Portion sizes (meat, fish and other protein)

Phoolgrrrl

We use 200g for 2. I get the butcher to bag it up into 200g portions for freezing. I think I'm the only customer that buys in Kg as the always have to change their scales!

valk_scot

I still work in Imperial! Mince? 8 oz for two (that's ~225g), 1lb for four (~450g). Same for stew. For a roast it depends on bone in/out, skin, what you're serving it with and remember it shrinks while cooking anyway. But 4-6oz (100-150g) is the standard recommended adult portion when serving. Many men however think they're being deprived if the plate isn't groaning with meat and a few scraps of veg and spuds for garnish. This isn't entirely healthy and most of the excess protein isn't used as such anyway, just stored as an energy source. Which means converted into fat in the body.

Hellyboo

For a cottage pie this week I used 200g mince and got 4 portions by bulking it out with carrots, onions, mushrooms and a tin of baked beans. I would usually use more but we're broke lol OH complained that it wasn't "mincey" enough though, so perhaps a little more next time. For roast beef, it is all down to preference. I know my OH would be happy just with meat and roast potatoes, but you can have mostly veggies and yorkies and still feel satisfied. Cook it al, see what you use, and make the leftovers into a stew or curry, then next time you'll know how much to cook just for the roast.

Penelope_Penguin

crockpot wrote: »

How much mince do I need for a cottage pie for 2? Also going to try and cook just what we need as if I do for 4 we eat most of it!

Roast I bought is 1.12 kg and I need to feed 2 adults, 1 pensioner and 2 children aged 8 and 11, looks like alot to me.

As this has fallen from the front page of OS, I'll add it to the exisitng thread to give you more ideas

You might also like mince portion sizes.

babyshoes

I bulk out mince dishes with a bit of oats (about 2 handfuls for a 400g pack of mince). I put them in the pan once the mince is mostly browned, it absorbs some of the fat (and flavour) from the meat, then add in some beef stock so it soaks up the meaty flavour and colour. It adds a lot of 'mincey' texture and if done this way really isn't obvious in the finished dish. I was using oats for months to bulk out meals before my OH found out by walking in one day while I was adding it.

I made a bolognese yesterday with 400g of mince which has done 8 generous portions - and trust me, I don't skimp on meals! Based on that, you could probably make cottage pie for 2 with as little as 100-150g of mince, but I would make a big one and freeze some!

As for roast, about a kilo should be enough for 2 normal adult portions plus 3 smaller ones with possibly a bit left over, depending on if it has the bone in or not.

Vaila

i dont mean to sound rude but why cook meat for them in the first place ? seeing as you dont buy meat anyway could you not just serve the same meals to them as you are for yourself and family, im sure your guess would understand

mardatha

Having a horrible few weeks here, please forgive the constant moaning
My niggle du jour today is these menu plans that say "meals for two for a week for £18" type thing. I sit and earnestly copy it all out and price it the last pee....and then notice it expects you to dine off 3 sausages or 2 chicken legs.
The RV would probably :eek: & faint if I set one and a half sausages under his nose for a dinner ! What do you all eat at a serving?

Bitsy_Beans

Hmmm I confess I give us 2 sausages as a portion, 1 and a half does seem a bit mean We have one large chicken breast between us (from a whole chicken so shrinks less )

Sorry that probably doesn't help you very much but I did hear once that adults require about 80g of protein and since I am trying to monitor portion sizes I am trying not to cook too much in the first place

Kitchenbunny

If I'm good about it, 1 large(ish) chicken breast I can stretch between the two of us - I do pad it out with more veg and tend to serve DH more chicken than I get myself. Sausages, 3 max per person. Pork steak is about the same as chicken breast but as I always put these in things with sauces (as this is what DH prefers) I can't say about chops. When I serve a roast chicken, DH will have one leg (drumstick and thigh) and that'll suit him. Minced beef I try to use 250g between us both.

HTH

KB xx

scottishminnie

Miles more than most of the so called "meals for 2 or 3" or whatever serve. DH does a manual job most of the time and needs decent portions (in my opinion) and even 2 sausages wouldn't cut it.

If I make sausage casserole I would eat one sausage (or another half if I'm really hungry) and hubby would have probably 3. I don't think it's unreasonable but I do think some of the meal plans aren't at all realistic.


Of course that's just my opinion, no doubt someone will come along and tell me I'm a greedy cow.:D