Between the 1977 and 2002, food intake per-capita increased from 200 calories a day to 500 calories a day, according to a study published in the February 2002 issue "American Journal of Public Health." Today, Americans are consuming more than ever and moving less with obesity rates that confirm this trend. Value pricing strategies by some restaurants and food processors may or may not be contributing to this trend. USDA standards report an increase in portions of cookies, pasta, muffins, steaks and bagels -- some by as much as 700 percent. Burgers, fries and sodas are up to five times larger than their original version. Implement these tips to avoid the super-size and put healthy portions on your plate.
Serving Size
Serving sizes are not the same as portions. Serving sizes are determined by dietary guidelines as recommended portions. A portion size is what you decide to consume. Reading and comparing labels to evaluate serving size in comparison to calories per serving will help you determine healthy foods and portion sizes. For example, one bag of chips is 240 calories per 1-oz. serving and another is 110 calories per 1-oz. serving; therefore, bag one is more than twice the calories than bag two for the same amount of food.
Healthy Portions Sizes
The American Cancer Society lists food comparison to everyday items. A healthy serving of meat is equal to the size of a bar of soap or the palm of your hand; serving sizes for fish equate to the size of a checkbook; four dice are equal to a 1-oz. serving of cheese; and a computer mouse or tennis ball is the recommended serving size of a potato or pasta serving.
Setting The Plate
The strategy the American Diabetic Association recommends includes dividing your plate into sections. Half of the plate should contain non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, green beans, spinach or salsa. Divide the other half of the plate into three sections; the first section consisting of starchy foods such as potatoes, whole grain bread, pasta, rice, corn or peas; the second section is for protein, choose from chicken, turkey, tofu, eggs, seafood, lean beef or pork. The last section can contain fruit such as an apple, 1/2 cup of fruit salad or frozen berries.
Restaurant Value Pricing
Avoid falling prey to super-size pricing. Committing to a healthy diet before you dine out is important; people who feel nutrition is important make better choices. A March 2006 survey, published in the "American Journal of Health Promotion," evaluated whether nutrition labeling would eliminate value-size portions and improve their choices. The study included 79 participants age 16 and up. Only 59 percent felt nutrition was important at all; two thirds of the participants supported government regulation of nutrition labeling; and one third supported government-regulated price reductions for smaller portions. When another group of researchers put this theory to the test they found surprising results. The February 2010 study published in the "European Journal of Public Health," reports that prices based on portion sizes did not influence the general public regarding size choices, however, overweight consumers opted for smaller portions of food and drink. When large portions cannot be avoided, share a meal with some one or pack half of the meal to go.
References
- "American Journal of Public Health"; The Contribution of Expanding Portion Sizes to the US Obesity Epidemic; Lisa R. Young, Ph.D., R.D. and Marion Nestle, Ph.D., M.P.H.; February 2002
- "American Journal of Health Promotion"; Nutrition Labeling and Value Size Pricing at Fast-Food Restaurants: A Consumer Perspective; M. O'Dougherty, et al; March 2006
- "European Journal of Public Health"; Value for Money or Making the Healthy Choice: The Impact of Proportional Pricing on Consumers' Portion Size Choices; W.M. Vermeer, et al; February 2010
- American Diabetic Association; Create Your Plate
- American Cancer Society; Stay Healthy: Controlling Portion Sizes
- American Dietetic Association; Serving Size vs. Portion Size: Is There a Difference?
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