Skip navigation

 Login or Register | Member Centre

In the Kitchen

Save the world: Eat less

VIKRAM VIJ

From Wednesday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 12:00 PM EDT 07/05/08

Chef Vikram Vij encourages diners at his restaurant to order less so that nothing goes to waste ...Read the full article

This conversation is semi-moderated What is moderation? | How do I report a comment?

  1. spicydoc--That'll do, spicydoc, that'll do... from Canada writes:

    A better way to save the world is to eat food grown within 100 miles of your mouth.

    Looking at the ingredient list for the papaya thingy, I suspect more than a few polar bears died as a result of the transport costs.

    As for food wastage, you can either order less or order a lot ) and eat all of it in one sitting.) This plan has kept Al Gore's conscience clear for years...
  2. John Deriso from Edmonton, Canada writes: I am, for the record, something of an environmentalist. I don't own a car, I walk everywhere, I don't eat meat, I'm like a level 4 hippie.

    That being said, I can't walk to the grocery store every day for food. That's insane. It's a twenty minute walk there, twenty back, and an extra five to thirty to complete my business in the store. I make a trip once a month and buy everything I need for the month. I am not hording anything, and I eat what I cook.

    The author acts as if we were all children.
  3. spicydoc--That'll do, spicydoc, that'll do... from Canada writes: John--One month is a long time. Do you actually carry your stuff or do you use a wagon/cart? I also guess you don't have kids--I'd need a semi-trailer if I had to buy groceries just once a month...
  4. Vern Wallace from Canada writes: I thought the article was very good, and the recipes look interesting.
  5. mark m from Ottawa, Canada writes: I agree with Chef Vij's perspective. Much food is wasted in the West; partly due to abundance of food and resources, and partly due to lack of understanding of food scarcity issues in other parts of the world. Chef Vij should be commended for his article.
  6. Comments closed, censored, deleted or made to disappear from Mini Bushland, Canada writes: Reminds me of a Scandinavian lady who once suggested that we CUT our consumption by HALF: on everything! (I know, that suggestion opens the door to some hilarious jokes! ...) Not that it entails the Have-Nots will therefore have more and that the world will thereby be saved... simply that it will do US a lot of good. Surprisingly, I have since often noticed that I was indeed consuming twice as much as I really needed to. --- As for 'going without food is like gasping for air'... while I understand the Chef's point, I would suggest that to most of us, overfed Westerners, to fast a little, even half a day, as zen monks do regularly (they will start eating at noon), can only be most beneficial.
  7. Hart Oldenburg from winnipeg, Canada writes: Raise your prices, Chef Vij!

    What else? A greedy, irresponsible industry has to quit, under penalty, to promote half price 'seconds'. Frugality punished by weight-gain! It has to stop!
  8. Just Me from Ottawa, Canada writes: Interesting article. I agree that much food is wasted, considering that resturants and the patrons are very guilty. I am not here to convert others basic diet, but I think many in the west are very wasteful. Many times I go to restaurants and I see how patrons leave extra food on their plates.

    NOrth America is very guilty of wasting food, similar to Newfoundland's overfishing for years. Ignoring those who may have low metabolism, etc, just looking at many North AMerican's phsyique describes the waste (this comment was stating a point, not to be taken perjoratively).

    I try to throw out as little as possible, though I sometimes forget about food - I jus tossed out some brocolli, but I wish I remembered to use it. I eat as little meat as possible and increased my bean intake for protein. I even am starting to make my own bread (much tastier!).
  9. Leslie Somebodyorother from Kincardine, Canada writes: I agree that we should probably all eat less and in general consume less of everthing. However, I think that restaurants need to share some responsibility for this over consumption by serving way, way too much food. Portion sizes are much too big for the average person. I either have to ask for a doggie bag or I order appetizer size portions. Wouldn't it be a good idea if restaurants gave you a choice of portion size - small or large?
  10. james cyr from Balmertown Ontario, Canada writes: I agree that wastage should be minimized, however the title of this article is ridiculous!
  11. Jo Geoghegan from Canada writes: Sane and sensible savvy Vicram. Wish we had more such posts.
    'Just Me' needs to watch out for that dangerous pollutant methane gas descending rapido from an overindulgence in beans. Ugh!
  12. A S from Toronto, Canada writes: Excellent article by Chef Vij. I recently started exercising 'portion control' - what a difference. I make the black chickpea curry but not with half-cup ghee-yikes! I serve it with rice pilaf and cucumber raita (yogurt). Delicious and healthy. I also agree with the poster 'Just You'. I'm practically vegetarian (still eat eggs and the occasional fish). I love not having to worry about the quality of the meat, where it came from, the ethical issues, etc... Give the second recipe a try - you'll love it. Holds up well in the fridge too.
  13. B.C. Expat from Ottawa-Hull, NCR, Canada writes: Chef Vij, you have a world-class restaurant, but I'm not sure your grasp of economics is tip-top. Use of exclusively fresh ingredients and daily shopping may taste better, but it is less -- not more -- efficient and as such is itself wasteful.

