Moving down the cafeteria line, the standard lunch tray — designed to carry only so much food — is piled as high as possible. What should have been clear, divided sections of food now run together in a messy manner.
This is the reality that has taken over American lunchrooms, causing more than just an increase in obesity and other diseases. Today, portion control is essential to both adults and teens.
Portion sizes have seen a dramatic increase over the past 40 years. According to ‘Portion Sizes, Then vs. Now’ by nutritional blogger Liz Monte, the number of overweight or obese Americans has gone up 19 percent and the number of obese Americans has gone from 15 to 30 percent since the ‘70s.
“Portion control is important,” Blue Valley Southwest nurse Jill Stevens said. “For example, with meat, we always recommend eating the size of the palm of your hand instead of the size of the whole hand.”
With today’s lifestyle of constantly eating out and consumers’ expectations of restaurant-served foods, watching out for the right portion sizes at all meals is essential.
“Portion sizes in restaurants are very large as to what is actually recommended,” Blue Valley dietitian Sarah Chellberg said. “[When you constantly eat out,] it becomes a habit and you train your body to eat more.”
Serving sizes across the nation have increased significantly. Twenty years ago, two regular slices of pizza were just 500 calories while today, two regular slices of pizza average about 850 calories.
“Since restaurants have gone to larger portions, consumers are used to eating more,” Stevens said. “[But] it is not recommended to over indulge in any food.”
Even ‘healthy’ foods that many people would not think to watch out for can play a role in adding to unnecessary or unhealthy calories. A normal bagel of 3-inch diameter with 140 calories 20 years ago is now replaced with a 5-6 inch diameter ‘Noah’s Plain Bagel’ of 350 calories.
“From a metabolism standpoint, it’s better to do small, frequent meals during the day than one or two large meals,” Stevens said.
Conscious consumption tips:
- When eating out, make an effort to restrict over-indulging in unhealthy foods. Since portion sizes in restaurants have been increasing drastically, try splitting an entrée with a friend or take home the leftovers instead of overstuffing yourself.
- Substitute candy around the house with fruit. To diminish temptation, keep the counters full of fruit as opposed to sweets. When starting out the habit, first try going for few pieces of candy in combination with a healthy snack. Then, slowly ease into a low-sweets diet.
- Eating from larger packages tends to make individuals consume more. Next time when snacking in front of the TV or computer, think twice before subconsciously over-eating high-fat foods. Place a few chips in a separate bowl for further control.
