Have you ever wondered why the portion sizes in America are so large? I have travelled quite a bit in my life and noticed some big differences.
I once visited Quebec, Canada at 12 years old and as usual wanted a bowl of cereal for breakfast. My mother proceeded to hand me what I thought was a cup. I said Mom, “No, I need a bowl.” She said, “This is a bowl!”. I quickly responded, “Why is it so small?”. Now being born in the USA, I just assumed that the sizes we have here would be the same everywhere. WRONG! Now, 20 years later my question, “Is bigger ALWAYS better?”.
I’ve pondered over this and other questions, during my weight loss journey. I would go food shopping and be overwhelmed with the abundance of sale options. All screaming “BUY ME, DON'T MISS THIS DEAL, YES YOU NEED TO HAVE THIS!” Now, it’s nobody's fault, and I don’t have to buy 10 $1 yogurts or 2 for $5 spinach, but the guilt or FOMO leaves an unsettling feeling. What is worse than that is the feeling of going out for a smoothie or out to eat when I know I have all the ingredients in my kitchen. Then the food goes bad, which means I am literally throwing my money in the garbage. This is a vicious cycle. Let’s see what the research says:
Consider these statistics from the American Heart Association and the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation study “A Nation at Risk: Obesity in the United States”:
Adults today consume an average of 300 more calories per day than they did in 1985.
Portion sizes have grown dramatically over the last 40 years.
Americans eat out much more than they used to.
What can we do to combat temptation? These are just a couple of pointers that helped me.
Don’t shop on an empty stomach. The old saying goes “Your eyes are bigger you’re your stomach”. I notice I don’t over buy when I am not hungry.
Shop for only a few days. I know how annoying it can be to be in the stores twice a week. This helps with throwing away spoiled food. I just shop for my workdays meal prep and don’t think about it. That also gives me freedom to go out to eat and maybe hit up a farmer market on the weekend. I love the change up and the inspiration for the week, all without the guilt.
Order off the kids’ menu. If you do go out to eat and it is allowed, I order smaller plates. Like appetizers for the main meal. It’s just a way to trick your brain.
Use smaller plates at home. Another mind trick is to serve using smaller dishes to make it appear that your plate is full.
Does this really work? Well it can’t hurt. There are a lot of debates and opinions that eating less will “shrink” your stomach. Let’s leave that to the professionals, I like this saying it “will change your appetite thermostat”. You can change the signal to your brain that you are full, and do not stuff yourself. Your body is designed to be a well working machine, but you have to take care of it. With all the outside stimulation, you must find a balance of essential nutritious food and eat a portion size that maintains a healthy lifestyle. Bigger may be better in other areas of your life but not on your plate!
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