Portion Distortion...

Have you noticed how big the portion sizes are these days? Well if you have, you are not alone. Large portion sizes have become part of our culture in the US. Much to our dismay it is wreaking havoc on our waist lines. Overeating in America is partly to blame on these large portion sizes. Many of us have gotten sucked into the trap of getting more for your dollar. Often this is good when buying a home, a new car, or new furniture. Although, when it comes to the Value Meal at your local fast food joint it can be extremely to much food and very high in calorie content.

Here is a little home work project: The next time you are at the grocery store or gas station take a look at the bags of chips, the candy bars, the size of the donuts, and not to mention the 1 liter bottles of soda. Do you remember these items being that large when you were a kid? The fact is that food products have increased in size and it is human nature to consume the entire product when you purchase it. When we consume over-sized products such as these, we consume more calories.

Many of us have been raised not to waste food and probably remember your parents telling you that you must clean your plate before you can leave the dinner table. Unfortunately, we are consuming more food than ever and have been tricked to think we are eating normal. A great example of this is the size of hamburger buns these days. They are huge and often the size of your hand or bigger. Think back to burgers when you were a kid...the buns, the patties, and the cheese slices were much smaller.

What happens when you prepare the hamburger patties for the grill these days? We make them bigger in order to cover the size of the over-sized bun. I mean who wants to eat a bunch of bread with out the good stuff in every bite. :) After you have eaten your burger, you may think...well I only had one cheeseburger. That one cheeseburger today might be two or three of the "Old School Hamburger" that we grew up with.

Keep in Mind..Large Portions = multiple servings, more fat, & more calories. Simply controlling portion sizes in your diet can drastically reduce calories in and do wonders to your waist line.

Tips for Controlling Portions