Eating Too Much In A Restaurant? Complain To The Chef

We all know the sermon: We are fat and getting fatter because we eat too much. These days the people giving us too much food are (pick one):

a) Your mother
b) Your spouse
c) The chef at your favorite restaurant

The answer is probably c), the chef. Your mother or your spouse may also try to overfeed you but since we eat so few meals at home, we are more likely to get too much food to eat from the restaurants we go to for our breakfasts, lunches and dinners.

Sometimes the overfeeding of the customer is obvious. Any entrée that is bigger than your head is obviously going to contain too many calories -- unless you are tackling a head of cauliflower for dinner. Portion inflation is also obvious in the bagel and muffin trade. What used to be standard muffin or bagel size is now regarded as mini as in a mini-muffin. And when your breakfast of pancakes, fried eggs, bacon, sausage, hash brown potatoes and buttered toast fills a platter that could hold a Thanksgiving turkey, you know that you may be eating enough food for a family of four.

But the problem is that we have become accustomed to restaurant portions and don't think of them as too big. It is easy to spot a meal that may cause weight gain, especially when the food on the plate is stacked so high, you can't see the head of the eater. But when everyone is the restaurant is served a pound of meat or fish and two cups of mashed potatoes or rice, we assume that this is a normal portion. Think about a steak restaurant. If the steak portions on the menu range from 8 ounces to 20, we regard the 8 ounces steak as a tidbit rather than twice as much meat as we should be eating at a meal.

Even the appetizers have fallen victim to portion inflation. As someone who prefers eating an appetizer and a salad rather than an entrée, I have been shocked at how much food is served for a course that typically is followed by the main meal and maybe even dessert. When some humongous portion of an appetizer was put before me recently, I asked the waiter if most people could eat another course after this one. "Sure," he said. "This is just the first course." It is only when we eat in another country that we realize how much less food is served.

Who is responsible for overfeeding us in a restaurant? It turns out that the decision to plate large amounts of food is usually made by the executive chef. This is the person who is responsible for developing menus, overseeing meal preparation and service and also the economics of the kitchen. How much food is served is not a matter of wanting to comfort the customer with a big portion but rather how much profit can be made when balancing the portion size against the cost of food, overhead, labor and the perception of the customers that they are getting "what they paid for."

Barbara Rolls and her colleagues asked chefs attending culinary meetings in the U.S. what was involved in deciding how much food to serve. More than 80 percent of them served 8 ounces of the main course-protein component and were unaware that this was at least 4 ounces more protein than the recommended government dietary guidelines. The same discrepancy held for servings of side dishes such as pasta. Plate size figured into their calculations as well; about a third of the chefs used plates that were more than a foot across. In their report, published in Obesity in 2007, the authors reported that the age of the chef influenced portion size. Those over 51 served significantly smaller portions and tended to use smaller plates than the younger chefs. There was no explanation for this discrepancy. Perhaps the older ones were working in more expensive restaurants where portion sizes tend to be smaller. Maybe they were beginning to suffer from obesity-related problems and were sensitive to how much food their customers were eating. Or perhaps they remembered what normal portions sizes looked like.

Don't expect the chef to be concerned about your weight-loss program. Only 41 percent of them thought that excess calorie intake was related to obesity. Some pointed to saturated fat as the cause of weight gain but disregarded the fact that unsaturated fat such as olive oil has the same number of calories per gram. A few even mentioned drinking too much water and eating too much fiber as the culprits!

Since the chefs make the executive decision about portion sizes, would or could they also serve smaller portions? They were asked if they could reduce portion size without losing customers and most agreed a modest reduction of about 10-15 percent would not be noticed. However, cutting 25 percent of the portion and serving 6 rather than 8 ounces of protein would, they believe, lose them customers. Some of them stated that if the customer was served more food than he or she should eat, it was up to the customer to eat less. If the customer felt that a meal paid for had to be a meal completely eaten regardless of its size, well then, that was the customer's decision. Don't blame the chef if you eat too much.

I doubt if we are going to see restaurants promote themselves by advertising either "tiny portions" or "you will want to ask for more." So we the restaurant diner has to depend on well-known strategies to keep our food intake within appropriate boundaries such as:

1. Eat half the entrée and take the rest home.
2. Share an entrée .
3. Order an appetizer and salad -- not the main course.
4. Avoid restaurants known for large portions.
5. Eat at restaurants that promote small tapas so you can order as much or as little as you feel like eating.
6. Make a late lunch, rather than dinner, your eating out event of the weekend. The portion is always smaller (and less expensive).
7. Don't be afraid to leave food on your plate even if the waitperson looks offended.
8. When you do eat at a restaurant whose portions are appropriate for only one person rather than a party of four, compliment the chef.
9. Stop feeling as if you have to eat your money's worth of food. As a friend once told me, "What is the point of eating more than I should just because I paid for the dish? If I do, then I am going to gain weight and then I will have to pay someone to help me lose it. "
10. Even though restaurant portions are one size fits all, diners are not. Do you really want to eat the same amount of food as someone who weighs twice as much as you do?

