February  2007

Is Bigger Better?

Bigger is Better is the marketing scheme that many restaurants and food manufacturers have adopted. But, is bigger really better when it comes to eating?

There is no denying that food portions have grown astronomically in America in recent years. A recent study found that a “large” order of French fries at McDonalds in 2002 was the same size as a “super-size” was in 1998. Hardees monster thick burger serves up two-thirds of a pound of ground beef plus 4 strips of bacon and 3 slices of cheese at 1,420 calories and 107 grams of fat. That is about three times the meat recommended for a serving, almost all the calories, and about twice the fat recommended for one day for an average person.

Research tells us that when presented with bigger servings, people of all ages tend to eat more than when given more moderate food servings. Is it any wonder, then, that as a nation we too are getting bigger along with these outrageous food portions?

Nutrition experts generally distinguish between portions and serving sizes. A portion is the amount of food you choose to eat while a recommended serving is a standard amount used to help give advice about how much to eat. Nutrition advice is generally based on standard serving sizes like those found in MyPyramid or from the American Heart Association and similar groups. Knowing and following standard servings helps make sure we get the nutrients our bodies need in the amounts that are best for good health, without overloading on calories.

Some visual cues to help judge standard serving sizes are these:

3 ounces of cooked meat, fish or poultry = a deck of cards

½ cup of cooked vegetables, fruit, pasta or rice = a light bulb

1 cup of chopped fruit or vegetable = a baseball

1 medium fruit = a tennis ball

1 ½ ounces of natural cheese = 3 dominoes

A great way to learn to estimate a recommended serving is to measure out a serving and place it on your own dishes so you can see what it looks like. You may be surprised at how large vegetable servings appear. After a few times, you will get quite accurate at estimating recommended servings without resorting to measuring cups.

Learning to estimate recommended servings helps us eat reasonable portions. When you know that a two-third pound hamburger is three servings, you can choose to divide it with a friend or order a smaller portion. You can avoid automatically eating more food than you have appetite for, and feel much less stuffed and uncomfortable after meals. By being present mentally when you eat, smaller portions can satisfy you better than larger ones eaten mindlessly.

When eating out, you may be served very large portions or you may have the option for smaller or half-size portions. Part of this process of healthful living is to create environments that foster and support choices. You can help by telling restaurant management you enjoyed having a smaller option, or encouraging them to offer such an option. If speaking up is not your style, you may want to write a short note on the bill like “I enjoyed the taste of my food. I would appreciate the choice of a small portion.” Or, “Eating is one of life’s great pleasures! Thank you for offering smaller portion sizes.”