No, in fact, I'm quite the opposite at restaurants. I always try to leave food on my plate because almost every restaurant serves massive portions. I eat a decent serving depending on how hungry I am and then wait and see if I'm still full. Usually, I am, and I don't want the rest.

I learned to clean my plate, but I also learned to take a little at a time. My parents would tell us that we had to eat what we took, and if we left food on our plates OUT came the Tin Foil and we would have to eat off that plate till it was gone. I am talking breakfast the next day, I want cereal, had to eat meatloaf.

It sounds harsh, but i learned not to be wasteful or to "let my eyes be bigger than my stomach"

I never leave a speck of food when it's lasagna, Thai food, or my mom's spinach and tuna with rice. In general, anything my mom makes deserves to be cleared off the plate. Other times, I leave a little so I don't feel like a total pig [only a partial pig since I do tend to cram a lot of food down].

For me it depends. We all were the night I took this picture. The food at SPQR is TOO good to leave some on the plate.

I almost always leave food on my plate at restaurants. But at home or anywhere where I have control over the amount of food on my plate, I can usually clean the plate.

I was always taught to clean my plate. Also, at restaurants, I've heard many chefs base their dishes on how much is left on the plate. And if I really enjoyed the meal, and the sauce was delicious, I'll sop it up with bread too! The only exception is if I know I'm having dessert and I am so stuffed.

I clean my plate because I'm just greedy! lol

I think it depends. When I am at home, I can control portions, so sure I eat everything on my plate, but if I'm out at a restaurant ordering base dishes from a menu, or trying a couple dishes at say a buffet of some sort, I don't feel bad about leaving food at all.

My plate yes, my husband's plate, often.

I HATE wasting food, esp. when its so expensive to go out--so I will box half of it before I start eating so I'm not tempted to finish it so I don't waste it.

I eat mostly food from home and I control my portions. If I'm eating Indian food from the mall food court I pretty much eat the whole thing, but it's kind of light so I can eat the whole thing without feeling over stuffed.

It really depends on what I'm eating. Since I live on campus, I have to eat in the cafeteria and they regulate portion sizes, so I get the same amount of food as one of the players on one of the athletic teams. There's also usually fries at lunch, which I generally don't eat. But, if I'm at home, I'm pretty good about cleaning my plate because it's what I want to eat and I can control how much food I have on my plate. At a restaurant, I'll generally have a lot of food left over, but I take it home and have another one or two meals out of it, so it gets finished.

IT depends on what im eating. But mostly- Yes! I just dont have very good portion control. I try to order or make reasonable amounts for this very reason. If i go to a restaurant and order a salad Im alot better off than if I were to order a meat and sides kind of meal. But if I do order a big meal I get a side salad to go with it first so that I start filling up and CANT eat the whole meal. Because if I can- I will.

At home I always clean my plate - but I'm the one serving myself so I control the portion. Eating out, it depends where I go but I usually end up taking leftovers home.

at home, yes....ususally not in a restaurant.

*usually

At home, definitely. Eating out, I try, but usually fail. Not my fault, the food portions are usually way to big.

*too

I try to but can't always finish, i get stuffed. I will take it home for left overs or have my hubby finish it

It depend on how hungry I am. But if I have Thai or Chinese food I have a lot left over and I take it home.

HATE WASTING ANY FOOD! and absolutely hate seeing other people waste food. At least take a doggy bag or something!

No - I wasn't before and am not now.

I am a member of the incredibly slow S L O W eaters club, where long after the rest of your party has moved on to after dinner drinks, you're still poking around with your salad or just barely made a dent in your entree.

Hell yeah I am

Restaurants, for the most part, give bigger than normal portions and I just can't ever eat it all!! I take the leftovers home for the next day's lunch. I clean my plate at home because I congtrol how much goes on it in the first place. At a restaurant, you can't do that!!

i have a really hard time not eating food if its sitting in front of me. when I'm at home I'll often lick my plate (that's horrible, I know, but it makes me feel like a littl kid which is just fun)...but only because its soooo yummy and I'm not over-eating at home anyway.

I have to ditto sonabobble--when eating out I usually take some home for the next day.

I was raised to "clean my plate" or to get pretty close.
Years ago I spoke with a man who was always told as a child to "leave some for the hungry ghosts"
and he doesn't finish his plate to this day.

I usually eat half, and take home half. Cause the next day I'll think about that delicious meal I had last night and then- OMG there's some in the fridge I can eat right now!

If I am eating out then no way. If I am at home then definitely because I don't serve myself robust portions.

Well...if I don't do it who will?

That definitely depends on the food I'm eating. There is never any pasta left on my plate. Ever.

Sometimes. I usually portion the food on my plate so I know that I'm not over-eating and I'm getting enough food in me. However there are some days were I get to full and can not finish. If the food is just dished out and I did not have control with the amount of food on my plate, well then I always leave leftovers since people tend to serve too much food.

I am one of those people who eats and talks when going out not at the same time. Though with friends we like to have discussions while eating and also give time for food to digest some we tend to eat everything on the plate because of those periods of talking and having fun.

It depends on the food I am eating.

used to be...until I realized my boyfriend is essentially a human garbage disposal. He eats my scraps! So when I'm full, I quickly offer it up to him and it's gone before I can have second thoughts

I usually clean the plate. People have asked me if I lick the plate when they're not looking. (For the record, I don't lick, I just use utensils really, really efficiently. Hee.)

If a restaurant has portions so big I can't finish, I would ask for a doggie bag. It'd be more earth-friendly to carry along my own reusable container, but I'm not always that prepared.

The only exception would be if the food is really, really bad. But it has to be pretty much inedible for me not to consider it a waste.

I almost never clean my plate at restaurants because the portions are gigantic, but I'll always take some home. At home I can just take what I want though, so I usually get just enough and clean my plate.

booo! over eating leads to weight gain, dolls. eat until you're full, then take the rest home and eat it later... your metabolism will thank you. smaller portions make a happy digestive system!