conscious then my generation was in our younger days. You gotta fit in those skinny jeans, Mr. Scraggly Beard!


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## Smurfmacaw (Dec 30, 2015)

WildBoar said:


> Seems to settle the initial question right there. We don't have hang-ups asking to take leftovers home here, so no biggie if portions are bigger.


I'm not so sure about that. We've all had it drilled into our heads as children (maybe I'm dating myself here) to clean our plates and not waste food..."there's starving children in china" for pete's sake (seriously, came out of my own dear mother's mouth). While it's ok to expect people to exercise restraint, it's natural to not want to waste food (the doggie bag is an afterthought when you just can't swallow another bite for some people.) I often see my wife starting to push (she's only 5 feet tall) at a restaurant and feeling guilty that she's "wasting" money by not eating all the food. I just gently remind her that if she enjoyed the taste and ambiance, there is no issue with not finishing the dish even if we have no intention to take the remainder home. Sometimes I don't even order an entrée but will have two appetizers instead...I get to taste two things and don't have any guilt or misplaced urge to gorge. I'd rather walk out of the restaurant feeling happy rather than disgusted with myself.


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## spoiledbroth (Dec 30, 2015)

maybe its a relic from the dirty thirties somehow? 

there's still alot of talk about "value for money" where restaurants (diners especially) are concerned. If I'm going to a greasy spoon for brekky on the weekend I'm probably looking for a big portion and not tremendously concerned about the provenance of the sausage, bacon or eggs.


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## WildBoar (Dec 30, 2015)

My wife -- who is not originally from the US -- shovels food into our 2-year-old's face for as long as he will put up with it (he's often preoccupied so he doesn't pay attention). I'm actually the one (yep, even with being a 'merican!) who is a bit appalled by it. She says 'he's a great eater!' but I tend to disagree with feeding him so much.

Not finishing the food on one's plate has never been an issue in my family, despite the 'starving people in ______' claims that were often made. With a family of 5, my working mom was happy if there was some food she could take for her lunch the next day or use to feed us another night. The exception was usually some gross veggie dish she would force us to choke down every now and then.

I'm not sure why some have a hang-up asking for leftover food to get packaged up to go. But my first father-in-law always refused to eat leftovers. They could make a full leg of lamb for a holiday and have over half of it left after the dinner, and he would be fine tossing it instead of having more of it in another night or two. My current wife (v2.0) and I usually make something big on Sunday so we'll have it easy making dinners for a few nights during the week. she also makes pots of soup weekly for her and my son to eat for lunches. 

To me, food is food. some is better than others , some is best the first day, and some benefits from siting a day or two and getting reheated (i.e., spaghetti sauce, most cassaroles, etc.). Guess I just grew up eating differnt then some others, and I bow a bit to convenience without resorting to frozen dinners.


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## jklip13 (Dec 30, 2015)

Since moving from Toronto to New York State, I definitely noticed the increase in portion size. Most notably it's evident in the size of "sides" most places in Canada will give you like a cup and a half of French fries when with your meal whereas in NY it seems like triple that at most places


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## Keith Sinclair (Dec 30, 2015)

There is no stigma here for taking a bag of leftovers. I usually eat all that I order, but Janice is a light eater and would always save some for her elderly mom so she could have some.

Studies have been done on everything from worms to rodents found that eating less can extend life expectancy. One of the longest living groups in America are Seventh Day Advent Women who are vegetarian & eat soy based meat substitutes. 

Eating a lot of processed foods with sugar and salt and driving everywhere, getting a parking space so will not have to walk too far leads to diabetes even in young adults if they have eaten crap all their life.

If I want to lose a few pounds it is easy even at my age, just eat less and move more. Still love my beer and bread.


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## aboynamedsuita (Dec 30, 2015)

keithsaltydog said:


> There is no stigma here for taking a bag of leftovers. I usually eat all that I order, but Janice is a light eater and would always save some for her elderly mom so she could have some.
> 
> Studies have been done on everything from worms to rodents found that eating less can extend life expectancy. One of the longest living groups in America are Seventh Day Advent Women who are vegetarian & eat soy based meat substitutes.
> 
> ...



Very true, lots of reading available about this.


