If we want to protect ourselves from obesity and unhealthy consumption, it is important that we recognize that our perception is being obscured.  Watch out for foods that are often packaged in ways that blur the difference between servings and portions.

For many individuals in America, the change in portion sizes has either gone unnoticed or just doesn’t seem all that important. Recently, however, the nation as a whole has recognized that there is a problematic issue here. America is most definitely living in a period of what many nutritionists refer to as "portion distortion” because larger portions have become the norm in the United States today.


This “portion distortion” is normally attributed to the competitive trend of fast food and restaurant chains to supply the most for our money. Unfortunately, it seems the trend has definitely stuck with us outside of these venues as well and became a part of everyday life.

If we want to protect ourselves from obesity and unhealthy consumption, it is important that we recognize that our perception is being obscured.  Watch out for foods that are often packaged in ways that blur the difference between servings and portions. (A bag of chips that contains three servings is made to look like an individual portion, or a single muffin or cookie that looks like it is for one person, is actually for three!) Also, plates have become larger in restaurants and now at home which is distorting the general sense of what portions actually should be.

So What Can We Do?

1. Become familiar with servings. Start measuring and become familiar with what servings look    like in/on your dishes at home. Bowls are much larger too; try pouring a serving of cereal in a measuring cup for the next few days so that you know what it should look like.

2. Make your own serving packs. When it comes to grab and go food or snacks at home, measure out portions in advance, and put them in separate bags or containers. That way it’s already done, and you know exactly what you are eating.


3. Measure the butter, oil, and fatty condiments. For many, these are the staples for cooking and also extremely overestimated for serving sizes. Try olive oil spray, or at the very least MEASURE; don’t just pour or scoop. 

4. Eat Half. When you go out to eat and are served a large portion, save half to take home for a meal tomorrow!  OR - share (and save money) with a friend!  Have some clear soup for an appetizer (skip the bread basket) and you will find you have more than enough food!

5. Do your research at the places where you eat most often. This can be tricky because many times salads and grilled entrees that you might consider healthy actually have horrendous amounts of calories.

For example:

  • Panera Bread Sierra Turkey Sandwich (doesn’t sound too harmful, right?) contains 970 calories. On a regular 2,000 calorie diet, that’s about half your calories for the day.
  • Large McDonalds Coke = 310 Calories
  • Large bucket of fake buttered popcorn (at the movies) has over 1,500 calories!   
  • Starbucks Grande Caramel Brulee Latte, 2% Milk and Whipped Cream = 420 calories not to mention 48 g of sugar! Compared to a Skinny (nonfat milk, sugar free syrup) Flavored Latte which has 130 calories and 17 g sugar. 
  • Ramono’s Macaroni Grill’s Grilled King Salmon Meal (sounds healthy because its grilled and salmon is very nutritional) contains 1,160 calories. 

It pays to do your homework!  Know what you eat!