But, What if You Don't Have a Husband????

I found it rather interesting that the primary way that people dealt with the inflated portions when they dine out was to split an order with their husbands.

To me, that doesn't really solve the problem. What if the two of you really don't feel like eating the same thing or one is a vegetarian and the other isn't?

For instance, my sister always laments that she never gets to eat salmon any more. Her partner hates salmon, so she can never make it for dinner, and, because they split an entree, she can't get it when they dine out either.

And, what if you don't have a husband (or wife), or happen to be travelling without them? I know that I find myself traveling without my husband a lot, and the portion size thing is always a problem.

Why can't restaurants just offer things like half-portions? And, why can't you just buy half a sandwich? Is it really that difficult to cut a slice of bread in two?

And, while we're on the topic, why can't movie theaters sell air popped pop-corn in addition to that calorie-laden, artery-clogging crap they sell or at a minimum just let you bring in your own since they refuse to do so?

The argument I keep hearing from the food service industry is that Americans want these humongous sized portions (despite the fact that it seems a good quarter of the country is splitting them), and wants stuff drenched in fat, salt and every unhealthy substance known to man.

If that's so true, then why be afraid to just offer a smaller-sized, healthier alternative, that's priced a little cheaper?

Which gets me to another rant. Restaurant dining has gotten to be far to expensive, even a jaunt to a "moderate" priced restaurant for a family of four has gotten to be financially excessive.

Cut back on the damn portion sizes and cut back on the prices. We don't need the extra calories, and we can sure as hell can use the extra money in our pockets.