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## SuperSharp (Dec 31, 2015)

I'm not normally a big eater, but I don't turn down a larger portion of something that is really good. Christmas Eve my family has always had a seafood feast. We are all unapologetic gluttons every year. There's also a local steakhouse that is the best within a 200 mile radius. Their largest steak is a 42oz monster. It is delicious and always perfectly prepared. Either meal is not something I could make a habit of, but does make for a treat on occasion. A big pile of mediocre food or a heaping side dish seems like more of the American norm, but thankfully here at least, the all-you-can-eat buffets have almost all disappeared.


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## panda (Dec 31, 2015)

i don't know how anyone can complain about a portion that is too big? that's outrageous. that's like complaining that you got a 240 gyuto for the price of a 210.


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## chiffonodd (Dec 31, 2015)

Adrian said:


> Bizarrely, although this is anecdotal observation only and a brutal generalisation, the least economically advantaged people seem on average to be the most affected by obesity, and the most attracted to sugar and salt laden, highly processed convenience foods.



Subsidies of commodity crops (corn, soybean, wheat) make processed foods extremely cheap. It used to be that only the rich could afford to get fat. Now it's almost the opposite. Only the relatively well off can afford to eat healthy.


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## Keith Sinclair (Dec 31, 2015)

Even in the US you can eat healthy not being rich. Most just do not want to or do not know better. Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, most of western Europe have better overall life expectancy than the US. 

My sister brought up both her daughter's on lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, seafood and complex carbohydrates. Both girls married men who grew up on fast food. I carve the bird for Thanksgiving at my niece's house. They had some of their friends over. Young and overweight. One of the guys was on Atkins diet. I pointed out that he was dead. Mentioned that lean meats fresh fruits and vegetables are better and complex carbs. Several of them said don't like to eat vegetables.


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## Dardeau (Dec 31, 2015)

Not eating vegetables is at least as weird as not eating meat. 
The restaurant I work at serves a 22oz ribeye, for two. The idea of a 42oz steak kind of turns my stomach. We serve some big ass portions, 3# whole fish, 2 1/2# tuna belly etc. but they are all intended to be shared by 4-6 people. It grosses me out when one person houses a big fish.


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## jklip13 (Dec 31, 2015)

Not eating vegetables is FAR weirder than not eating meat. -a carnivore


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## Smurfmacaw (Dec 31, 2015)

I always thought vegetables were what food eats....:biggrin:


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## WildBoar (Dec 31, 2015)

Good point. Best to eat veggies by way of eating what eats them.


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## Delbert Ealy (Dec 31, 2015)

I saw a study a few years ago, that is probably still accurate. It was a comparison of how much as a percentage of income people spend on food. I can't remember the numbers exactly, but the Us was in the bottom, like 1 or 2 percent. In some countries food cost was over 50 percent of income. This is in part due to the triumvirate of wheat corn and soy. As an example of this, go into any supermarket, into the center section, find something in a jar or can, and you will find one of these 3 ingredients. We grow so much of these 3 foods, that they are always used and are very cheap to buy. 

I found my metabolism changed a few years ago, I went from eating 6000-7000 Calories a day to eating around 1500. I used to eat 6-7 times a day and now it is usually twice. Because of that I too have become much more aware of the portion sizes. I have even resorted to ordering kids meals at some places, and a few times found my self not being able to finish.
Del


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## alterwisser (Dec 31, 2015)

Delbert Ealy said:


> I saw a study a few years ago, that is probably still accurate. It was a comparison of how much as a percentage of income people spend on food. I can't remember the numbers exactly, but the Us was in the bottom, like 1 or 2 percent. In some countries food cost was over 50 percent of income. This is in part due to the triumvirate of wheat corn and soy. As an example of this, go into any supermarket, into the center section, find something in a jar or can, and you will find one of these 3 ingredients. We grow so much of these 3 foods, that they are always used and are very cheap to buy.
> 
> I found my metabolism changed a few years ago, I went from eating 6000-7000 Calories a day to eating around 1500. I used to eat 6-7 times a day and now it is usually twice. Because of that I too have become much more aware of the portion sizes. I have even resorted to ordering kids meals at some places, and a few times found my self not being able to finish.
> Del



Wow! 7000 is massive... Incredible that you now only need so little in comparison. I could eat all day (seriously, it's nuts), but when my wife wanted to do some kind of 21 day cleanse (I don't believe in cleansing), I did realize that I was able to get by eating A LOT LESS, when cutting out refined food and sugar. 

