Ed Levine's Serious Diet, Week 22: Restaurant Portions May Destroy My Diet
"Eight ounces of steak? An amuse bouche in my eyes."
Until very recently I was obsessed with the bigger-is-better school of eating. I would always look for what I thought would be the biggest appetizer, the biggest main course, and the biggest dessert. Half a rack of ribs? Not enough. A four-ounce burger? Child's play—or at the very least a child's portion. Half portions of pasta were for wusses. Eight ounces of steak? An amuse bouche in my eyes.
Now that I'm trying to change the way I eat and live, I'm really trying to cut down on my portion size. It's easier to do this at home, and much more difficult to do so at restaurants, where many chefs and restaurateurs want to impress you with quantity instead of quality because they want to be seen as generously spirited and magnanimous. There are a few chefs, however, who are taking a gutsy approach to portion size.
I've had a couple of meals at Blue Hill at Stone Barns recently (much more on that next week), where Dan Barber is determined to dazzle us with quality instead of quantity. Barber serves anywhere from five to seven small courses on his tasting menu, and, yet, after each meal I felt excited and sated instead of bloated and semi-comatose.
I wish more chefs and restaurateurs would be willing to try this approach to cooking for their customers. Serious eaters would undoubtedly end up doubling their pleasure without feeling cheated or deprived. I have no idea how this kind of thinking is going to affect my weigh-in now, but if I keep this notion in mind as I try to figure out how to control my weight for good, I'll be a lot better off.
All right, I'm down another pound. Nine all together. One small step for smaller portions and smallkind.
Thoughts, serious eaters?
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
17 Comments:
Keep it up, Ed. I'm down 27 pounds as of this morning (a long way to go to my goal) and I know exactly what you're talking about. I've cut eating out nearly completely from my schedule.
Portion sizes in American dining have gotten ridiculously out of control, just like a lot of other consumerist tendencies in our country. Bigger does not always mean better. Most of the time, it means worse for you.
ronzoni at 8:55AM on 06/13/08
At most restaurants, once I see the portion size, I determine whether it is reasonable to eat most of it, or if there is enough for 2 or more meals. I once had a veal oscar that was enough for 4 meals! I have no qualms about taking it home - another delicious meal that I only have to reheat. Sometimes I need to supplement it with vegetables or a salad, but it's still a great, healthy and lower calorie meal than I might have had. The key is to decide how many "reasonable" meals your portion is immediately. If two, then only eat half and take home the rest. Don't leave your doggie bag on the table like I've done more times than I'd like to remember. ;-)
PerkyMac at 9:07AM on 06/13/08
When I moved to N. America, I had a real problem with restaurant meals - enormous portions of tasty food, I didn't want to leave any of it. Then I learnt about taking a box home, something that doesn't happen at all in Europe. After that, I walked into the restaurant already planning to only eat half my meal. It was mentally divided before it even reached my mouth, which made it much easier to exercise control. And suddenly I was having lovely tasty lunches as a bonus after eating out :)
sarahdlr at 9:07AM on 06/13/08
I'm convinced that most people would be surprised at how much weight they would drop JUST by adjusting their portion sizes. I used a calorie counting website when I started eating healthier; that aspect was a real eye-opener for me.
I have read about people actually asking the waiter to immediately put half of the meal in a take-home box... I've never gone this far myself but I do end up taking at least half home with me.
candicem at 9:19AM on 06/13/08
Congratulations on your diet. This is one of, if not my biggest issue with American restaurant dining. I love to eat but have to watch my weight and portion sizes are way too big. I live in Chicago where at most not all, they are ridiculous. I try to share an entree, or get 2 appetizers but I also love food so will eat more than I should if it is on the plate. Most of the time a main protein dish can be divided into 2 and sometimes 3. I actually like eating at some of our higher end Chicago restaurants just because they will do tasting portions. I wish other places wold catch on!
Jbout at 9:42AM on 06/13/08
I have an acquaintance in Manhattan who almost never cooks and eats out in restaurants regularly yet manages to keep the weight off and still have frozen meals in the freezer to thaw and heat up for those times when she doesn't want to go out. Her secret? When dining out she religiously - no matter what the item and what size the portion is - cuts her entree and side dish in half when it arrives at the table. The leftover 50% gets wrapped and taken home then straight into the freezer in appropriate packaging.
