Os portions

Yes, portions are huge compared to what I remember from my childhood in the 60s. We weren't well off, but we weren't p!ss poor either - my mother was a good housekeeper.

Coffee used to come in a coffee cup, not a young bucket. 4oz of meat was an appropriate portion for one person (still is in this house) - meaning a pound of meat would feed 4. Ice cream only came as a single scoop. Crisps come in huge bags (I know you're supposed to share them, I also know that people buy them and eat them all by themselves). When we had our Sunday dinner (roast beef back then, as it was cheaper than other joints or a chicken), each person got two slices of meat, and the rest was saved to be eaten cold on a Monday.

Plates have got bigger too - so we feel we need to put more on them.

I have a full sized dinner set from when I had all my family around the table but in the past few years I have got a smaller sized plate as there is only me as a rule at the table (note table, and not on my lap ) My Mum would be horrified at the thought of not eating up to the table no matter what meal it was and after over 70 years I still can't break the habit of sitting at the table for my food. My eldest DD bought me a couple of smaller sized plates which I use all the time and do my best not to over load them I have just come home from dinner at my youngest DD's and brought with me some left over bits which will be my dinner tomorrow night two roasties, some slices of lamb and a yorkshire I will steam some veg, and make some gravy, and that will be more than enough for my dinner tomorrow night. On the odd occasion when I have been in one of those chain pubs where its a buffet the times I see people return to load their plates up makes me feel a bit queasy They often eat half and leave the rest and I think what a waste. When my OH was alive now and again we would have fish and chips (not often as I'm not that keen ) and we would get one portion of chips and a piece of cod between the two of us and it seemed there was always chips left over and the portions were huge.

perhaps its being brought up with rationing and never having overloaded plates as a child ,we ate all we had and certainly never asked for seconds I can't imagine what my Mum would have said if we had,but I was never hungry ,and we didn't snack on stuff between meals either as a lot of children seem to do today.Crisps were almost unheard of and a very rare occurrence in our house.

I don't remember plate or portion sizes, but do remember my grandma cutting very thin slices of bread. Slices of buttered bread were on the table set for most meals. I don't remember having sandwiches as a meal. Then we got sliced bread in the shops, I must have been 8 or 9, and remember the housewives - my friends' mums - coming back from the shop (it was 'Maypole') complaining the price had gone up to a shilling (5p) for a loaf.
Makes me feel really old!

trailingspouse wrote: »

Coffee used to come in a coffee cup, not a young bucket.

Small and dainty teacups - I can't abide them! My standard size is 400ml and I will drink no less at a time, although since January coffee out has been a v rare treat indeed. I like my coffee with plenty of milk which is a handy way of sneaking calcium in (contemplates wandering downstairs to make another mug).

I'm slim, largely because I barely eat these days and am another one who eats off a single side plate, e.g. 1/2 a sandwich and 1/2 pack of crisps (or even, better aforementioned crisps in the sandwich ). My side plates are getting chipped now, but I can't remember the last time my full plates got an outing when I didn't have people over to eat!