Portion control is a growing problem in this county. We are served plates of food that 20 years ago would feed 3 people. Yet we all wonder why America is getting fatter and fatter. There is an article that I found comparing the sizes of foods from 20 years ago to now. A bagel used to be 3-inches in diameter and 140 calories, now the average is 5 to 6-inches and 350 calories. We have doubled the size and calories in 20 YEARS! Today’s bagel counts for 3 servings of bread, but we look at it and see one serving. 20 years ago, we used to drink an 8 oz cup of coffee with milk and sugar containing 45 calories. Now when we drink a Grande café mocha with whip and 2% milk weighing in at 16 oz, we consume a whopping 330 calories. That’s 6 ½ more calories than we used to take in for ONE cup. Everything is bigger. A better bang for your buck and that may not always be a good thing for you. We live in the days of super sizing, of more for less, upgrading, and drive thru’s. For example, when you walk into a 7-11 to get a Big Gulp for 32oz (way more than any of us need) and it will cost you $0.99--- but if you choose the 44oz it’s only a $1.09. That’s 12oz more for only $0.10!! What a deal. Then, there is the double big gulp (double gulp!) and it is 64oz for only $1.19. That’s 20oz for only $0.10 or if you were going to choose the 32oz, it’s double (funny) the ounces for only $0.20. Now that’s a steal! Right? You have now taken in twice the calories with that great deal. Twice the calories.
So… what is a serving size? I’ll give you a few visuals.
Grain Products:
· 1 Cup of cereal is an adult fist full
· 1 pancake is the size of a CD
· ½ of cooked pasta, rice, or potato is the size of ½ a base ball
· 1 slice of bread is the size of a cassette tape
· 1 piece of cornbread should compare to a bar of soap
Dairy & Cheese
· 1 ½ oz of cheese looks like 4 dice
· ½ cup of ice cream looks like a ½ a base ball
· 1 tsp. of butter is equal to 1 dice
Vegetable & Fruit (these are bare minimums- eat all you want of these)
· 1 cup of salad is equal to a baseball
· 1 baked potato looks like your fist
· 1 med fruit is the size of a baseball
· ½ cup of fresh fruit looks like ½ a baseball
· ¼ cup of raisins would fit into a large egg shell.
The darker the fruit or vegetable the most likely they will be better for you. Take grapes for example. Red grapes will contain less sugar and more antioxidants than green grapes. The red grapes skin is thicker and provides more nutrients.
Meat & Alternatives
· 3 oz of meat is equal to a deck of playing cards
· 3oz of fish would be the size of a checkbook
· 2 Tbsp. of peanut butter would be the size of a ping pong ball
Another issue that I really would like to address is serving sizes in the packages we pick up at the grocery store. You MUST look closely at how many servings there are - not just the calories and fat. Many "personal" pizzas and other "single serving" products can be deceiving. The FDA hasn’t changed what a serving size is, but public perception has changed. Therefore, companies do not need to put it out there and tell you the whole truth. If you get a 20 oz. drink there are normally 2 and ½ servings in that bottle. Who is going to drink their 8 oz. and either save the rest, share it, or throw it away? No one! You are going to drink the whole thing. So when you look at the serving sizes make sure that you are looking closely.