December 4, 2017
Things To Consider When It Comes To Portion Control And Moderation
Portion distortion, what is that?! Well, portion distortion is defined as “The increase in portion sizes for typical restaurant and snack foods, observed over the last 40 years”. You’re probably thinking, as most people do, that the portions we see in restaurants and fast food places are normal portions…. But you’d be wrong. Portion distortion can make eating in moderation really difficult. From eating out in restaurants to buying groceries, what we know as a serving now is much different than the servings from 10, 20 and 40 years ago.
So here are a few things to consider when you think about portions and moderation.
Portion Distortion. This term sounds totally made up, but it’s a real thing! Our sense of healthy meal portions is so distorted and there is a lot of marketing and misinformation out there. The most obvious example of this is fast food. When we look at what an order of french fries at McDonald’s was 20 years ago and we look at what it is now, you can’t deny that the portions are out of control. How do you know what a proper portion is? Most places now note the calories of each meal on their menu, but if counting calories isn’t your jam or you’re out somewhere and not sure of the portions, there are other ways you can figure it out. Here are a couple examples using your own hand:
- 1 cup = your fist
- 1 serving of a food like nuts or pretzels = your cupped hand
- 1 serving of meat, fish, or poultry = the palm of your hand
EatRight Ontario has a great food portions toolkit with tons of infographics and other information on portion control Check out the site for more information: https://www.eatrightontario.ca/en/FoodPortionsToolkit.aspx
Portion VS Value. There is nothing wrong with eating that cupcake or splurging on popcorn at the movies. The problem is that most people struggle with portion vs value. We will often buy more of something if we think we’re getting a good deal; buy one get one free, save $2 if you buy a half dozen. Just because the bakery will give you a deal on 6 cupcakes doesn’t mean you should eat 6 cupcakes and just because the large popcorn is only a $1.50 more than the regular sized popcorn doesn’t mean you should upsize and eat the whole bag. If you buy the half dozen cupcakes, take them to work, cut them into halves and share with your coworkers! Don’t be tricked by good marketing and the illusion of value, saving those couple of dollars isn’t worth the damage you can be doing to your health in the long run.
It’s A Balancing Act. Not only do we want to make sure that we’re consuming a variety of nutrient-dense foods but we also want to balance the energy consumed (aka calories in) with the energy used (aka calories burned) during daily activities in order to keep a healthy body weight. Extra calories consumed throughout the day need to be balanced by increasing the calories burned during physical activity. We want to maximize the nutrients we need and minimize the consumption of the ones we don’t. If you want to learn more about this and other really great nutrition-related information you should also head over to, Mighty Transformation at www.mightytransformation.com. Not only is Gil is super knowledgeable but he’s also really passionate about spreading awareness and helping people reach their goals.
I Want A Social Life! Eating out is a huge part of being social. So many life events are celebrated over food. It’s Friday, let’s go for drinks! It’s Sunday, let’s have brunch! I work in an office, and it seems like every other week it’s someone’s birthday and there is an endless supply of cake! Sharing a meal plays a large role in our social dynamics. It can be really difficult to maintain healthy habits when you are constantly eating out or hitting that 5:00 happy hour. You can still be social, but being aware of your portions and also the kind of foods you’re eating, is important. I don’t believe in depriving myself, however; it’s important to have anything in moderation. If you know you are going to go out and have a feast with your friends after work, then make sure that throughout the day you’re eating foods that are nutrient dense and low in calories, that way when you have that side of fries or extra large pizza, you can enjoy it and not feel like you have to miss out on the experiences shared with the people in your life.
