Kelsey Korey
OGB Article
Portion Distortion
Average portion sizes have grown so much over the past 20 years that, at times, the plate
arrives in front of you and there is enough food to feed two or three people. These increasing
portion sizes are changing what we think is a “normal” portion size. This trend has been labeled
“portion distortion.” So, you are probably wondering what a portion size is and how many you
should be eating in one sitting. Obviously, these measurements and caloric intakes differ for
everyone, but below you’ll find some general information about how our portion sizes have been
skewed and some tips to help you balance out your meals.
“Creeping portion distortion” is the term that mypyramid.gov gives to the change in
portion sizes over the past 20 years. This change is clear in foods such as:
Bagels:
What would you think if I told you a serving of carbohydrates is about 80 kcals? Eating
two servings of carbs in one meal is perfectly fine, but consider the bagel pictured above. 350
kcals is the equivalent to over four servings of carbs and this does not even include the cream
cheese or peanut butter loaded onto this bagel. To avoid this calorically dense breakfast choose
half of the bagel with two tablespoons (one teaspoon is about equal to the tip of your thumb and
one tablespoon is three times this amount) of peanut butter or low-fat cream cheese and a side of
fruit.
Burgers:
As a general rule of thumb, a normal sized hamburger bun (probably around four inches)
counts as two servings of carbohydrates which, as I stated above, is perfectly fine. Usually, the
portion increase in burgers is seen with the beef. Depending on your weight, I would say eating
between four and eight ounces of protein in one meal is plenty (three ounces is about the size of
a deck of cards or your iPhone). If one serving of lean protein (one ounce) is equal to about 35
kcals, the burger above contains over sixteen servings of meat! Sorry guys, as much as I love
beef, that’s kind of disgusting. If you’re craving a burger, split it with a friend and order a side
salad. Yay veggies!
Pasta:
I said before that one serving of carbohydrates is about 80 kcals, and I’m telling you now
that one serving of pasta (about 80 kcals) is equal to only a half a cup cooked! If you make a fist
with your hand, that’s about one cup or a baseball is about one cup. Knowing that, think about
the last time you went to a restaurant and ordered a plate of pasta… how many servings did they
put in front of you? Four? Five? Six!? Kind of scary, right? Next time, eat half of what’s on your
plate and order a side of sautéed veggies or a salad. A serving of veggies (about a half a cup
cooked or a cup raw) is only 25 kcals and full of vitamins and minerals, so load up! Another tip,
if you like cheese on your pasta, a serving of grated parmesan cheese is about two tablespoons
(about 70 kcals).
The goal with examining your portion sizes is balance. You do not want to only eat a
bagel for breakfast or a piece of chicken for dinner. Try to balance your plate as much as
possible with a serving of protein, carbohydrates and fruit or veggies. This maximizes your
body’s ability to absorb all the nutrients it can from your food as all the food groups work
together. This is another reason why cutting out any one type of food is not always beneficial. So
eat what you like, just don’t eat too much!