I think a restaurant that offered the option of being served a portion 1/2 the size for 1/3 less $$ would find it to be a successful program.
phaelon56 at 10:01AM on 06/13/08
I almost never order appetizers and if I do, they are shared. (I realize that this might not work as well for someone who's a professional food critic) I do dip into the bread basket. Like most here, I end up taking 1/2 of my plate home 99% of the time. I would LOVE it if restaurants offered reduced portions for less money, especially for those things that do not reheat well!
Vegetarianka at 10:23AM on 06/13/08
You know, I have never left a restaurant complaining that they didn't serve me enough food. More often than not, I leave with a doggie bag in hand a distended belly. I would much prefer to have a tiny appetizer, an itty-bitty salad, and a small entree - hey, that leaves room for dessert. Besides, when I'm served too much food, I go from saying, "Wow - this tastes incredible!" to "Dang, I never want to see this again,."
sarahbeam at 11:20AM on 06/13/08
Wow!! Just because some diners have no self-control, they are now punishing those of us who get 2-3 meals out of a restaurant dinner!!
Smaller portions, and they're not going to charge less!
pthom at 12:01PM on 06/13/08
Many people have been focusing on eating half, but another tactic that can be useful with hugely-portioned meals is to change the components of the dish you eat most of. For example, as a vegetarian, my only option is often pasta with marinara or something similar. I'll eat some of the pasta, usually less than half, and virtually all the vegetable sauce. Then I'll take home the leftover pasta and either resauce it or incorporate it in a pasta frittata. Anyway, my point is, almost any calorie-dense ingredient can be stretched out further than any relatively low-calorie ingredient. And doing so makes for more healthy meals.
annatr at 12:08PM on 06/13/08
The problem with most places is they sprinkle some kind of fairy dust on the food so that when you do try to be responsible and only eat half, then take the rest home... when you reheat it, it does not taste nearly as good as it did when you originally sat down to eat it the day before...
ronzoni at 12:28PM on 06/13/08
I don't know if most restaurants that people eat at on a day-to-day basis would be willing to serve small plates this way. It's rare to see places that even offer half portions. I'd go for it, though! Eating half or selectively is another good tactic, boxing up a portion of your meal as soon as it hits the table so you're not tempted to eat everything on your plate.
OneWallKitchen at 12:33PM on 06/13/08
I have to agree that portion sizes really are out f line with reality. and btw Ed congrats!!! you really are doing amazingly well! Ha anyone ever had the problem of asking for a to go box and the wat person refusing, I've had this happen and their justification was I had barely touched my food, so I must not like it so why should they "waste" a to go box when I'd probablyjust dump it. Needless to say I have never gone back there. Actually I loved the food too, but because of health issues my intake is much less than most.
huneybumper at 1:36PM on 06/13/08
@huneybumper.........that's outrageous! I hope you called for the manager or the owner.
I prefer the large portions because extra meals make the high price for the meal more worth it on my budget. I can justify the price when I know I'll get at least 2 meals and won't have to cook. I never have a problem reheating or reworking the ingredients into another tasty meal. The hardest part is resisting the urge to eat my leftovers as a bedtime snack.
PerkyMac at 3:26PM on 06/13/08
Actually Perky the owner was the one I spoke to. Needless to say I dont recomend that particular resteraunt to anyone even though the food is outstanding. ;)
huneybumper at 6:03PM on 06/13/08
If they were so sure you didn't like the food, surely they should have offered you your money back?!? The food is yours, who were they to tell you no.
sarahdlr at 11:13PM on 06/13/08
You know who does portion sizes right, here in the Bay Area? Chez Panisse. You get great food, multiple courses, but never too much. In fact, on more than one occasion I've said to my wife, everyone at the table should be allowed to ask for another serving of their favorite course. Leave 'em wanting more doesn't mean leaving customers unsatisfied.
Harold Check at 8:23PM on 06/15/08