I wanted to share a story. I have this friend who's a Chef - a damn good one, in fact. Makes amazing food that's complicated and different from what you can get, anywhere.

He's been heartbroken lately, because he cooks these 6-course meals (small but unique courses), and he's had several guests in a row who are on the "eat only half of your plate" diet. So for whatever he puts together, he's throwing half of his effort and money away. (Not to mention, taking up time that he could have been serving a different guest.) As you can tell: he looks at his cooking as something of an art.

What do you all think? If it were me, I would be careful to thoughtfully eat what I wanted, taking my time, and being mindful of not taking more than I needed; but I would not blindly take more than I needed and throw it away.

I can still empathize with the "eat only half" idea. It's a major, but necessary, change to recalibrate how much food you need, and how different that can be from the servings you frequently get. (If I'm trying to eat decently when getting lunch from a restaurant, I basically have to do this.) But there's a time for it.

Can they not just box up the rest of the food? I do that all the time. Portions at restaurants are typically waaay too humongous.

I asked for a doggie bag in France at some restaurant and they almost died...
Then I heard the waiter mutter something in French, now I have never learned a word of French except Wi Wi, but I am assuming it was something along the lines of "Stupid fat American"

Well, the next time I'm in France, I'll be sure to not ask for a doggy bag.

Btw, Ara, is your name pronounced are-uh or air-uh or some other way. (I'm still working on a nickname for you. )

hehe. Ara, thats funny. They probably rarely hear the term "doggie bag" in english or french.

The first time I served a group of American's that were in the area for hunting season, one of them ordered Fries with their burger.. I got the strangest look I've ever recieved when I asked him if he wanted gravy on his fries. It was priceless.

Dave, I can understand why your friend would be offended, but i'm curious like Rachael.. Are these half platers taking home their leftovers? It's a terrible waste to throw away any type of food, nevermind food that has been thoughtfully prepared.

One of the hardest parts of my lifestyle change has been accepting that it is ok not to eat everything on my plate. I'm sure that if I went to your friends restaurant and the food was amazing, filling and rich that I might fill up before the meal is over (especially if it is 6 courses!!). I wouldn't want to force myself to eat it if I became full, because then you just aren't enjoying it anymore.

I came from a Ukrainian background and was raised that if it was on my plate, I had to eat it.. whether I was full or not ("there are starving children in the world that aren't as fortunate as you!"). For example, my Uncle and I have birthdays that fall near Thanksgiving. This past year, there was Saskatoon Berry Pie (uncle), Pumpkin Pie (thanksgiving), and Birthday Cake (me!) for dessert. Most people at the table had a FULL serving of each dessert (even after eating a turkey dinner with perogies and all that jazz). I said I wanted a small piece of cake, and my aunt and cousin seemed offended that I didn't want to have a piece of each!

It's taken me a long time to realize its ok not to eat *everything* on my plate, and that leftovers are ok.

its Air-Uh, its funny how many people I meet in real life after telling them my name the proceed to call me Eric or Airy...



I am learning this too. Not only would I finish everything on my plate, but my girlfriends as well. I hate to see food goto waste.

Tara and Ara (haha, I did a double take on those names), I am learning the same thing. I also got the "starving children" lecture plus I love food and hate throwing good food away. But, yeah, I'm getting there.

And Ara, I've been calling you are-uh in my head this whole time. Air-uh is going to take some getting used to.

You would

It would not be appropriate to post what I've been calling you in my head all this time...

I eat it all on my plate and my wife's and can't pass up free food (like the snacks at work) because I'm cheap. Gotta work on the half-plate thing.

I've been thinking are-uh also. Oops!

agh, you would die at my work. in order to try to get us to come to educational lectures (instead of doing the piles of work we need to) they provide "free lunch" - always horrendously fatty. and yet I can't resist it. I actually stopped going, because even if I'd brought my own lunch the brownies, etc, would be too much to resist. I just don't have the willpower

I pronounced it Air uh! Probably because my name is pronounced Tare-uh, and i'm used to pronouncing ara that way. However, if my name was pronounced the english way Tar-uh, I would have probably read your name as are uh.

O_o welcome to my brain. its fun in there.

Haha well thank you Tara.... I always pronounced yours as Tare-uh as well... possibly the same reasons

Another phonetical reader here, "Ah-rah", and I don't think I can change it now! Oil well...

As for this eat half on your plate deal, while the point is clear, I prefer to just eat off of smaller plates.

I too often put a lot of heart and soul into the dishes I prepare, (and I always try to make them equal parts healthy and tasty), so I can totally understand chef-friend's disgruntlement.

If a person is going to go out and experience the art of a true chef, then do it right, or not at all. Save it for a treat-meal and enjoy the hell out of it all. & DAMMIT!

Haha, yeah, I'm french and I can tell you that in France you just DON'T ask for a doggy bag. That's kind of stupid (after all, if you paid for your food, you should do whatever you want with it), but that's just not part of our culture... So most people don't finish their plate and it's wasted.

Anyway, When I'm on a diet (i.e. trying to lose some weight, not just maintain my current weight) I just don't go to restaurants, because in restaurants you can't control what you're eating. That way I can save money to buy more healthy food when I'm home ^^;
And if I really have to eat at a restaurant, I usually order a only a salad and drink water.

And If I'm OK with my current weight, I just eat whatever I want at the resaurant, finish my plates, and I just eat less and exercise more the next day(s).

Yup, the only choice for doggie-bags in France is to bring your own tupperware, heheh...

As for eating out when dieting, I find sushi and sashimi to be a wonderful choice, one knows what's in the simple sushi, and as for the rolls, it pays to be prudent. Plus it's nice to have tea as an accompanyment and to be in control of the sodium.



Nicolas, I'm similar way when enjoying, and do like the Fins say, "make a balance day".

Yeah, sushi and sashimi are pretty diet-friendly I guess...
But the japanese restaurant we usually go to has an 'all you can eat' menu, and those beef & cheese yakitori are always tempting me :-P

In Paris? Care to share that name and address, Mr Bailly?

^^Thinking of the all-you-can-eat sushi, not the yakitori, but a stick er two is always nice.

Osaka Sushi : 17- 19, Boulevard de Montmartre =)
There are many better sushi restaurants in Paris, but it's ok, and it's all-you-can eat for 20 euros on saturday and sunday nights (maybe friday too, I'm not sure).

Merci. Perhaps we'll check it our one hungry weekend.