Take a Bite Out of Portion Distortion

Feeling stuffed? Maybe it's time to say no to super-sizing and yes to minimizing.

Think about delicious little bites that delight the eye and tantalize the taste buds. Many cultures have such small specialties. Picture Spain's tapas or China's dim sum.

The French have made mealtime miniatures an art form from hors d'oeuvres and canapés to petit fours. Then there's amuse-bouche— literally "entertain the mouth."

There's another incentive to think small: "More Americans are fatter than ever, and one thing contributing to the problem is 'portion distortion,'" says Karen Donato, M.S. R. R.D., coordinator of the National Health Obesity Education Initiative for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).

How much to eat?

In a super-sized world, we don't know how much we should eat when too much is put in front of us. "Research studies now show that portion size affects energy intake—the larger the portion, the more calories people are likely to eat at any one time," Donato says.

It happens in homes as well as restaurants. Plates are bigger, so we put more on them. The enticements are non-stop. Muffins and bagels, burgers and fries, sodas and sandwiches; all are big.

"Even prepackaged foods can be a problem since the many snack foods convenient to all of us come in ready-to-eat packages that, more often than not, contain much more than one serving," Donato says. "And many people can't stop eating at one serving."

Twenty years ago, the NHLBI says, a dish of spaghetti and meatballs contained a cup of pasta, three small meatballs and 500 calories. Today, that meal averages more than double the quantity and more than 1,000 calories. Measure that against the recommended 1,600 to 2,800 calories we should take in each day, depending on age, gender, and activity level.

"It's possible that if most people cut back 100 calories per day, they could prevent weight gain," Donato says.

Starting small

Shop smart. Buy the right-sized food. You don't need baked potatoes the size of footballs when a medium potato counts as 1 cup of starchy vegetable. A 1-ounce equivalent in the meat and beans group is considered 1 ounce of cooked meat or 1 egg or 1 tablespoon of peanut butter.

Read food labels. What a package calls a serving may not be right for you. The amount of food you should eat is based on how many calories you need in a day. To estimate what and how much you need, go to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's My Pyramid Web site.

Forget family style. Putting out serving bowls may be easier, but it could be healthier to put the right amount on each plate. Surround a small serving of meat with vegetables and grains.

Downsize dishes and pans. Use a smaller plate that looks fuller. You can also buy small baking dishes for everything from tarts to soufflés. Mini-muffin pans are invaluable.

Out of sight, out of mind. Plan to use leftovers for another meal? Put them away before you eat so tomorrow's lunch isn't gone by dinner's end.

Get a doggie bag. If you have a large meal while dining out, take some home and refrigerate it for lunch the next day.

Take a friend to lunch. Share those overstuffed deli sandwiches. If you need to supplement, add a small salad, a cup of soup, or a piece of fruit.

Freeze, please. You can still have your birthday cake: Eat just one piece, then cut it up and wrap small slices to freeze.

Stop at the sigh. That involuntary sigh toward meal's end can signal you're no longer hungry. Skipping the last three bites of a fast-food hamburger could save you 100 calories.