Doggie Bags

[MsRamsey]

American restaurant portions are far too big. Let the suing commence!

[tommy]

but if you're all happy with it who are we to criticise, enjoy!

complete tossers?

[MsRamsey]

"The food is just horrible, and the portions are so small!"

[Charlene Leonard]

Should a 13 year old boy going through a growth spurt be given the same portion as his 83 year old grandmother?  Even if their weights may be the same, their appetites are going to differ. 

I really don't think this is what Britcook is saying. Portions in the US ARE huge for everyone except the very hungry or very greedy and I agree that the high level of obesity in the US must have something to do with the fact that when you eat out the portions are big enough for a small hippo. I for one will eat what is put in front of me and have no doubt I would be the size of a house if living in US.

I feel it's much more sensible to give the larger portion size with the option of bringing any excess home (or giving it to the homeless) rather than simply telling a hungry diner, "well, you SHOULDN'T be hungry and therefore you're wrong".

Is it common practice when one has guests for dinner to pile the food sky high so as to satisfy the appetite of the hungriest person there? or do you make your own informed judgement about average portions sizes? if os, why can't restaurants do this? I get what you are saying that some people have bigger appetites but it is downright wasteful and a sad indictment of a 'have it all' society when people expect there to be more food on the plate than they can eat - I am sure over 50% gets thrown in the trashcan rather than taken home or given to the homeless.

I can honestly say that 99% of the time when I eat out in London I do not think 'Blimey, I'm still hungry' because the portions are not too small and we don't expect to be served half a cow with our hashbrowns or an entire lettuce in a salad.

[Jaymes]

I for one will eat what is put in front of me and have no doubt I would be the size of a house if living in US.

...we don't expect to be served half a cow with our hashbrowns or an entire lettuce in a salad.

Contrary to what you seem to believe, it is not common practice in U.S. restaurants for the waitstaff to hover over our tables and forcefeed us as though we were a bunch of French ducks.

The fact of the matter is that we DO have a choice, and do not HAVE to "eat what is put in front" of us if we don't wish to.

Some of those choices are to request half-orders, or share dishes with our tablemates. And, of course, to ask for the doggie bags that so amuse Britcook (our raison d'être) - and that provide us with tasty treats the next day, thereby getting several delicious restaurant-prepared meals from one outing.

But I know that I speak for the entire U.S.A. when I tell you how much we appreciate your sharing with us your helpful insight and advice into the way we prefer to do things.

Thank you so much.

Edited February 13, 2003 by Jaymes (log)

[Charlene Leonard]

does anyone know why there is such a difference in the portions in the UK and US?

[Jaymes]

does anyone know why there is such a difference in the portions in the UK and US?

I can tell you that it is generally considered to be a result of the rampant, healthy, hearty and wildly enthusiastic capitalism upon which our, thus far, fairly successful country was founded.

In other words, if you have a restaurant, and it's next door to another restaurant, and you start serving larger proportions than the other fellow, people begin perceiving it as being "more bang for the buck." They're getting more for their money.

So, the rationale goes, you can either eat it, and leave feeling really satisified that you got your money's worth, or you can share with a tablemate, believing that two people ate for the price of one, or you can take some home, and believe that you got two (or more) meals for the price of one.

And that's how it all got started, according to business gurus.

It had nothing to do with either us being fat or WISHING to be fat.

Or wishing to amuse Britcook.

(Although of course, I'm madly happy that we do.)

Edited February 13, 2003 by Jaymes (log)

[Charlene Leonard]

Contrary to what you seem to believe, it is not common practice in U.S. restaurants for the waitstaff to hover over our tables and forcefeed us as though we were a bunch of French ducks.

The fact of the matter is that we DO have a choice, and do not HAVE to "eat what is put in front" of us if we don't wish to.

so that fact that the US has one of the highest obesity levels in the world has nothing to do with the amount of food served in restaurants?

[Jaymes]

Contrary to what you seem to believe, it is not common practice in U.S. restaurants for the waitstaff to hover over our tables and forcefeed us as though we were a bunch of French ducks.

The fact of the matter is that we DO have a choice, and do not HAVE to "eat what is put in front" of us if we don't wish to.

so that fact that the US has one of the highest obesity levels in the world has nothing to do with the amount of food served in restaurants?

Actually, there are a LOT of reasons why that is, and the large proportions served in restaurants may well be one. Having spent a great deal of my time in Europe, I think another reason is that we have such an enormous land mass that we always take our vehicles places, rather than walk, as one does incessantly in European cities.

But the reasons are many and varied and ephemeral, and I have neither the time nor the inclination to continue this discussion.

It's lunchtime and I have to go eat half-a-cow and a couple heads of lettuce.

(Of course, I'll save the other half-cow for suppertime. Got to cut back somewhere.)

Edit: Actually, I'm just kidding. I'm not having half-a-cow. Or any cow at all. In fact, what I really AM having is far more apropos to this thread: leftover chile relleno from last night's dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. And yum, yum, it will be tasty.

Edited February 13, 2003 by Jaymes (log)

[britcook]

American restaurant portions are far too big.  Let the suing commence!

I thought it already had!

[britcook]

...Or wishing to amuse Britcook.

(Although of course, I'm madly happy that we do.)

I know that Americans find many of our customs, habits and food amusing, quaint even. Good to know that they're happy when we return the compliment.

