Publication: Diet Buddy
Portion Control! Part-1 | |
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Diet Buddy - Monday, April 16, 2007
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Portion Control! Part-1
Hi There Buddies...
Portion sizes these days are way out of control for many
people. We seem to be overeating as much as 500 calories
or more a day compared to what we were eating about 20
years ago. Now that would definitely explain why as a
whole, Americans have gained all this weight over the
years.
What seems like an average meal to most of us today, is
actually super-sized by many eateries including fast food
places, delis, restaurants and even at home where we also
seem to have adopted a distorted view regarding what
"normal" servings should be. "Portion distortion", or
perceived large portion sizes as appropriate amounts in
one sitting, has had an increasingly negative affect on
our weight, as well as creating serious health issues.
As Lynn Grieger, RD, CDE from iVillage explains... twenty
years ago, the regular serving size of coffee - eight
ounces of java, with whole milk and sugar - contained 45
calories, the same amount found in 13 M&M's. Today, a
16-ounce cup of mocha coffee - with steamed whole milk
and mocha syrup - has a whopping 350 calories, equivalant
to 103 M&M's. As coffee drinks grow in size and variety,
so does their calorie content... and our waistlines.
Research shows that adding a little syrup and doubling
the serving size of our favorite cup of joe can make us
gain 22 pounds in just one year. And that's just from
coffee!
You've no doubt encountered one of the Frisbee-size cookies
strategically placed next to the cash register at delis and
quick stops. Did you know that those cookies are 700 times
bigger than a standard cookie? Virtually every kind of
food is now larger than it used to be; Muffins are 333
percent larger; pasta servings, 450 percent larger; and
bagels, 200 percent bigger than they were 20 years ago.
Today let's start reducing portion sizes by judging the
amount we eat with our eyes and the dishware that we use...
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Reining In Portion Sizes!
We eat with our eyes, not our stomach, according to Brian
Wansink, PhD, director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab
at Cornell University. His research suggests that we eat
what we serve, and that by using larger bowls, plates and
serving spoons we automatically indulge in larger portions.
If you're tired of calorie counting and mindless overeat-
ing, try these 5 simple tips to eat less effortlessly with-
out feeling deprived:
1. Scoop Out The Calories - Use two-ounce (1/4 cup) serving
spoons for casseroles, rice, potatoes and scooped
desserts such as ice cream and pudding. Wansink found
that even nutrition professionals served themselves 14.5
percent more ice cream when using a four-ounce scoop
versus a two-ounce scoop.
2. Sip From Tall, Narrow Glasses - There's something about
height that makes us think we're getting a larger
portion. In a recent study, bartenders were asked to
pour the same amount of liquid into short, wide glasses
and tall, narrow glasses. Sure enough, they poured 20.5
percent more liquid into the short, wide glasses.
3. Use Small Serving Bowls - In another study, graduate
students were asked to serve themselves Chex Mix or
roasted nuts from large or small serving bowls. Results
showed that participants ate 56 percent more from the
large bowls. This may be due to the fact that a handful
from a small bowl "looks" like an appropriate portion
size but a handful from a larger bowl may seem too
small. Pair a smaller serving bowl with a smaller
serving spoon and you'll have a double winner.
4. Choose Small Plates - If you serve a half cup of mashed
potatoes on an 11-inch plate, it will look like a very
small portion. Serve that same half cup of mashed
potatoes on a 9-inch plate though, it will look just
right. Switch to smaller plates to eliminate overeating
for good.
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5. Use Specially Desinged Plates And Bowls - Want to trim
down the calorie content of your next meal? Try these
tools to help you reinforce realistic portion sizes...
* The Perfect Portion Weight Loss System - contains a
plastic plate with visual guidelines to divide foods
into the ideal portion sizes for different meals.
* The Portion Doctor - offers a variety of plates, bowls
and drinking glasses clearly marked for recommended
portion sizes.
* Fit & Fresh - offers a food scale for measuring correct
portion sizes. The company also offers high-tech
plastic containers perfect for taking breakfast, lunch
or dinner on the go. Detachable ice packs keep food
cold, and compartments within the containers help keep
foods separate.
(These can be found on the internet.)
How Big Is Your Dinner Plate?
A standard dinner plate was 10 inches in diameter 30 years
back, but many are now 12 inches - with 40 percent more
room for food! While measuring your food portions, measure
your plates and dishes as well. If yours are too big,
it's time to purchase new, smaller dishes to help rein in
expanding portions.
Recommendations Are:
10-inch dinner plate
8-inch lunch plate
5.5-ounce cereal or soup bowl
6.5-ounce beverage glass
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Use Your Hands!
It's not convenient to carry measuring cups all the time,
but your hands are always available! Use these comparisons
to estimate portion sizes when you're eating out or at a
friends's house:
* A woman's fist or a baseball - one cup serving of
vegetables or fruit.
* A rounded hand - about one-half cup cooked or raw
veggies or cut fruit, a piece of fruit, or one-half cup
cooked rice or pasta; also a good measure for a snack
serving, such as chips or pretzels.
* A deck of cards or the palm of your hand (don't count
your fingers!) - a three-ounce serving of meat, fish or
poultry.
* A golf ball or a large egg - one quarter cup dried fruit
or nuts.
* A tennis ball - about one cup of ice cream, potato,
pasta or rice.
* A computer mouse - about the size of a small baked
potato.
* A compact disk - about the size of one serving of
pancake or small waffle.
* A thumb tip - about one teaspoon of peanut butter or
margarine.
* A ping-pong ball - two tablespoons of peanut butter or
salad dressing.
* Four dice - one ounce of cheese.
~
And you thought you were eating normal everyday meals. When
you read through some of the measurements above you might
be inclined to think they're for the birds, not people!
That just shows how distorted our view of a normal portion
size has become. We can change that by adjusting our plate
size and becoming visually aware of the foods we eat.
Did You Know ???
That over 71 percent of our total calorie intake is
determined by the size and shape of our dishes, bowls,
cups, and serving spoons.
Having a problem with your portion control? Get some help
in our Diet Buddy Forum at... Diet Buddy Forum
Next week we'll continue with Portion Control! Part-2
Have a great week everyone !!!
Disclaimer: Since I am not a medical professional any
statements in this column are strictly based on research I
have done and should not be misconstrued as medical advice.
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GopherCentral's Question of the Week
Who is your favorite Presidential candidate?
Please take a moment to share your opinion, visit:
Question of the Week
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