Maybe someday, all menus will list portion sizes. Some restaurants are already doing this. In the meantime, it will be up to you, not the person with the tall white hat, to determine how much you should eat.

 

Follow Judith J. Wurtman, PhD on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@stopmed_wt_gai

Comments

[thebigbike]

07:22 PM on 08/26/2011

...Who is responsible for overfeeding us in a restaurant? It turns out that the decision to plate large amounts of food is usually made by the executive chef....."

but really that's pretty pointless. and an unattractive attempt to throw the responsibility away form the one sitting in front of the serving filling his pie hole .

Your last ten points should have been at the top of the article.

[Maggi Maybelater]

06:41 PM on 08/22/2011

Oh, after reading some of the other posts, esp. ones that say we have to be responsible, which I believe is basically true, I also have to point to researcher Brian Wansink of Mindless Eating. His team of researchers found over and over that just about EVERYONE is susceptible to eat more when there is more food available, even people who insist they are not influenced by it. People served food in an unbeknownst to them bottomless bowl of soup that just kept adding soup as people ate ending eating more soup than those who had set amounts. People whose waitresses removed plates of bones from chicken wings--thus removing the evidence of how much they ate-- tended to eat more wings than those whose gnawed bones were left to pile up. And on and on. Of course, when we are made to be aware, we can take more responsibility, but until then, I don't think it's too much to ask for cooperation from the restaurant. Then again, the consumer is king. If they buy it, the restaurant will serve it.

[Maggi Maybelater]

06:30 PM on 08/22/2011

I don't prefer to get an appetizer and salad because the appetizers are often fatty and don't have enough protein for my tastes. However, I know some of my dates have liked that I am willing to split one appetizer and take a third of whatever full meal they get. I usually say I prefer a side of veggies and a baked potato, but I go with their choice. They often do choose what I prefer. It's about the right amount of food for me and I know a few of the men have been surprised and happy that it's enough food for them, too. Plus, the bill is very reasonable. Of course, it can hurt a bit when you get charged for splitting things, but it is probably only fair, since a portion of your food price goes to "rent" on the table. After all, I want to eat out for the ambience at times as well as the food. But, we sometimes don't say what we plan, esp. because I prefer to eat all my food at once, so I save the appetizer on its plate and use it for my share of the rest, too. But if they charge, it stil seems worth it. And we have the option of ordering more and asking for a to-go container before we start.

[annyperl]

12:55 PM on 08/22/2011

Before I started working at the restaurant I didn't notice portions are so big! When youm are a consumer, you think they are too small. When you work behind the curtains of food industry, you realize that portions are really big. I know many people who think that portions at restaurants (http://www.pissedconsumer.com/consumer-reviews/restaurants.html) are too small. Certainly, all my efforts to prove they are wrong never work :) Hope, this article will help people to look on food they see with eyes, not with stomach.

[joeomar]

10:57 AM on 08/21/2011

You're blaming the executive chefs for portion sizes being too large? That's so dumb it's hard to know where to begin. Restaurants package meals to maximize sales. If there's a trend in this country towards oversized portions it simply means one thing: that's what the public wants. Duh. This is ESPECIALLY self-evident on this particular topic, since restaurants would obviously make more money if they put less food on the plate. But it won't sell. Example: A few years ago Ruby Tuesdays reduced the size of their portions. They did this based on surveys showing the American public thought portion sizes were way too large. It was a disaster for them, their business tanked. You can take all the surveys in the world but if you want to know what people REALLY WANT, you look at how they're spending their money. The almighty dollar is the absolute last word in consumer surveys.

[Monk E Rotica]

02:32 PM on 08/22/2011

In upscale urban areas, small plates are the norm and there's no shortage. They serve customers who WANT small portions so they can try a variety of meals, instead of one huge oversalted pile of cheap glop that they can't finish and have to take home and let sit in the fridge for three days before they throw it out, yet still feel this is "value."

[jdc384]

05:39 PM on 08/24/2011

agreed. and i think a more basic point that the author misses is that going out to dinner should be a special occasion -- it's ok to let loose sometimes. i go to a steakhouse a couple of times a year for a celebratory pig-out -- the last thing I want to do at one of those meals is think about how i might be eating too much. in my everyday life, i eat little meat, essentially no processed food, lots of fiber, and i exercise all the time. going out to a big dinner is an indulgence, yes, but i don't regret it one bit -- having fun in your life is at least as important as keeping a watchful eye on what you eat. and i certainly wouldn't want to go to a steakhouse with 4-oz portions.

[William Anderson LMHC]

09:05 AM on 08/20/2011

Good article Judith! I've kept off 140 lbs. I lost through Therapeutic Psychogenics for 25 years. One of the policies I've adopted is limiting restaurant meals to one meal a week at places that do not reveal the caloric values on their menu. It makes things much easier. I'd eat out more often if restaurants made the info more available, but until they do, I'd rather keep the weight off like I have. It's much easier. Better for the budget too!

