Push for smaller food portions — and prices — at US restaurants

Jack Aylmer

AMERICA IS IN THE MIDST OF AN OBESITY EPIDEMIC – WITH NO END IN SIGHT. 

AND WHILE THERE ARE MANY FACTORS SPURRING THE EPIDEMIC… PORTION SIZES COULD BE A BIG PART OF THE ISSUE –  AS PORTIONS AT U-S RESTAURANTS HAVE BEEN CREEPING UP FOR DECADES NOW.

BUT NEW RESEARCH FROM THE NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION SHOWS ABOUT 75 PERCENT OF AMERICANS WANT SMALLER PORTIONS – FOR LESS MONEY. 

ANOTHER RECENT REPORT BY GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY’S PORTION BALANCE COALITION SHOWED SIMILAR RESULTS IN MARCH – FINDING MORE THAN HALF OF CONSUMERS (54%) WANT SMALLER PORTIONS… THEY’RE CONFUSED ABOUT HOW MUCH THEY SHOULD EAT… AND THEY BELIEVE SMALLER PORTIONS COULD HELP WITH BOTH THE U-S’ OBESITY AND FOOD WASTE CRISES.

A 20-20 STUDY FOUND AS MUCH AS 40 PERCENT OF THE FOOD SERVED AT RESTAURANTS NEVER GETS EATEN… AND WITH THE CONTINUING RISE IN PEOPLE TURNING TO WEIGHT LOSS DRUGS LIKE WEGOVY AND ZEPBOUND – DINERS HAVE BEEN EATING LESS WHEN THEY DO EAT OUT. 

SEPARATE RESEARCH SHOWS MORE U-S ADULTS ARE ALSO TURNING TOWARD A TREND CALLED “SNACKIFICATION” – REPLACING TRADITIONAL MEALS WITH SNACKING ON SMALLER PORTIONS OF VARIOUS FOODS THROUGHOUT THE DAY INSTEAD.

AND THEN THERE’S WHAT’S KNOWN AS “PORTION DISTORTION“ – WHEN YOU BECOME SO USED TO SEEING MASSIVE PORTIONS, ANYTHING SMALLER FEELS LIKE YOU’RE GETTING CHEATED OUT OF MONEY.

OVERALL, IT’S BECOMING INCREASINGLY CLEAR AMERICANS WANT TO SEE CHANGE IN THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY… AS BUSINESSES LOOK FOR WAYS TO KEEP UP WITH RISING FOOD AND LABOR COSTS.