    Moreover, there seems to be an implication that if the moneyed ate less, then the non-moneyed would have more food. I'm not entirely certain that's true, unless Vij means that prices would drop across the board as a result (which would probably just result in reduced supply or subsidies anyway). I don't think he's taken the analysis that far, though.
  14. Guess Who from Montreal, Canada writes: I lived in Vancouver before and I miss Vij's food. It's so good !
  15. Sue City from Ottawa, Canada writes: Wow, John. Do you eat any fruits or vegetables? They couldn't last out the month...do you freeze them all? If you don't own a car, I would think you'd want to move closer to a grocery store or fresh market.

    I also don't own a car, but I go to the grocery store everyday... but it's four blocks from my home, and that was planned. I enjoy buying my meals the day of, or before, I eat them. Always fresh and yummy.

    And, maybe more people should talk to us like children. Most of us act like children, anyway. Why not keep the message simple and to the point? That's effective communication.
  16. CD W from Canada writes: Seems to not work so well in the 3rd world. Biafra and Trudeau come to mind?
  17. Alistair McLaughlin from Canada writes: So they'll just eat more somewhere else. this is just another feel good gesture to assauge the guilt-ridden mind of a progressive.
  18. Kim Philby from Ottawa, Canada writes: This idea should go well with all the people lined up at the all-you-can-eat-buffets. I'm sure they'll exercise restraint.
  19. Globe Insider subscriber content
    Jennifer Rollison from Canada writes: I work in the restaurant biz and I, often, suggest to people they order less, or that I think they are ordering too much...yes, it seems to go against the grain but the waste of throwing away half eaten plates of food is too much to bear. Having said this, I worked in Banff in the early 80's, starting in banquets, we used to toss out hundreds of pounds of meat each week from people who took far more than they could eat. Today, if I do a banqueting shift, the reverse is true. People take far less from the buffet today than they did 20 years ago...
  20. Antonio San from Canada writes: Ahhh this idiotic chef can spew guilt but when the reverse is sent the censorship comes to work! Stop procreating in China and India and there will be food for all!
  21. Andrew Chong from Toronto, Canada writes: Antonio San from Canada writes:"Stop procreating in China and India and there will be food for all!"

    With the one-child policy, China is doing that (and being condemmed for violating potential parents' rights). But as the population gets more affluent and aspires to a more enjoyable diet, we get food shortages.

    And Canadian restaurants have smaller portions compared to the U.S., where all servings seem to be supersized.
  22. stand up mimi from Vancouver, Canada writes: "One thing that amazes me is our ability to hoard food in our freezers and then buy more freezers to store more frozen food."

    We used to call that "preparing for winter", not "hoarding".
  23. Globe Insider subscriber content
    The Work Farce from Canada writes: I love your ideas, Chief Vij. And I also love your recipes. In fact I'm not only not wasting food, I'm not wasting time. I'm quitting my job right now to start work on these sophisticated mouthwatering recipes. Shouldn't take me longer than a week. If my boss calls just say, "Busy, budding chef at work".
  24. stand up mimi from Vancouver, Canada writes: Kim Philby from Ottawa, Canada writes: "This idea should go well with all the people lined up at the all-you-can-eat-buffets. I'm sure they'll exercise restraint."