21 days of Vegan eating (unfortunately) left me with 10 pounds less (although there was no limit on how much to eat), more energy, better skin and less cravings.

I could not stop eating meat. But it was a bit of an eye opener and I'm eating less now... And a lot less refined foods and especially refined carbs.


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## Keith Sinclair (Jan 1, 2016)

Me too could never give up eating meat, made a career of cooking it. Try to eat more salads & fresh fruit, brown rice, baked potatoes. I steam purple sweet potatoes with thin skin eat as a snack cold instead of buying kettle cook potato chips which I have a weakness for:O Drink a lot of Sun brewed Ice green tea.


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## SuperSharp (Jan 1, 2016)

I couldn't give up meat either. There are so many ways to make amazing meat. Not as much for veggies. They can be good, but could never trump meat. I'd rather keep going to the gym and enjoy meat than switch to veggies alone. I've given up a lot of bad habits in my life, but meat would be a tough one.


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## Asteger (Jan 2, 2016)

SuperSharp said:


> I couldn't give up meat either. There are so many ways to make amazing meat. Not as much for veggies. They can be good, but could never trump meat. I'd rather keep going to the gym and enjoy meat than switch to veggies alone. I've given up a lot of bad habits in my life, but meat would be a tough one.



I dunno, but isn't the challenge of the good cook therefore to make good veg? Meat's easy in comparison


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## panda (Jan 2, 2016)

vegetables? what the @#$% are those?


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## spoiledbroth (Jan 2, 2016)

alterwisser said:


> Wow! 7000 is massive... Incredible that you now only need so little in comparison. I could eat all day (seriously, it's nuts), but when my wife wanted to do some kind of 21 day cleanse (I don't believe in cleansing), I did realize that I was able to get by eating A LOT LESS, when cutting out refined food and sugar.
> 
> 21 days of Vegan eating (unfortunately) left me with 10 pounds less (although there was no limit on how much to eat), more energy, better skin and less cravings.
> 
> I could not stop eating meat. But it was a bit of an eye opener and I'm eating less now... And a lot less refined foods and especially refined carbs.


it's all relative though!

guys and girls far up north here in Canada and Alaska need alot of meat and fat, if you do physical labour you need more calories and typically the food which provides the most energy are fats and protein.

Also there are many districts in countries where vegetarianism is mandated by law, some of them make quite tasty food! I love Indian food, I often think I could probably live off of aloo gobi basmati rice and chenna masala


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## Keith Sinclair (Jan 2, 2016)

Complex Carbs, brown rice, whole grain pasta, baked potatoes etc. fuel the muscles for hard workouts. When I used to race bicycles mostly hill climbing that's what was good at, ate lots of fresh fruit, vegetables, complex carbs and fish. Riding 30-40 miles a day much up steep ridges had plenty energy + working full time where I would load up with quality food. Never got sick. Slept well. Was putting down lots of calories & burning them up.

Now try to keep moving but not near as much as when I was younger. Trouble is many people eat a lot and do not burn the energy and gain weight. I love to eat so if a few extra # no worries.

I think southern India has the largest vegetarian population. Northern India they eat more meat. I love Indian food too.


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## mise_en_place (Jan 2, 2016)

My family moved from Singapore to Texas in 1998. Suffice to say, it was quite a shock.


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## spoiledbroth (Jan 3, 2016)

I've been eating with chopsticks all week this week (for fun) and what I've noticed is I eat less, as it takes me longer to eat. Not that I'm particularly bad with chopsticks, but if you are eating noodles or whatever it's not as quick as a spoon or a fork. As it's taking me longer to eat, I realize I'm probably generally making bigger portions than I really need, I find with the chopsticks I feel full a lot earlier in my meals than normal.

I am going to try eating rice with chopsticks tomorrow, that should be interesting (because I tend to like mine pretty dry).

Anyway, my point being, the quicker you eat, generally the less you realize how full you are (until it's too late and then... meat sweats!) I don't think chopsticks are used universally anywhere other than Japan, but I don't know alot about Asia-- so I'm not sure how much of a point I'm making at all.

