I serve on the board of a local organization and today was our quarterly meeting. We usually get together over lunch and today’s meeting was held at a restaurant with a rep for delicious food. I think I’ve eaten there once before but it was several years ago and I don’t remember what I ate.
In perusing the menu the first thing I noticed was that they had two entire sections touted as “Small Plates”. One was Small Plates-Turf with seafood based dishes; the other Small Plates-Earth. There were several yummy sounding offerings and I finally settled on an eggplant stack with goat cheese over a marinara sauce.
When my meal came, I realized that my concept of “small plate” is a lot smaller than the restaurants. I guess I was thinking about the tiny servings I experienced at the tapas restaurant so I didn’t expect five slices of eggplant. Granted, each slice was a little smaller in diameter than the one before so that they could all prettily stack in a tower, but that sure seemed like more than a small plate serving. BTW, I could only eat half of the dish before I was full.
There have been a lot of times when I’ve gone out to eat with friends and been amazed at the huge portions we were served. I know that my perspective of portions has completely changed since my surgery, but you know what? The portions in most restaurants are huge. Most dinner entrees could easily feed two people — or feed me four times. That isn’t an exageration. I’ve gone to dinner, boxed what I didn’t eat, and then enjoyed the rest over three additional meals.
It’s hard for me to accept that there was a time when I could eat the entire entree myself at that one meal. That was then and this is now. I finally understand all the articles and news stories that quote experts who say that the reason that obesity is rampant in our country is because we are all accustomed to large serving sizes.
This made me remember back to the year that my family and I lived in France. We were there in 1967-68 when I was nine years old. Even 45 years ago, Americans were eating too much. How many times have you gone to a supermarket deli counter and ordered a half a pound or more of sliced meat or cheese to feed a family? In the French countryside, women would go to the market and order four slices of ham, four slices of cheese and a bagette to serve lunch to their family of four!
My mother, bless her, wasn’t the most proficient at speaking French. (She studied German in high school and switching to a romance language when she was in her 40s created issues.) She’d mess up a lot. Most of the time, this wasn’t a big problem, but the local market staff and butcher were convinced she’d ordered wrong no matter what she said. One time she and Dad had planned an elaborate dinner party for his colleagues. She was going to make a crown rib roast and placed the meat order with the butcher. When she unwrapped the package at home, she saw that he hadn’t given her nearly enough “ribs” for the guest list. He figured she’d ordered too much by accident and gave her what he thought she probably really needed.
Thank goodness Daddy got home in time to run down to the butcher and get more meat. He then employed his surgeon skills to make the two portions into one roast for Mom’s gorgeous presentation.
The smaller portions didn’t mean that the French weren’t eating well. French cuisine is divine! If anything, the way that they eat is good evidence that you can eat well without eating a lot.
Which is sort of where I am with the whole food thing. I want to eat delicious food but only in the amount that I need. I’ve come to accept that I will continue to run into disproportionate portions, regardless of whether the restaurant advertises small plates.
I just need to remember that no matter what amount I’m actually served, I only need to eat what I actually need. It’s no big deal not to finish what’s on my plate. That’s why there are to-go boxes!
Weighty Matters 