Restaurant Portion Sizes and All You Can Eat Buffets

[Orlong]

So in threads about obesity that often pop up, one thing that is always mentioned is how the US has much bigger portion sizes in restaurants in general than a few European countries and others. From my understanding not only are portion sizes smaller in Europe but meals cost more as well. Why would someone go out to eat somewhere and leave hungry because they arent served enough food.

In my opinion, most restaurants in the US serve exactly the right amount of food (with the exception of those tapas or gastronomy places where they bring you bite sized dishes). If youre paying money for a meal, when you are done eating there should always be leftovers to take home. If not, youre getting stiffed and leaving hungry.

And my second question. Is the US the only country where all you can eat restaurants are a common thing? We have AYCE places everywhere here. Everything from Chinese Places(well the average Americans idea of Chinese anyway), Home Cooking style food, Seafood, Pizza, all have AYCE buffets you can go to. It feels great to spend $10 to $15 and eat till you cant move. Its a great Value!

From googling, this appears to be a visual representation of a US meal, VS and European meal.



The one on the left is a US meal, the middle is a US kids meal, and the right one is a European meal. If I ate the right one, Id be hungry an hour later, if it even sated me at all

[Deleted]

I've never been hungry because of not being served enough food. I often have to leave food on the plate because it's too much to eat.

[Deleted]

Anyone who eats "till you cant move" is a greedy pig, gluttony is a vile vice.

[Deleted]

only in the ussr

[Medusa Cascade]

I've never been hungry because of not being served enough food. I often have to leave food on the plate because it's too much to eat.

Yup, get more than enough usually.

[Independent voter]

I had this old uncle, the kind of person who nobody quite knew what he did for a living, he would go to all you can eat buffets and smuggle out food.

There's an all you can eat Chinese place here and it's wonderful in almost every way. It's always packed with customers a lot of which are fat.

[Orlong]

Anyone who eats "till you cant move" is a greedy pig, gluttony is a vile vice.

Only if you do it for every meal. When youre paying for all you can eat, youre supposed to get your money's worth and eat more food than the value of what you payed

[Talyrius]

Anyone who eats "till you cant move" is a greedy pig, gluttony is a vile vice.

It hurts so good.

[Deleted]

Only if you do it for every meal. When youre paying for all you can eat, youre supposed to get your money's worth and eat more food than the value of what you payed

All you can eat is exactly as it says on the tin, European AYCE places won't suddenly boot you out after 1 plate.

[Medusa Cascade]

From googling, this appears to be a visual representation of a US meal, VS and European meal.



The one on the left is a US meal, the middle is a US kids meal, and the right one is a European meal. If I ate the right one, Id be hungry an hour later, if it even sated me at all

Not anywhere I've been...

[Deleted]

Not anywhere I've been...

Yeah he is pulling facts out of his ass, the one on the far right is a kids meal, it even has kiddies cutlery.

[HammondQ]

AYCE is supposed to be about sampling the variety of choices on the buffet not gorging.

[Kalis]

Yeah he is pulling facts out of his ass, the one on the far right is a kids meal, it even has kiddies cutlery.

That isn't kid's cutlery, that's European safety cutlery, used so that we don't stab the people at the next table in the restaurant due to being starved.

[Orlong]

Yeah he is pulling facts out of his ass, the one on the far right is a kids meal, it even has kiddies cutlery.

Here is the original pic I found with the words on it. They are just hard to read because its small.



Im guessing the kids cutlery is on the right one because regular cutlery wouldnt fit the plate

- - - Updated - - -

AYCE is supposed to be about sampling the variety of choices on the buffet not gorging.

No, that would be a tasting bar or tapas place. All you can eat means that you are supposed to eat until you cannot eat anymore, hence the name "ALL you can eat"

I still havent gotten a yes or no answer though to whether AYCE places are primarily a USA thing

[HammondQ]

I reject your interpretation of AYCE.

[Urza29]

lot of people dont realize how much food we as americans eat and how much we WASTE. AYCE is a great idea, you get a good value for 10$ average for dinner you can eat till you are good till morning, you are full and it usually is very satisfying....and fattening. Everything they serve at those places are deep fried, or made in the most unhealthy ways, its all fast food basically it just looks better and tastes better, all about presentation.

Chinese food is especially bad, the vegetables are pracitcally boiled in oil and everything is battered, fish, shrimp or chicken, all in a golden tasty batter...

In Las Vegas its like the capital of food places, 100's even 1000's exist along the strip, along the areas where there are casinos, most are even FREE to entice you in to gamble, you pay 1 fee and get all you can eat food and gamble spend more money...

Its all a money making scheme, they fatten us up, give us really tasty food, you come back and eat again, over and over..cuz its cheap and many believe its the best value because of the economy and how much groceries are...you can spend 20$ on 1 or 2 meals for your family, or spend 30$ and eat enough food for the entire day, and its not hamburger helper or ramen...pass the crab ragoons....i'm hungry now.

[Fitsu]

Am I the only one who doesn't enjoy feeling completely stuffed? I always feel inclined to eat what is in front of me and I would never want to tip food from a restaurant into a plastic bag and take home with me so I prefer an average sized meal that satisfies me without making groan and ugh than I do getting as much food as I can for my money... Your going out for a meal, your focus should be to enjoy the meal not get the most for your money.

[Gemini Sunrise]

But yes there are a few all you can eats, they tend to be... not very good, cheap shit you can mass produce and throw at plates.

Considering it's about the same way here most time, I can't see a reason it needs to be mentioned, you know?

[Calenel]

That's 3 portions of fish fingers, chips and peas, and what looks like half a bottle of ketchup, which is a staple english dinner. I can't imagine that being served in America at all, even mainland europe is a push.

I can assure you anyone going to a resturant in this country, ordering that and getting one fish finger, 6 chips and a few peas would be pretty pissed off. The middle one is more like a normal "euro" portion and the big one is something you'd get from a pub that does a "super size" menu or something similar.

[Animalhouse]

lot of people dont realize how much food we as americans eat and how much we WASTE. AYCE is a great idea, you get a good value for 10$ average for dinner you can eat till you are good till morning, you are full and it usually is very satisfying....and fattening. Everything they serve at those places are deep fried, or made in the most unhealthy ways, its all fast food basically it just looks better and tastes better, all about presentation.

Chinese food is especially bad, the vegetables are pracitcally boiled in oil and everything is battered, fish, shrimp or chicken, all in a golden tasty batter...

In Las Vegas its like the capital of food places, 100's even 1000's exist along the strip, along the areas where there are casinos, most are even FREE to entice you in to gamble, you pay 1 fee and get all you can eat food and gamble spend more money...

Its all a money making scheme, they fatten us up, give us really tasty food, you come back and eat again, over and over..cuz its cheap and many believe its the best value because of the economy and how much groceries are...you can spend 20$ on 1 or 2 meals for your family, or spend 30$ and eat enough food for the entire day, and its not hamburger helper or ramen...pass the crab ragoons....i'm hungry now.

Lived near Vegas for 26 years and I can tell you must are not free. If you gamble then you will get comps but not free just to get you in. During the 90's you could find great deals in Vegas and Laughlin, that is no longer the case. Buffets are quite expensive in Vegas now and people who eat like birds should not even bother. The food is almost always sub-par un less you go to Bellagio's buffet.

Picture is not accurate and is just another "Americans are pigs" propaganda piece. Portions differ from place to place. Some are big, some are small.