Will you bring leftover to home after you have a meal in the restaurant?

@youless (112091)
Guangzhou, China
May 29, 2007 9:23am CST
After you have a meal in a restaurant, will you bring the leftover to home and eat it another day? I don't like waste the foods, so I like to bring leftover. In fact I try to order enough foods, as we can't eat too many each time. If we can't finish it, then usually I will pack it and bring to food. Although some people don't like it, but I don't care. There are many people in the world are still starving. It's no reason that we can waste the food.
21 people like this
65 responses
@Abindas (87)
• India
29 May 07
No, it's better not to keep any left over there!!!
2 people like this
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
29 May 07
Thanks for your reply.
2 people like this
@prestocaro (1252)
• United States
29 May 07
I read a really great tip the other day about portion control and this sounds like the perfect place to put it out there. Apparently, you should just ask for a to-go box to come out with your meal. When it arrives, box up exactly half of the food. Portions in restaurants are so huge that they are really TWO FULL MEALS most of the time. This was you won't over-eat (seems like every time I go to a restaurant I feel bloated and full after) and also you will ensure a whole other meal in the future. If you're going to try this with a salad, I recommend asking for dressing on the side so the lettuce doesn't wilt.
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
29 May 07
Thanks for your reply.
2 people like this
@nnsb75 (632)
• United States
29 May 07
i always bring my left over, i pay for it so why waste it even if its my husband or child left over i always bring it unless we eat on those buffet restaurant like chinese coz you will pay extra for it.
2 people like this
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
29 May 07
Thanks for your reply.
2 people like this
@zandi458 (28102)
• Malaysia
29 May 07
Since I have paid for it I will take home whatever is left.
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
29 May 07
Great, thanks for your reply.
2 people like this
@KissThis (3003)
• United States
29 May 07
It actually depends on the type of food. There are some foods that I don't like to eat once they are cold. They don't taste the same when you reheat them. These foods I won't bring home if no one in my family or my dogs will eat them. There would be no sense in my bringing the food home just so I will have to throw the food away anyway. I try to just order exactly what we will eat at the restaurant. Knowing that the portions are large I don't order as much food and I always ask for extra plates so that I can serve everyone the amount of food they will eat so that we aren't wasting that much food.
2 people like this
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
29 May 07
Sometimes I will force myself to eat it up so that I don't have to bring the leftover to home. Otherwise I still bring them home anyway.
3 people like this
@Cheryl99 (53)
• China
29 May 07
It depends,usually I will bring leftover to home coz i don't want to waste food.but sometimes it may be not proper to do that~~
2 people like this
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
29 May 07
Perhaps sometimes it'll be embarrassing to bring the leftover when you have a meal with the people who you are not very familiar with.
2 people like this
@nandans (1160)
• India
30 May 07
Yup sure why not.. I also try not to waste the food material as and when i think there are people who don't have money to eat and there are others who have enough money to waste food.. Sad :-(
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
30 May 07
Yes, it's sad to see it.
1 person likes this
@ozangel82 (753)
• Australia
30 May 07
if it is a really yummy meal and there is enough left over to take home i will. no sense in wasting good food and the money spent on it!
1 person likes this
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
30 May 07
Thanks for your response.
@Bunny2 (2102)
• Australia
30 May 07
Here in Australia most restaurants won't allow you to bring home leftovers. This has happened because people would bring home the food, leave it out on the bench and then eat it the next day or days later. Sometimes they'd get sick and then sue the restaurant - and even if they lose the bad name gets around. So now you can buy take away (take out) or yuo eat in and leave the left overs. It's a sign of the time (Sue, sue, sue)
1 person likes this
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
30 May 07
I am sorry to hear that. In fact I think restaurants should have this service. Wasting food isn't a good habbit anyway.