TL;DR - Eat slowly and savour your food, you might (ironically) find you'll eat less of it


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## ynot1985 (Jan 3, 2016)

spoiledbroth said:


> I am going to try eating rice with chopsticks tomorrow, that should be interesting (because I tend to like mine pretty dry).



if you use chopstick long enough, you could easily eat it as fast as with spoon/fork (maybe I'm a fast eater)

I'm chinese and you normally have rice in a small bowl so you hold it up to your mouth with one hand and use the chopsticks on the other hand to scoop the rice/food into your mouth. 

It might take forever to eat that bowl if your aim was to pick up each bit of rice with the chopstick and put it into your mouth unless the rice is clumped into large pieces already.


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## schanop (Jan 3, 2016)

Keep practising your chopsticks kung fu. Martin Yan has a cool trick to use cooking chopsticks instead of table chopsticks so that you can reach far side of the table easily, yum yum yum.


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## Asteger (Jan 3, 2016)

spoiledbroth said:


> I've been eating with chopsticks all week this week (for fun) and what I've noticed is I eat less, as it takes me longer to eat.... I don't think chopsticks are used universally anywhere other than Japan, but I don't know alot about Asia



Chopsticks countries: sure Japan, but of course China, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam also. Maybe we can include Singapore too which is very ethnically Chinese, but other SE Asian countries to a lesser extent.

Not sure about your point. Maybe it's just that you're not great with chopsticks? I'm originally Canadian too and not at all Asian, but started using chopsticks when I was about 10 or 12 in the 80s and I've have used them significantly since, especially as I've lived in some of the 'Chopsticks Countries'. Anyway, I don't think I eat any slower with them and I think people can wolf down food with 'sticks pretty well. I like the idea of savouring food, though.

I basically think that people get used to excess in certain places and it just grows (as do the people themselves) and it's hard to notice it happening.


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## Keith Sinclair (Jan 3, 2016)

:rofl2: Chopsticks are used a lot in Hawaii , the cheap ones square shape instead of round & have to separate them. I started using them many years ago so I would eat slower. As mentioned you can eat pretty fast with a couple sticks too. Dry rice could prove difficult most Asians eat rice in a bowl. Now I actually prefer using cheap chopsticks to eat.

Eat slowly and chew your food is good advice. Think it is good manners too when eating with other people.


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## Smurfmacaw (Jan 3, 2016)

spoiledbroth said:


> I am going to try eating rice with chopsticks tomorrow, that should be interesting (because I tend to like mine pretty dry).


 
I lived in Korea and Japan for a couple of years and I think chopsticks are the reason they favor short grained "sticky" rice. Even trying to scoop basmati rice from a small bowl is a real challenge. If you are looking to lose weight, get a set of the skinny stainless steel chopsticks rather than the wooden ones.....They are a real challenge! My korean friends used to laugh uproariously watching me try to eat with them even though I'm pretty good with wooden ones.


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## spoiledbroth (Jan 3, 2016)

^ yeah I was thinking about that while using a spoon to eat the rice  Almost forgot to fluff it, probably would have worked out better with the chopsticks that way though.



Asteger said:


> Chopsticks countries: sure Japan, but of course China, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam also. Maybe we can include Singapore too which is very ethnically Chinese, but other SE Asian countries to a lesser extent.
> 
> Not sure about your point. Maybe it's just that you're not great with chopsticks? I'm originally Canadian too and not at all Asian, but started using chopsticks when I was about 10 or 12 in the 80s and I've have used them significantly since, especially as I've lived in some of the 'Chopsticks Countries'. Anyway, I don't think I eat any slower with them and I think people can wolf down food with 'sticks pretty well. I like the idea of savouring food, though.
> 
> I basically think that people get used to excess in certain places and it just grows (as do the people themselves) and it's hard to notice it happening.


my point was that Japan they are used for _everything_ that I have seen, even western food.

