Putting “Poor” Back into Portions
Almost everyone loves a good deal. No matter where in the world you are from, people generally want to get as much as they can get for their money. While there is nothing wrong with this concept, sometimes “more” is not always “better. “ Take food, for example. Is getting a bigger candy bar really better? Hummm…
As far as American food goes, the idea of “getting more for you money” has gotten way out of control. In an effort to increase sales, food manufactures have heavily marketed this “more is better” concept to the masses and convinced people to buy more than what they need on a regular basis. As the amount of food purchased by the average American has increased, so has the average American waist line.
Everything from candy to weight loss food has increased in size, causing people to eat more than they would if the portions were smaller. The average pizza size that was once 10 inches in the 1970s is now between 16-18 inches. Even the traditional Hersey® chocolate bar has increased from 0.6 ounces to 1.6 ounces. Below are some statistics taken from the book “The Portion Teller,” by Lisa R. Young, PhD, RD., showing how portion sizes affect people’s eating habits.
Women ate 31% more and men ate 56% more when served a 12-inch sub sandwich instead of a 6-inch.
When cooking, people poured 4.3 ounces of oil from a 32-ounce bottle, but only 3.5 ounces from a 16-ounce bottle.
Moviegoers ate 61% more popcorn when given the larger container than they did with a small size.
Snackers poured about twice as many M&Ms from a jumbo bag (103) than they did when given a smaller package (63).
What can be done to remedy this portion distortion? Well, I don’t think food manufacturers are going to decrease their portion sizes anytime soon. Therefore, it is up to YOU, the consumer, to take matters into your own hands. First thing is to be aware of this portion distortion. Simply by being aware, you can position yourself to make a decision about 1) the portion size you purchase and 2) how much of that portion you choose to consume. Once you make a decision, you can act on that decision.
Unfortunately, this may be easier said than done. When a giant piece of cake someone placed in front of you is calling your name, it may not be easy to stop eating the cake half way through. If you find yourself with more than what you know you should eat, IMMEDITELY portion it out and either save the other portion or give it to someone else. Most of us have the “must clean my plate” mentality, and properly portioning helps satisfy the need for a clean plate without overeating. They key is to getting the unneeded portion out of sight as soon as possible. As they say, “Out of sight, out of mind!”
Another key to properly portioning is to use smaller containers. Use a smaller plate for dinner, smaller bowl for cereal, smaller cup for beverages (other than water), etc. Smaller containers give the illusion that what is in them is much more than what it appears to be. Try this experiment: Take a half cup peanuts or some other small food you enjoy eating and place it in the middle of a large plate. Now take the same amount of the same food and put it on a saucer. How does it look to you? How do you feel about each of the portions?
Choosing the proper portions may be challenging for you because portion sizes are different for everyone. If you feel you are eating more than you should or are not sure if you are eating the proper amounts of food, you may benefit from visiting with a Health Coach who is trained in this area. Regardless, try adopting these methods and see if you can put the "poor" back into your portion sizes and maintain a healthy weight.