[Bux]

Of course, I'll save the other half-cow for suppertime.

You ain't never seen a doggie bag until you've seen a Texas size doggie bag.

[Bux]

In other words, if you have a restaurant, and it's next door to another restaurant, and you start serving larger proportions than the other fellow, people begin perceiving it as being "more bang for the buck."  They're getting more for their money.

If anyone should come to understand that we value quantity over quality when we eat out, they should also understand that we've come a long way from the time we didn't understand there was a difference.

[maggiethecat]

Of course, I'll save the other half-cow for suppertime.

You ain't never seen a doggie bag until you've seen a Texas size doggie bag.

Is it pronounced dowggie bag, as in "get along little dowggies"?

[201]

Contrary to what you seem to believe, it is not common practice in U.S. restaurants for the waitstaff to hover over our tables and forcefeed us as though we were a bunch of French ducks.

The fact of the matter is that we DO have a choice, and do not HAVE to "eat what is put in front" of us if we don't wish to.

so that fact that the US has one of the highest obesity levels in the world has nothing to do with the amount of food served in restaurants?

Actually, there are a LOT of reasons why that is, and the large proportions served in restaurants may well be one. Having spent a great deal of my time in Europe, I think another reason is that we have such an enormous land mass that we always take our vehicles places, rather than walk, as one does incessantly in European cities.

But the reasons are many and varied and ephemeral, and I have neither the time nor the inclination to continue this discussion.

...

I'll take up the torch again for a moment. I hardly think it's fair to blame American obesity on large portions in American restaurants. What Jaymes said about the prevalance of automobiles is certainly a large factor as are fatty snacks, overly processed groceries, and fast food. Outside of eGullet, I'd say that fast food probably makes up the greater percentage of "eating out" experiences for most Americans.

I've just compared McDonald's nutritional data for the Big Mac in the US and the UK:

The UK serving is 215g with 493 calories and 22.9g of fat (9.8g saturated).

The US serving is 216g with 590 calories and 34g of fat (11g saturated).

Well, I guess they DID make the Big Mac smaller for the UK customers , but hopefully you'll also notice the larger difference in fat content and calories. Now the French fries:

A "medium" UK serving is 110g with 293 calories and 12.8g of fat (2.8 saturated).

A "medium" US serving is 147g with 450 calories and 22g of fat (4g saturated).

Obviously the American "medium" size is larger, but it also contains a higher proportion of fat. You'd have to eat almost twice as many of the UK fries in order to get the same fat content.

In any case, I certainly agree that the US is largely a wasteful society. However, I simply cannot see how the concept of taking excess food home to be used later can be considered an example of that. Yes, I understand that you're saying it shouldn't be there in the first place, but that seems to me an issue better taken up with the slaughterhouses than the dining public. (... he said as he finished up some leftover Thai food from the previous evening )

[tommy]

Portions in the US ARE huge for everyone except the very hungry or very greedy and I agree that the high level of obesity in the US must have something to do with the fact that when you eat out the portions are big enough for a small hippo

how often do you think that americans eat out? once a week? probably not. once a month? that's my guess. some quick analysis leads me to believe that restaurants and those portions aren't the leading cause of the obesity in america.

i eat out close to 10 times a week. i'm far from obese. subjectively speaking.

[Wilfrid]

"Far" is a flexible concept, isn't it? Chubby.

[tommy]

does anyone know why there is such a difference in the portions in the UK and US?

because we can.

[tommy]

perhaps when i'm your age i'll be as thin as you.

ediot: arguing with myself.

this ain't soda and pizza weight my friend. it's foie gras and burgundy weight. and a lot of water as wel. it's my investment for the future.

that's more like it.

Edited February 13, 2003 by tommy (log)

[Wilfrid]

(clearing throat)

Edited February 13, 2003 by Wilfrid (log)

[Wilfrid]

this ain't soda and pizza weight my friend.  it's foie gras and burgundy weight.  and a lot of water as wel.  it's my investment for the future.

perhaps when i'm your age i'll be as thin as you.

Chubby and incompetent.

Edited February 13, 2003 by Wilfrid (log)

[tommy]

this ain't soda and pizza weight my friend.  it's foie gras and burgundy weight.  and a lot of water as wel.  it's my investment for the future.

perhaps when i'm your age i'll be as thin as you.

Weird. I didn't say that.

hehe.

[Stephanie]

I think I read somewhere about a study that showed that people tend to eat what's put in front of them and to "clean their plate." So if you are increasingly served larger portions, you'll get used to them. I bet if you went back 20 or 30 years ago and showed people then what are "standard" junk food portions today, they probably would have thought them absurdly large.

[tommy]

I think I read somewhere about a study that showed that people tend to eat what's put in front of them and to "clean their plate."  So if you are increasingly served larger portions, you'll get used to them.

i've been told this by several friends who have come here from the UK and quickly gain 20 lbs. apparently there's a lack of self control issue somewhere here.

[Ron Johnson]

I wonder who consumes more food and calories in a sitting:

(a) One who sits for a 9 course menu at a Michelin 2 or 3 star in France with aperitifs, wine, petit fours, and after dinner drinks.

(b) One who sits for 20 oz. porterhouse with baked potato, broccoli, and salad with iced tea at an "American" restaurant.