The Incredible Shrinking Edibles
Along with the shrinking value of the dollar come shrinking plates of food, as restaurateurs learn how to sneak smaller portions under your nose. A consultant at one food wholesaler has his customers doing the following:
- Using smaller plates (so reduced portions look the same size as before)
- Using lighter-weight utensils (so food feels heavier on a fork)
- Cooking shrimp skewered (so it doesn't curl and therefore appears larger)
While nobody wants to see his buck bang less, portions at many restaurants are already so large that this may be a blessing in disguise for people trying to lose weight. Besides, isn't one age-old dieting tip to use smaller plates so that, psychologically, you feel you're getting more? [via Lara R.]
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6 Comments:
I totally agree with the use of smaller plates. When I last moved, I bought a set of 'salad' and 'dinner' plates from Pier 1. I then realised the salad plates were as big as the plates I grew up eating off, and have since got rid of the dinner plates and just use the salad plates for everything.
Still, this move by the restaurateurs will deprive me of my lunch the day after eating out!
sarahdlr at 4:09PM on 04/14/08
i just think this is as crazy as bacon on a stick
as crazy - but ok, different...
still -who are we fooling?
lighter forks?
skewered shrimp?
(sigh)
we are such silly little humans...
cook eat FRET at 4:16PM on 04/14/08
Heh. I actually have to say that I HATE light, flimsy utensils. Their use may come back to bite some restaurateurs in the ass.
Adam Kuban at 4:31PM on 04/14/08
Make sure the customers load up on really good bread and rolls. If you load up on bread sometimes you could care less about the entree. How do you think Olive Garden stays in business- salad and breadsticks.
eatorama at 5:17PM on 04/14/08
As a person that never could finish an entire meal at a restaurant, I appreciate smaller portion sizes. As a restaurant news-watcher, I understand the need to cut costs; the industry is floundering a bit lately, and many restaurants operate on razor thin margins. I just wish the increased price (or smaller portion, as the case may be)--was more directly related to quality. I don't mind paying more for organic or sustainably-grown food.
ServU at 4:03PM on 04/15/08
With grain prices up, they might start charging for that bread plate. The Bakers Association marched on Washington in protest. Whatever the cause, smaller portions are due for a comeback.
ExpatChef at 5:04PM on 04/15/08