• United States
29 May 07
All the time. They always give you such huge helpings at the restaurant. I know I can never finish the food so I always bring some of it home. It's great too cos' that means one less meal to cook! :) I don't like to waste either. I don't see anything wrong with eating left-overs. To make it more "sanitized", I will separate my food before I eat it and pack it away. I like doing this too so I don't over-eat which is something that is quite easy for me to do when I'm in a restaurant!! LOL!!
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
29 May 07
That's a very good habbit, thanks.
2 people like this
• United States
30 May 07
If you paid for it, you have every right to have all of it-even the leftover. I don't eat out often-but when I do, it's usually at a favorite place, and I get a favorite meal-so I'm not wasting any of it. If I can't finish it all there, it's going home with me. What a great midnight treat to open the fridge and find a favorite meal to snack on!
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
30 May 07
Thanks for your reply.
• Hong Kong
30 May 07
I agree with you. I try to order just enough food everytime I am in the restaurant. Indeed, I would order less than enough food and then if we are still hungry after eating, we will order a bit more. In this way, I figure that we won't have leftover and everyone is happy with the food amount. But sometimes we do have leftover, we would bring the leftover home and eat them later or even the next day. I don't like wasting food and I dislike people who would waste food too. Oh, I even broke up with one of my boyfriends because he liked to waste food and I couldn't stand it. *laughs*
1 person likes this
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
30 May 07
I am very impressed. I am sure one day you will find a very nice husband and he will be handsome, too. As my grandma told me if you can eat up all you eat, you will marry to a good looking husband:)
@happymom1 (1179)
• United States
29 May 07
It depend upon the situation and the kind of restaurant i will do that. Usually i or we will not pack unless it is needed. What you did was good to save some leftover and the restaurant throw the food away if the costumer cant eat all. Thats a better idea.
2 people like this
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
29 May 07
Thanks for your response.
2 people like this
@icepop (99)
• Philippines
30 May 07
i do it most of the time, especially if there is still an ample amount of food left.. i think this is a habit i kind picked up from my parents. they always told me to never waste food. since there are a lot of people who have nothing to eat, we should be appreciate it more and therefore not let it go to waste.
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
30 May 07
That's absolutely correct.
• United States
31 May 07
I definately bring my leftovers home. I always order a salad with my meal - and then I definately have leftovers. It's perfect because then I have lunch the next day. And when I eat at places like Olive Garden or Maceroni Grill their portions are so big and I eat so much salad that I usually have enough leftover for two more meals.
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
1 Jun 07
Thanks for your reply.
@naty1941 (2336)
• United States
30 May 07
I always bring leftover food home with me. I usually eat it the following day. Usually left overs taste better the following day.
1 person likes this
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
30 May 07
I really appreciate it.
@sweetsue (758)
• Philippines
1 Jun 07
I often do the same. I don't want food to be wasted and just leave it if I know that I can still eat them later on.
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
1 Jun 07
True, thanks for your reply.
• United States
29 May 07
i would like to,but believe it or not,it's illegal in my state.too many people were suing over food poisoning they themselves caused,by leaving food out or in hot cars. i hated to have to explain they couldn't take it home when i worked in banquets-people would get mad,and i couldn't blame them,after a $50,000 wedding.
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
29 May 07
I learn something new from you, thanks.
2 people like this
@321633wy (1795)
• United States
31 May 07
Yes,i do because it's not good to throw awy foods since you already paid for.I don't see anything wrong or embaress to do so.
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
1 Jun 07
I think wasting food is wrong and embaressing. Packing the leftovers is something to be prond of, as you won't waste anything.
@gr8life (6251)
• Malaysia
21 Jun 07
Whenever my family and I are having a meal in a restaurant, we seldom have leftover to bring home :) Usually, we will order just enough for us to eat there. But if we do have leftover, I don't mind asking the waiter to pack the food and bring it home. I already paid for the meal so I don't feel embarrassed to take it home. If others don't like it, well... it is not them who paid the bills :)
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
21 Jun 07
We cares whether others to like it or not, the point is I like it:)