Protect yourself from portion distortion
Tracy Parker
Over half of the adult population is currently overweight or obese, and just where to place the blame for this problem is a common news story these days. Some responsibility has been directed at fast-food restaurants, our need to eat on the move and the high fat, high cal options easily available.
However, one of the main reasons so many people are overweight, is lack of portion control. And when it comes to deceiving consumers, a new entry in the hall of blame could be the food advertising industry. Do catch phrases like, “Super-size it!” and “Get ten percent extra free,” sound familiar? While you think you’re following the recommended portion size, the portion size just got bigger!
Research shows that when people are presented with larger portion sizes, they will eat more. So with all this portion distortion around, is it any wonder that obesity is on the rise? Find out why portion control is important and how food labels can sabotage your diet so you don’t fall victim to these single-helping hoaxes.
Taking Control
Any successful weight loser will tell you, one key to maintaining a healthy weight is controlling portions. But these days, the problem has become: what is a normal portion size? Since the 1980s, typical servings have increased dramatically:
·bags of crisps have grown from 25g to 40g. 'Big Eat' bags have 50% more than standard bags - a bag of Walker's crisps, for example, now contains 55g (that's 290 calores and 18g of fat, compared to 130 cals and 8g of fat in 25g)
·although 330ml cans are still available (139 cals for a can of Coke), 500ml bottles of soft drinks are just as popular (210 cals in a bottle of Coke)
·king-size and pocket pack chocolate bars are up to twice the size of regular bars - a Mars Big One has 100 calories more than a regular bar while a King-Sized Snickers has 200 extra calories than the regular version
·double and triple burgers with all the extras are available from every burger chain. If you double-up your cheeseburger in McDonald's, for example, you increase your calories from 300 to 440, and your fat intake from 11.5g (5.9g sats) to 22.1g (11.7g sats)
·even the standard dinner plate used in most restaurants has increased from 10 to 12 inches!
Why Portion Sizes Matter
Portion size directly relates to calories. With this steady increase in food sizes, most people are eating more than they realise and the calories are adding up. And when you’re watching your weight, it’s calories that count.
But serving sizes aren’t the only things growing - this portion distortion is also affecting how people perceive a “standard” serving size for common foods. Research shows that most people underestimate how many calories they consume each day by as much as 25%. And some of the confusion comes from not knowing the difference between a portion size and a serving size.
What Is A Serving?
To most of us, a serving is whatever we put on our plates. But a serving size is defined as the amount of food people typically eat. The serving size is used as a basis for providing nutritional information like calories, fat and cholesterol. The aim of having standard serving sizes is to make them realistic and easy to compare the nutritional numbers of similar foods.
The Food Pyramid and Healthy Eating Plate recommends the number of servings that should be had from each food group for a healthy diet. So servings are based on calories and nutrients, rather than on the amount of food on your plate.
What Is A Portion Size?
A portion size is the amount of food on your plate or, more specifically, the amount you actually consume. This can be more or less than the serving size. For example, you may have only a small bowl of cereal in the morning (one serving), while your husband has a large bowl of the same cereal (three servings). Although both of you have one bowl of cereal, your portion sizes are different, which has an influence on how many calories and nutrients you are consuming.
What’s A Correct Serving?
The easiest way to determine a correct serving size is to read the serving size and nutrition information on the food label. For example a typical serving of corn flakes is 30g, muesli is 60g, and All Bran is 40g. Instead of pouring the same amount of cereal into your bowl, take time to look at the serving size. Weigh out the recommended portion and remember how this looks in the bowl you usually use.
If you’re looking for more volume, choose the corn flakes over the muesli, since you can have a larger serving for the same calories. Remember, however, that x number of calories from muesli might help you feel fuller for longer as the same number of calories from cornflakes, as muesli is higher in fibre. The muesli might also take you longer to eat, making you feel more satisfied. Once you start to understand serving sizes on labels, you’ll know how to take in fewer calories, feel satisfied and lose weight.
At The Mercy Of the Advertisers
There are still some advertising and packaging pitfalls that can trip up your weight-loss efforts. Watch out for some of the following:
Incentive Labels Getting more FREE isn't always such a bargain, if the saving is at a cost of increased calories and fat.
Serving Size vs Container Size The size of the serving on the food package influences all the nutrient amounts listed on the top part of the label. You should compare the serving size to how much you are actually eating; for example:
·a serving of tortilla chips is 50g. Share a bag with one other person a bag and you’ll have taken 1.75 servings
·most pizzas have nutrition info for four on the label but most of us could easily eat at least half
·a serving of ice-cream is 75g but a 500ml carton between 4 people provides portions of almost twice that. In my local supermarket, Mars ice-cream is advertised along the lines of 'one carton, 2 spoons'. If you follow that advice, you will be eating a 250ml serving - that's over three times the recommended serving size.
'For One or More' Labels Titles and names can be deceiving. Individual portions can be more than an individual serving.
The Ready Meal It’s not all bad news, but you do need to be label savvy with these meals, since their convenience could come with a calorie price:
·ready meals including supermarket own brands and makes such as WeightWatchers from Heinz, Unislim, Findus and that have under 360 calories and less than 8 grams of fat per meal are safe bets
·watch out for meals that don’t have a side order as separate sides can cost you dear!
The last word: Constant exposure and easy access to fast food, meal deals and super sizes means we can no longer count on meals that are bought or made outside the home to be wholesome, nutritious and properly sized. It does mean that we have to make a substantial effort to get back on track, and learning to recognise and control portion sizes is a crucial step.
Being able to size up your meals will help you size down on calories!
