Blog

Portion Distortion

Posted By: Sherry Nicely on 05/19/2011

I went to an Italian restaurant in Northern Virginia recently and the pasta dinner (for one) was the same size my mom used to put on the dinner table to feed a family of four! Quite simply, our food portions in America are out of control. When I was growing up, a cheeseburger, small fries and small soda from a fast food restaurant was considered lunch. Now, for too many Americans, it’s just a snack. I remember going to a movie and watching my parents buy the giant bucket of popcorn to feed the entire family. Now I look around in the theater and each person has their very own giant bucket. And if eating from a “bucket” doesn’t make you stop and think, consider that its contents (with butter) will almost max out the entire daily recommended calorie count for an adult! Let’s take back control of our portion sizes and our waist sizes! One of my favorite sayings is “I’m never hungry and I’m never full.” I eat smaller portions, more often. I also eat my meals on smaller plates. I automatically eat less and never even notice. I highly recommend reading “Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think” by Brian Wansink. The book provides research (with humor) as to why we will overeat and offers some great, almost effortless, changes we can make to our eating habits. It’s time to get ready for beach weather, so this month, take control of your portions. Start each day with a low fat breakfast of grains and yogurt, avoid all fast food, use smaller plates for dinner, and keep apples and carrots handy for snacking. Try it for 30 days. Start with these simple tips, and let me know how you do!