I am pretty sure western cutlery is used more often in china korea and vietnam than japan (by locals). At least that's what NHK would have me to believe  

My point was not that all people with chopsticks eat slowly, just that eating slowly in general is better- and that I realized this while learning to use chopsticks... :bat:


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## Asteger (Jan 4, 2016)

spoiledbroth said:


> my point was that Japan they are used for _everything_ that I have seen, even western food.
> 
> I am pretty sure western cutlery is used more often in china korea and vietnam than japan (by locals). At least that's what NHK would have me to believe



Yeah, it's a bit odd when you see non-Japanese non-chopstick types of food - meat cutlets, cake, pizza - being eaten with chopsticks again. Not really different in these other countries, though, although maybe spoons will be used more, those big ceramic-type ones in China or Vietnam for some soupy dishes, or long slender stainles ones for rice and soupy things in Korea. As Smurfmacaw said above, stickier style rice is a definite help with chopsticks.


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## Kippington (Jan 4, 2016)

panda said:


> i don't know how anyone can complain about a portion that is too big? that's outrageous. that's like complaining that you got a 240 gyuto for the price of a 210.



270mm begins to get a little unwieldy for me. Give me a longer gyuto and yea I'm gonna start to complain.

Of course there's also the other end of the spectrum: :laugh:







I prefer to follow the "Eat until you are eighty percent full" train of thought, and to eat whenever I'm hungry. It has a lot to do with working in kitchens for 12 hours straight (or more) and never getting the chance to sit down to eat, instead constantly snacking on the food that's around me.

Just looking at some of the huge portion sizes that some places have makes me feel sick. How can you eat that much of anything in one sitting without getting bored of the taste? Ruins the meal if you ask me.


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## Smurfmacaw (Jan 4, 2016)

I always got a kick out of the Diamond Jim Brady school of thought about dinner portions - "Sit with your belly four inches from the edge of the table, eat until your belly touches the table."


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## gregg (Jan 5, 2016)

I've been living in France for the last 35 years, and every time I go back to the US I'm struck by how much bigger restaurant portions have gotten. I'm a big guy, but there is no way I can finish entrée/plat/dessert (appetizer/entrée/dessert) in the states now. http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/nutrition/pdf/portion_size_research.pdf
and http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-QUADRUPLED-1950s--U-S-burgers-times-big.html
Even some of the higher end restaurants I've frequented in the Bay Area in the last few years tend to overdo it. What's sad is that I'm starting to see it in France, although mostly in the teenage fast food demographic. Kids getting out of school routinely buy 2 liter cokes and sugary snacks every single day, whereas 10 years ago they would have been downing _maybe_ a 20 cl. coke, (6.7 oz.). And the bottoms keep getting wider...


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## Stumblinman (Jan 5, 2016)

Recently went through this in my restaurant. They thought dbl portions would be best kinda family style. but food cost up the roof and portions crazy. Gotta remember how much mushrooms cook down etc. It was a lotta food going out for little. Food cost soon fixed that.


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## DanHumphrey (Apr 3, 2016)

Some of us do need colossal amounts of food; my girlfriend is in the midst of Ironman training and I'm an ex-triathlete turned runner who still does cycling and swimming for cross-training. A pound of meat per meal (between us, not each) leaves us hungry again in a couple of hours. And that's with veggies, rice or quinoa, and whatever else. There are a bunch of restaurants we walk away kinda hungry from.

And we're not fat, mind... I'm 175lbs and she's 120lbs.


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## strumke (Apr 3, 2016)

Food volume was a big problem for me. I topped out at ~205 a little over a year ago @ 5'10" and started to drastically cut down on portion sizes. I also exercised more (I bike most places, including 12mi/day for work). I've slowly shed weight over the past year and now I'm around 172. I still drink, eat bacon, cheese, fries, etc. but I just do it in smaller amounts and also pay attention to how often I have some of those things. Bacon ends up on my plate at least 4 days a week, same w beer.

It sound a bit cliche, but it was more of a lifestyle change vs a specific diet, but I feel way better, look better, and enjoy wearing clothes that I could never fit into before. At restaurants I try to order food to share w/whoever I'm dining with. Sometimes that's 1-2 apps and 1 entree. Sometimes 2 entrees and share both for variety. If I have something I can repurpose, I have zero issues taking it home for a future breakfast/lunch/dinner as long as it was good and would do well a day or two later.

So, I don't mind the larger portions because I do get annoyed when a dish that I know didn't cost much and didn't take a lot of time to prepare ends up being $25-30 and isn't enough for a meal, with the exception of places where you're going knowing that the food will be outstanding and the bill will be high.


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