Portion sizes (meat, fish and other protein)

MrsRogers

MRSTITTLEMOUSE wrote: »

Thankyou for the replies everyone,you've actually made me feel better as I thought I was being bit of a mean skinflint before.
Our friend is here for a few weeks since he's doing some training for his work and did'nt fancy a hotel or a bed and breakfast place.
We'd feel bad asking for a contribution as his mum has put us up before and would'nt accept anything,but that was always for just a couple of days at a time.
I must admit I'm finding it a bit hard putting up with his expectations since he only seems to like the best,needless to say he will not be coming shopping again even if he is a bit bored again at the weekend.
I have been serving lots of veg,stuffings,yorkshire ect with his meals but he can certainly still put away a lot of meat.
I've decided to make vegetarian for all of us tonight,goodness knows how he'll take it but I feel I have to make a stand now before my food bill becomes even bigger.It might also make it easier to bring up the fact that the food bill can't grow any more.
Wish me luck on that one.
Once again thanks for your help,I'll let you know what happens.

Just a thought - Nearly every company I have worked for have paid hotel / B&B costs as I am having to be away from home. They also offer to give a % of the money directly to me if I can make other arrangements... Could your 'friend' be living a luxury / hotel like lifestyle free of charge with you and making a bit of money from it?? :mad:

I am a meat eater and have veggie friends and am always happy to eat what ever is served when we go around there..

I think your 'friend' is taking advantage... did you offer to put him up or did he or someone else ask you to?

If not doing so already and you want to continue buying meat consider butcher or Lidl / Aldi ... a lot cheaper. Also buy cheaper cuts of meat.. Chicken Legs or thighs instead of breast, mince bulked with lentils, stewing steak, Turkey is def cheaper then chicken and most people can not tell the difference, Pork Chops etc... Stay away from Lamb/Beef as expensive.

Good Luck :j

EllieA_3

Ok first off, i think yes it is somewhat taking the Pi55 however im wondering.

Is he a very very fat person?? because honestly if he eats this way all the time i can't possibly see how he is not, unless he expends a stupid amount of energy.

we eat alot of meat in our house, more than most family's i suspect but i can still make a chicken do 2 meals for 3 people, eating a whole one in a single sitting is so much protien it's going to put one hell of a strain on his digestive system, even full time body builders do not eat whole chickens at a time and they are renowned for eating alot of protien.

there are two main questions

1) is he taking the !!!!, or does he simply have no concept of portion control and has a weight issue? If he is not largely overweight then he must be taking the !!!! because that breakfast alone is a massive amount of calories can't he have have a bowl of cereal or slice of toast like a normal person??

2) why the hell are you footing his food bill?? your putting him up which is super nice of you and saving him a fortune, but if he's really a friend then perhaps you could explain that your food bill doens't normally cover meat and your finding it a tad expensive, but perhaps as he knows what he likes perhaps he could buy his own meat and you'll fit it into the meals for him. that was your still paying for is none meat food stuffs but the expensive bit he's paying for himself.

bigmuffins

Just a thought - maybe he is doing Atkins diet? High protein
....:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

ALIBOBSY

I agree with the general concensous. We had a 1.5 kg free range chicken at weekend (our local aldi just started doing them for £4.99 which is good for FR), FR I find is more filling than normal birds, but the size would be simular to the one you served and it did 2 adults and 3 children (DS is 12 and virtually eats the same as his Dad) for 2 meals.
An 800g pack of mince beef will do us at least 2 big meals, maybe 3. I put plenty of veggies in with everything and we occasionally have a meat free meal.
We like our meat and on occasion we have a cooked breakfast (we uauslly have it as a sort of brunch with cereal starter and toast and wouldn't eat again till tea time-maybe as late as 7pm) but at a push maybe 2-3 snags (dependant on how thick they are) for OH and 2 rashers of bacon. We add beans, eggs, toms, bread, toast etc to pad it out.

Turkey in a curry will fool him a breast or leg will go a long way in a sauce, plus potatos/cauli chopped up kind of blend in so you can't spot which is meat or not without careful inspection (if he eats like that I guess he is the shovel it in type).
ali x

flipperOSN

I can only echo the others sentiments. A chicken in my house will do a family of 4 sunday roast, and a curry (occasionally we'll need some extra veg) and carcass for soup. Four sausages and four rashers would just about do breakfast for us all too (with some beans and toast).

To eat a whole chicken :eek: Is he, erm, quite large?

andygb

bigmuffins wrote: »

Just a thought - maybe he is doing Atkins diet? High protein
....:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

No, I think he is on the "seefood diet" - see food and eat it!;)
When I read the original post, it reminded me of a character from my comic books when I was a lad. I wonder if anyone remembers him -


Desperate Dan!!:D

He used to eat Cow pies.

Phoolgrrrl

Me and OH both eat meat, 100g mince will do us both good sized portions of spag bol or chilli. A 1.3 kg chicken (abt 3lb I think) does us a roast and 2 meals such as curry/stir fry and pot of stock.
My mum would prob use 400g of mince for 3 for spag bol, but she doesn't put veg in and my dad eats big portions.
Think your guest is eating excessive amounts of meat!

mlz1413

MRSTITTLEMOUSE your hospiltality is 2nd to none and your friend is well and truely greedy.

I've been dieting for ages but given the opportunity can eat as much as my fella who is a physical worker and 1/2 a roast chicken with other roast goodies if more than enough for 2 people. Curry with the other half should have lastest 2 meals too. As for breakfast a certain national road side cafe does an olympic breakfast which is 2 bacon, 1 sausage, 2 eggs, hash brown, tomato, beans and mushrooms.

Your friends mum may have lovely to you and your family but as you say this is a long term stay and not a few days.

I would suggest to your friend that it would be better if he supplies the meat and then you will cook it as your do your own veggie meals at night. That way you will be paying for normal things like hot water, washing extra towels and his clothes, cereals, veg's, teabags etc but not the extravagant expections he has on meat which is the bulk of your extra food costs.

lambanana

That is A LOT of meat, it's not a portion control issue, it's just greedy. I would never expect vegetarians to cook meat for me (when I first met DH him and his parents were veggie and whilst I was used to veggie food as ate it a lot myself I did eat meat but would NEVER have expected them to make an extra meat dish for me) and if I was staying for an extended amount of time and wanted meat I'd buy it and cook it myself. I would personally have refused to cook meat for him on principal and tell him meat, certainly in those quantities, is not factored into your food budget and you simply cannot afford it.

If he complains at the veggie meal you offer him tell him where the nearest take away is because he is being VERY rude.

Primrose

Mrs. Tittlemouse - your visitor is a greedy little pig and I think you have to knock this on the head pretty quickly by telling him that his food intake is beyond your budget and that if he really needs to eat that amount of food, he'd probably be better off staying in a hotel.
For breakfast I'd serve 2 slices of toast and a boiled egg, or 1 egg & a sausage or 1 egg and one rasher of bacon with toast. I certainly wouldn't let him have free access to your larder and if he's staying in your house, he'll have to eat what you jolly well provide or go hungry. Don't feel forced to buy food you can't afford to. Your house. Your rules. I don't think you have to feel guilty about this. You are more than recriprocating your friend's hospitality, and if he doesn't like what he's getting, then let him move somewhere else. But if he's going to be staying with you for a long time, you need to get this issue sorted out quickly.