COUNSEL FOR
Make the amount fit the appetite
UNEP tracks food waste across retail, food service and households as a global sustainability problem. Offering a choice at ordering time can prevent waste before it reaches the plate.
FAO documents restaurant programmes where portion choices and waste audits reduced discarded food while preserving a satisfying meal.
Smaller options can serve children, older diners, people with changing appetites and anyone who cannot easily store leftovers. Choice is more flexible than shrinking every meal.
COUNSEL AGAINST
A smaller plate is not automatically fairer
Ingredients, preparation, staffing and premises drive much of a restaurant’s cost, so a smaller portion may not justify a proportionately lower price. Customers could feel misled if that is not explained.
Some cuisines centre generosity and shared dishes. Standardising individual portion options could flatten cultural practices or create more operational complexity and packaging waste.
Food waste has many causes, including forecasting, storage and kitchen preparation. Focusing on plate size alone can miss larger opportunities elsewhere in the service.
The judge’s direction
What the evidence can — and cannot — settle
Restaurants should be encouraged to offer clearly described portion choices where their menu and service model allow it, without implying a universal discount or devaluing shared dining traditions. Waste measurement should guide the design.
Final verdict