    Ha! Exactly what I was thinking. There is a certain expectation from many restaurant goers that they ought to be stuffed or they haven't gotten their money's worth. They're so full they can hardly move, and then they say things like, "Well, I've had enough." Enough? Enough came halfway through your gigantic meal, but you just kept eating. People don't generally eat this way at home, but when they go out they gorge themselves. Or they try to, but leave wasted food behind. It would help if more restaurants gave out smaller portions, but then people would complain.
  25. REV eighteenseventeen from Canada writes: This guy is from Vancouver. Go to the country where people do physical work and you will rarely see much food left on a working man's plate.

    For the record there is more than enough food in this world to look after more than twice the global population. People do not know how to plant a garden. Go and find out how much food can be produced in a little greenhouse. Food shortage in the world- there shouldn't be. It is a matter of greed , distribution, corruption, and lack of knowledge.
  26. stand up mimi from Vancouver, Canada writes: REV - You say there is more than enough food to feed twice the population. Do you have sources that show this? I'm not trying to be smart - I would just like more info. I tend to think we can grow much more food than we do (and using less harmful methods) but would like to find some evidence either way.
  27. Atheist Athena from Canada writes: I used to live in Europe and would walk to the market a couple times a week to buy food for the comming days. In addition to the exercise, I ate better, and did indeed waste less. Now I'm in Canada and I no longer do this as much as I would like. That said, it's not a location issue it's because I was lucky enough to have taken a year off work during the time in Europe. Now back in Canada I work 50-60 hours a week and although the market is closer I just can't seem to find the time.
  28. Globe Insider subscriber content
    The Work Farce from Canada writes: Nothing nothing good for the heart/The less you eat the better you art/The better you art the better the Earth will feel/So eat nothing at every meal.
  29. George BrownIII from Christmas Island writes: Checking on Al Gore his waistline I doubt this Nobel laureate living in a 30 room mansion wastes time on consuming any less! What comes to my mind is eat to live or live to eat. But regardless of all the buffet once a while are not a bad thing, I miss those mandarin buffets!
  30. Katherine R from Canada writes: The design of North American cities is one of the problems. So many people live deep in suburbia and cannot wak to a market. If our cities were more dense, we would not have to have huge fridges and freezers and we could walk a few blocks to a market.

    I have never owned a car and absolutely require that I live a few blocks from a market of some sort. It's a huge quality of life issue for me - I like fresh bakery bread, fresh fish, fresh fruits and veg... I have lived in Asia and Europe and have always lived near a market and often get by with a tiny apartment-size fridge which uses much less electricity. You will fill up whatever size of fridge and freezer you have - better to have a small one to force you to go to the store more often (unless you have a big family, which I don't).

    I always wonder what the heck my mom puts in her 2 huge freezers - I'm sure she doesn't even know what's in there. All I have in my tiny freezer is ice, icecream, some soup for emergency quick meals, and vodka. What more do you need?
  31. Tony Strong from St John's, Canada writes: Just me from Ottawa should know the facts before making a statement...Yes, the fishing companies from NFLD are guilty of overfishing, but, they did not know they were,as the Dept of Fisheries, said, in effect, go to it, it will never run out..Naturally they improved their methods of harvesting.Did you know that Foreign countries are still fishing for the same species that we are not( ours are endangerd). Did you know that our fish was traded to foreign countries for landing rights for Air Canda ? Meanwhile,the older fishermen were warning DFO that there was problems but they were ignored as they were not credible ( Ha Ha).
  32. Placido Durango from Here to Eternity, Canada writes: I'll have the special, please, but in the interest of portion control, please hold the side of self-righteous preaching.
  33. guy tozer from Saskatoon, Canada writes: If you eat less at this "chefs" restaurant, does he reduce your bill? NOT! It ups his monthly net . Simple.
  34. Jay Dubya from Toronto, Canada writes: The "Fat Cats" that eat at these places can generally do well by eating less.

Join the Conversation, Leave a Comment

This conversation is semi-moderated What is moderation? | How do I report a comment?

You must be logged-in to submit a comment — login now!

Not registered with globeandmail.com? Register now. It is quick and free.

close

Alert us about this comment

Please let us know if this reader’s comment breaks the editor's rules and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.

Do not use this to complain about comments that don’t break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.

Back to top