Portion Control – we have all heard it is important, but let’s be honest…it’s hard! Why? Gigantic serving platters are now used as dinner plates, movie theatre popcorn is served in humongous tubs that require a bear hug hold, and sodas are filled in 2L cups that do not fit in our car cup holders. It’s no wonder why obesity rates have skyrocketed since the 1980s! To see how outrageously large portion sizes have grown, here’s a look at sizes and calories then (20 years ago) and now:
|
|
20 Years Ago | Now |
| Two Slices of Pizza | 500 calories | 850 calories |
| Coffee | 45 calories (8 oz) | 330 calories (16 oz) |
| Movie Popcorn | 270 calories (5 cups) | 630 calories (Tub) |
| Bagel | 140 calories (3-inch diameter) | 350 calories (5-6-inch diameter) |
| Cheeseburger | 333 calories | 590 calories |
| Soda | 97 calories (original 8 oz bottle) | 242 calories (20 oz) |
| Convenience Store Soda | 388 calories (32 oz) |
776 calories (64 oz) |
An average cheeseburger may be 590 calories as noted above, but it’s certainly not the max. Can you believe a Jalapeno burger with fries at a famous retail chain is a whopping 2120 calories? Worse still, it’s not just fast foods that have increased in size. Even serving sizes in the American classic, Joy of Cooking, have increased 35% over its multiple editions. Why has this happened? Food businesses realized that they could win more customers, looking to get more for their dollar, by increasing sizes for a minimal price. Larger sizes in restaurants distorted our sense of portion sizes so much that even portion sizes in the home increased!
To see a visual of how large portions have increase, take a look at this entrée:
The steak serving is so big, it is off the plate!
Maybe the portions in the picture above look normal today, but both the meat and potato portion exceeds appropriate portion sizes for one person. So what? Why is it important to understand normal portion sizes? Knowing the appropriate serving size for one person can help one accurately gauge how much we are eating in a given day.
Eating the right portion of good foods for optimal health…Easier said than done, right? We know how hard it is to conceptualize one serving size in a culture where bigger is better. Well, here’s an easy trick: imagine an everyday item as a comparison to accurate portion sizes. Check out some examples:
Deck of cards = one serving of meat, fish or poultry
Baseball = 1 cup cooked pasta, rice
Tennis ball = ½ cup of mashed potatoes or ice cream
Computer mouse = 1 small baked potato
4 dice = 1 oz serving of cheese
Golf ball = ¼ cup serving of nuts or dried fruits
Golf ball = 2 tbsp of peanut butter or salad dressing
Do you think imagining various balls and playing cards will help you avoid large portion pitfalls the next time you plan your meal?
Tags: Convenience Store, fast food, obesity, Portion Control, Portions
The increase in portion size in combination with our more sedentary lifestyle explains why we are the LARGEST nation. I would like to see a comparison of how much real food was in these items 20 years ago and how much food product is in the same food now.
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Jen B
February 3rd, 2010 at 9:02 ampermalink
As an underweight person, it shouldn’t bother me that portion sizes are so huge, but when you look at the ingredients and the calories all come from sodium and fat, I still can’t talk myself into eating most of those “foods.” I’d prefer the real food and an expensive/constant struggle to weigh enough than the easy way out of eating oversized processed food.
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Adele
February 3rd, 2010 at 11:41 ampermalink
Great Visual!!
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Joanne Peek
February 3rd, 2010 at 11:55 ampermalink
can’t wait to come to the earth fard on february 18th all all is great info.
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sandy holt
February 7th, 2010 at 3:43 pmpermalink
[...] or “What would you like to eat?” Most people spend a lot more time worrying about what and how much to eat instead of what to drink; but unless it’s water, tea, milk or 100% fruit or vegetable juice [...]
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Tomato Talk » Blog Archive » Could That Beverage be Causing Weight Gain?
February 8th, 2010 at 11:59 ampermalink
They had a great segment about portion sizes this morning on GMA! You can check it out here: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/proposed-portion-control-give-reality-check/story?id=9816600
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Maria D
February 12th, 2010 at 10:57 ampermalink
I have found that by changing our diet to “real” food not processed we eat smaller portions naturally. Processed food contains so much more than food, mainly the chemicals that make you sick, but they also make you want to eat more. real food fills you up quicker and it lasts longer, plus you have the good feelings of knowing your giving your body what it needs and no more!
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Lara M
February 12th, 2010 at 8:05 pmpermalink
I’m sure we have all heard the expression “Less is More”. In this society we need to start focusing on “quality” not “quantity”. I’m just beginning to make the journey myself after gaining about 40lbs from eating the wrong foods. And hopefully I can bring my husband and five children along with me.
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Rachelle Falls
February 25th, 2010 at 5:56 pmpermalink
This was great. I never thought of food portions in this way before. It is great to use when you cook at home and to help control portions also when you go out.
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Glenda M.
March 12th, 2010 at 1:39 pmpermalink
Hi Glenda,
We are glad this was helpful! It is definitely a great way to think about how much is consumed, especially when you are out and not preparing the food yourself!
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earthfare
March 12th, 2010 at 2:32 pmpermalink
Great information! I’ve been looking for something like this for a while now. Thanks!
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pharmacy technician
April 18th, 2010 at 8:25 pmpermalink
No problem! We are glad this was helpful.
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earthfare
April 19th, 2010 at 10:40 ampermalink
I live in Huntsville, AL and am beyond thrilled to make Earth Fare my only grocery destination. Two weeks ago I took a leap of faith and became *mostly* vegan. (I’ve had a bit of dairy here and there). Even with the increase in fruits, grains, and veggies, I have to be so, so choosy with what I pick up from the mainstream grocery stores. A week ago I was wondering if my lifestyle change would all be worth it in the end…and then I saw that Earth Fare had just opened up. It truly was as if the universe itself was smiling on me and telling me not to give up. I needed a reminder to stay true to the course. I know with Earth Fare’s help, I’ll reach my goal weight and inner peace. THANK YOU for choosing Huntsville!
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PlaiduhPus
May 26th, 2010 at 1:02 ampermalink