How come when I went to a restaurant my aunt said "leave a little on your plate"?

Question

How does leaving a little food on your plate make you a person with good manners. Isnt that just wasting food?. I mean come on thats a waste of food. Other people tell me to eat everything..dont waste anything because imagine with that leftover I had...I could feed another poorer 3rd world nation =\. So whats up with leaving a litle on your plate mean..whats the point?

Answer 1

idk...maybe it means the food was so good it filled you up and you could finish it?

Answer 2

Some people believe that it's good manners to leave a small amount on your plate, to indicate that the quantity served was sufficient, even generous. They think cleaning your plate suggests there wasn't enough food to satisfy you.

Answer 3

i never left anything on mine and now look at me.

Answer 4

I dont know. =/

Maybe to pace yourself.

Answer 5

She maybe comes from some sort of ethnic background where they have to do that sort of stuff.  Ask your parents where the family is from.

Answer 6

I don't know why you were told to leave a little on your plate unless you are overweight and that was your aunt's kind way of telling you to refrain from eating everything that you are served, if they are big portions.

With me, if I can't finish everything on my plate when I eat out, you'd better believe that I ask them to wrap it so that I can have it for leftovers or later that day.  After all, I paid for all of it --- I want to HAVE all of it, one way or another.

Answer 7

i think she means eat until you're full.

which would make sense these days.. i mean portion sizes in restaurants can be double or triple what a normal portion size and if you just pace yourself and stop when you're full (and possibly bring the rest home for later) you're saving yourself from overeating, and if you bring it home you won't waste it.

Answer 8

Restaurant servings have gotten huge over the years.  Maybe she just thought it was too much food, or it was too high in calories.  Maybe she thinks you are gaining weight and was watching out for you.

Answer 9

I've never heard anyone say this before. I think its far more polite to eat all of your meal, so don't worry. Just eat what you want..

Answer 10

They just throw away your food if you dont eat it.

I think she does that so you dont look like a pig.

Answer 11

it's howing that the food they made you made you full and that they gave you enough to eat lol my grandma says that all the timee :)

Answer 12

Leaving food on the plate does not make one more mannerly.  Not eating with your hands, keeping elbows off the table, chewing with your mouth closed, talking with only empty mouths, keeping napkin in laps (or on the floor if dropped - ask for another)... those are a few of the elements of good manners while out to dinner.

If you are satisfied, leave the food on the plate or ask for a take away bag.  Do not bag your aunt's food.  I have a feeling she would find that objectionable.  Thank her for a nice meal at the end and simply ignore her eccentricities.  That is the true sign of proper manners.

Answer 13

That's retarded.  I eat until I'm full, which is usually less than my companions.  No big deal, I doggie bag it.  Geez.

Answer 14

Your aunt is misguided. The restaurant doesn't care if you eat every bit of your food or leave all of it. She has some weird notion of etiquette that is all wrong.

Eat as much or as little as you want.  

Answer 15

never heard of that one, maybe its for the fairys ?

My mum used to tell me to make sure egg shells were smashed to bits before putting them into the bin, so that the bad fairys couldn't use them to put good fairys in and send them out to see !!  haha.

Answer 16

I think it means pace yourself, don't eat everything out of gluttony?!

Answer 17

A couple of times when I've left food due to being full, the restaurant people look worried and say was everything OK "how come you haven't finished it"

it is meant to be rude not to eat everything on your plate.

Suit yourself. if you want to eat carry on. don't be bossed around by silly rules that old people have we are in the future now not in the past!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 18

Different cultures have different rules on etiquette when it comes food.  In some cultures it is rude to finish your food as it implies that they didn't give you enough.  In other cultures it's rude to leave some as it implies you didn't like it.  In some cultures it's polite to burp after eating, in most cultures it's rude, lol.  

I always scrunch my napkin up and leave it on the plate if I have enjoyed the meal.  I consider that good manners, I don't know why though.  

Answer 19

cuz when u go to the restroom shes gonna eat it