« Exercise and Immune Function | Main | Appetizers for the New Year »
December 28, 2005
Stop super-sizing and start smart-sizing
Your breakfast bagel might have looked perfectly normal this morning, but during the past 30 years it has grown freakishly large.
Originally the size of a hockey puck, a typical bagel now has the circumference of a CD. Eating just one is the same as eating five pieces of toast, enough servings of grain for the whole day.
That 28-ounce rib-eye you wolfed down last night? You ate the equivalent in protein to 28 eggs, my friend. That's three to four days' worth of your protein needs -- in one sitting. A Triple Whopper and a 42-ounce shake at Burger King? Two days' worth of saturated fat in one meal.
Back in 1960, a single-serving bag of potato chips was 1 ounce, and a bottle of Coca-Cola was 6.5 fluid ounces. Fast-forward 40 years, to 2000, and the bag of chips swells to 2 to 4 ounces, the bottle of Coke to 20.
Welcome to portion distortion, an increasingly common disorder caused by the fact that food sizes are two to five times larger than they were in the past. Bagels have ballooned, dinner plates are larger, restaurants serve obscene amounts of food. Experts say it all adds up to more calories, part of the reason that Americans are fatter than ever.
If your New Year's resolutions include losing weight or eating more healthfully, it's time to take up arms against the portion monster.
The problem is twofold: Most people have a skewed sense of what constitutes a "normal" portion size -- the terms "small," "medium" and "large" are so outdated as to be meaningless -- and it's hard to back down from the challenge posed by an 18-ounce portion of chicken piccata.
When presented with more food, you'll eat more, even if you don't finish it. It's OK on a special occasion, but the special occasions are happening every day. The problem is, you pay less per ounce for the bigger size, so there is a tendency to buy bigger and more. But the difference is less than a few dollars. Don't be lured by the bargain. It's hard to do, but at the end of the day, your health is the best bargain you have.
Two main strategies for portion control:
One is to keep a notebook in which you write down what you eat -- before you eat it. Don't add it up, don't count the fat grams. Just write it down. Seeing what you've eaten and what you're about to ingest can keep people from snacking.
The other is to avoid "the bargain" while ordering or shopping for food, a foreign concept to most Americans.
Smart-sizing strategies:
At home
Use an appetizer or salad plate for your main dish.
Don't eat out of the bag or container -- make yourself see how much you're eating.
Don't leave food on the counter; don't leave a food container or bag open.
Eat foods with built-in stopping points, such as bite-size candy bars or individually packaged things.
Buy smaller packages of food. If it worries you that you pay less per ounce with larger sizes, remind yourself that you'll end up paying more in terms of weight gain -- and possible medical bills.
Portion out single servings from a large bag of, say, tortilla chips, into small airtight storage bags. If the label says the bag contains 10 servings, use 10 bags.
Don't buy something for tomorrow. If it's around, you'll eat it. If you want it tomorrow, you'll get it tomorrow.
In a restaurant
Ask for the doggie bag before the meal; when the food arrives, put half of it away before you start eating.
Ask for extra vegetables.
Use your hand or other objects for visual reference. A portion of cheese is about the size of your thumb. Your fist is about a cup -- one serving of raw vegetables. A serving of fish should be the size of a deck of cards. Keep pancakes and pita bread to the size of a CD.
Avoid buffets, family-style restaurants or all-you-can-eat deals. Forget about the bargain.
Steer clear of dishes that include the words "large," "giant," "mega" and "jumbo."
If you're dining with someone, share an entree and a salad. Many restaurants will even plate each half separately; if not, just ask for an extra plate. If there's a "plate charge" for sharing, bite the bullet and pay it; you'll still spend less than if you'd ordered two entrees.
Order appetizers instead of entrees, or seek out and patronize restaurants that offer "half-size" portions. Let the management know you appreciate the half-portion option.
Remember that there will likely be another meal. This is not your last supper.
Posted by Lisa at December 28, 2005 09:23 AM
Trackback Pings
To send a trackback, use this url. If you know anything about this subject, please post a comment.