Food portioning: A Win Win for both Restaurateur and Customer

Shivangi Tripathi

Millennials, who are the largest generation by population in the world have converted today’s economy into experience economy. For millennials, happiness isn’t as focused on possessions or career status. Living a meaningful, happy life is about creating, sharing and capturing memories earned through experiences that span the spectrum of life’s opportunities. This generation not only highly values experiences, but they are increasingly spending time and money on them: from restaurants, concerts and social events to athletic pursuits, to cultural experiences and events of all kinds. With the majority of this generation being in workforce, are mostly relocated and this has given a rise to the consumption of more energy in meals than in past years. Restaurant meals have become larger and they are being consumed at a faster rate as well. With increased energy consumption closely associated with the rise in obesity, portion control can be used as an important means to reduce the trend.

Larger portions have more calories, obviously. But they also encourage people to eat more than they otherwise would and to underestimate how much food they're actually consuming. Lack of portion control may lead to excess amount being served or fewer amounts being served to customer. Both cases are bad because customers won’t complain when excess amount is served but they surely notice and might complain if less amount of food is served in the dish. Superfluity in the dish leads to overconsumption by the customer who might be just feeding the landfills and turning one’s body into a garbage bin.

Just as individuals need to watch the portion sizes of foods they eat, restaurant owners need to watch the portion sizes coming out of the kitchen. Every item on your menu should have a controlled portion size in order to keep food cost in check. Restaurant portion control is also important for keeping menu items consistent for every shift. Different portion control practices can be used by the restaurants. There is a need of standardized recipe which is followed consistently. It must be ensured that those working in the kitchen are adhering to the portion sizes. There is a need of accurate scale or measuring units for doing so.

All restaurants should have portion sizes figured out as a way to control food costs and most do. The weak spot in the chain of planning and execution is often kitchen employees either using too little or too much food than what is called for. Too little will lead to the restaurant developing a reputation for small portion sizes which can easily lead to negative online reviews and a digital kiss of death. The key is to set portion sizes, properly train kitchen staff on adhering to these sizes and constantly measure and evaluate performance and adjust portion sizes as needed.

One of the most effective solutions to reduce waste in regards to inaccurate portion sizes being served or prepared is to ensure that appropriate measuring cups, spoons, scales, bowls, etc are visible and accessible. This will help food preparation staff not to simply eyeball or estimate amounts and reduce variance in food costs for pre-measured proportions. At the very least a reference chart or cheat sheet of proper portions and measurements will ensure kitchen staff can meet demand while still staying within portion sizes.

Right plating is also an essential element when it comes to portion control. Smaller bowls and plates and taller, narrower glasses can be used and more fruits, vegetables and whole grains can be added to make the plate look full and attractive without packing it with calories.

Beyond just adhering to portion sizes one way to evaluate if the actual portion sizes are correct is to evaluate plates returning to the kitchen. Are there certain trends or patterns for certain dishes which consistently come back with an excess of food? Or are there certain dishes that are always being boxed for customers to take home? If this is the case, it is a great indicator that portion sizes for those dishes can be reduced. This will quickly leads to savings that can be used in other areas where portion sizes may be too small. While most chefs and backroom employees are much more concerned about making the perfect meal at the end of the day each meal needs to minimize waste. This means that food waste needs to be constantly tracked to ensure that meals and the menu as a whole is staying within previously allocated cost structures. 

Measuring and evaluating usage of food supplies will also provide insights into what a restaurant can and can’t offer. This tracking can be done with paper and pen or digitally. There are software solutions available for the same to make the task of evaluation easier, like the Stock and Inventory Management software solutions. Doing so on a daily basis will ensure that management can make adjustments and improve food costs over time. These kinds of waste sheets also will point management to processes that may need improvement. Finally, tracking carefully will allow owners and managers to find the proper balance between offering their most popular and profitable dishes.

Portion control is an essential element of food cost and quality control. It reduces food waste, ensures a consistent and quality product, expedites food preparation and service, and has a big impact on food costs of restaurants.