William Anderson, LMHC
Author of 'The Anderson Method - Secrets of Permanent Weight Loss'
Blog: http://theandersonmethodblog.wordpress.com/2011/05/18/can-eating-every-two-hours-really-help-me-lose-weight/

[johnlhose]

11:12 PM on 08/19/2011

My wife and daughter actually observed a man vomiting onto his plate in a local restaurant. That's one way to solve the problem.

[stape45]

10:26 PM on 08/19/2011

Joan Baez said it best: “Take what you need and leave the rest.”

[mkthinker]

09:27 AM on 08/19/2011

I think the main reason plate are growing is that the actual food costs of the restaurant are small. You go to a restaurant and your meal costs say 10 dollars. That 10 dollars goes to rent the space, the wages, up the chain to management office, and for the raw food stuffs. They buy food in bulk at rates much lower then we do at a grocery. So if they double the portion size and charge now 18 dollars they can say 'look how much food you get for that'. Meanwhile, the rent, wages all over head costs for them stay the same. They still have to cook it either way, so same labor. They kick in about 2 dollars more of bulk rate food and charge 8 more dollars per dish. It's in the name of profit. So when you take it home it still 'works' for them. That is why I leave it there. Management notices when they are throwing away food. There are restaurants I don't go to because of the portion sizes. Basically to change the policy the only thing I can think of to do is have groups of 4 women repeatedly go to those large restaurants and order one entree to split. That happens enough and management will realize they lost a table for an hour, server time and only sold one meal and possibly change the policies. (if you do this, please tip extra to your server- servers aren't the problem here)

[Sylv Taylor]

09:14 PM on 08/18/2011

Unfortunately, a lot of places don't do half-size meals. It sucks to have to pay twice as much for twice as much food, when I can only eat about half of what most places serve. Yes, leftovers are nice, but it would be nice to have more offerings that are friendly to one's budget as well as one's waist.

[Archie1955]

08:13 PM on 08/18/2011

It is immoral to waste food when so many people in the world don't have enough to eat. If you are too snooty to take the overage home then simply order less to begin with or share it with members of your party before partaking of it. My wife and I share many different meals especially salads and desserts (when we order desserts which isn't often). Often times we order a smaller size of the main dish (always ask if they have appetizer sizes of main dishes). We rarely order two complete meals for ourselves because we don't like to have to take food home and we will not waste it.

[Husang Dat Song Lee]

05:27 PM on 08/18/2011

Scratch this article please. Don't get me wrong, it's a well written article with some insight on a national epidemic (now pandemic if you look at China and other developing/industrial countries). But, the REAL reason behind is -ahem- US (not U.S.). We WANT bigger portion sizes; we WANT crazier and crazier burgers and dishes that we believe are tantalizing our taste buds; we WANT more. As a society we need to learn that our bodies can take only so much punishment; that we have to overcome the innate desire to overeat to (get our moneys worth); find other outlets for emotions, etc.

As a society we can make a change - and it starts with YOU

[Danigirl22]

03:58 PM on 08/18/2011

Ugghh it's ridiculous that we blame everyone but ourselves for being overweight. The truth is not hard to figure out, our plates, cups, wine glasses, martini glasses, bowls...have gotten larger and larger over the years. If we all bought plates from the 40's we' all start to lose weight. American's are on the whole taught to "clean your plate", that's fine if you're eating off a plate from the 50's (which was 9 inches across on average) compared to now (averaging around 11 inches). We want to feel satiated and comforted when we eat. Restaurants usually serve gigantic portions because they want they're patrons to feel like they're getting a lot for their money. Think about the times you eat at a restaurant that does serve very small portion sizes...you always feel cheated when you walk out the door!

[FrenchKissed]

05:13 PM on 08/20/2011

I agree with you, though I've noticed in fancy restaurants the plates are usually bigger than usual but the portions are considerably smaller. At fancy restaurants I can usually eat a salad and main course completely and still have enough room to split a dessert with my husband.

Even more than price I find that to be the number 1 indicator of a fancy restaurant- large white plates and small, artistic looking portions.

[Danigirl22]

06:28 PM on 08/20/2011

Sooo true, but when you eat at a fancy restaurant you expect a large plate, small portion. When you eat at your local italian chain restaurant, you expect a big heaping plate of food. Yummy! Now I'm starving

[925chi]

03:39 PM on 08/18/2011

I mean, really, are there people who actually are gaining insight from the 10 "strategies" in the article? I certainly hope not. Just say, "use common sense".

[GoogleAlphaPublishing]

03:38 PM on 08/18/2011

"But when everyone is the restaurant is served a pound of meat or fish and two cups of mashed potatoes or rice, we assume that this is a normal portion."

This isn't true. People have to know what's the right size portion for them. Why even look to blame someone else if my mind can't discern what my body's supposed to consume?

There's no real reason for overeating. It's all in people's heads.