Portion perception
Many of us who are overweight or obese confuse what a proper portion size is. We go to restaurants (and not just the ones that offer super-size) and think that what is on our plate is what we should be eating. I think a lot of blame goes to the joints that think offering 2 or 3 serving sizes is the way to keep customers coming back.
My son used to run restaurants in the Southern US for quite a few years and I would always ask him why the portions were so huge. People can’t eat that much, I’d tell him. His reply was always the same.
“If I don’t give them more than they can eat, they’ll go to my competitor. They want more than they can eat so they can take some home,” he said.
Maybe he’s right, maybe the restaurants are only providing what their customers seem to want. To hell with their health. Where’s it going to end?
I’ll never forget going to Las Vegas for a conference several years ago and my husband and I went to a famous steak place and I ordered prime rib. As an American living in Australia – prime rib just doesn’t exist unless you cook it yourself, so it was a real treat for me. Imagine the surprise when my dinner arrived and the prime rib was nearly 2 1/2 inches thick and didn’t fit on a platter without hanging over on one side. A platter! I like beef but I’ve always eaten just a small portion of meat and porked it on by eating lots of veggies AND dessert.
I’m learning and it really is a learning exercise to change your perception of what a portion size should be for you. I say it that way because I’m barely 5′ tall, so my portion size is always going to be tiny. Sad.
April 16th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
The portion sizes in the US are huge. Especially compared to other countries from what I’ve heard & read. Your son is correct. When I go out, I hate to pay and get a little bit for my money. I can always ask for a doggy bag. But, it does explain why we have such a large obesity rate.
April 16th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Absolutely. I live in New Zealand now and a dinner portion at a restaurant is enough to eat for a hungry person. I have lived for many years in Australia and it’s a similar situation. American chain restaurants have tried to get established in Australia but most have died out. I’m not sure if it’s the amount of sugar in the foot, the size of the servings or the menus.
I will admit that when I go back home to the states, I have a rough time with the sugar in all the foods from cereal to mayonnaise.
April 16th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Amen! I don’t know how we got so off track about this. The problem with me is that if I don’t separate it to begin with when I am served, I eat too fast to even know when I’m satisfied! I’ve eaten twice as much as I need before I even realize that I need to quit eating. I try to avoid eating out for this exact reason.
April 17th, 2008 at 8:58 am
It is not just the food, even the drinks are huge! Now that I am starting to become more aware of portion sizes, I realize that at 5′2″, I cannot eat everything on my plate. This is a real hard concept for me to accept. Growing up, we were really poor, so wasting food is a big issue for me and my husband.
April 17th, 2008 at 10:30 am
True. True. True. My significant other and I have gotten into the habit or sharing meals when we go out and it makes it much easier not to over eat. Plus, if we need more, then we order something else.
April 17th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
so true. It’s the amount of food you eat everyday. It should always be in moderation. You don’t have to be full when you have your dinner or lunch.
April 17th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
I totally agree with you! Lately I have been measuring my food and it’s a total reality check as to what a normal portion size is.
April 25th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
Is it just me or it is a general truth that serving size depends on your location. In asia, as in Singapore where I am staying, our serving size is small or I would say is pretty much good enough for me in most case. When my friends got back from the US, they also said that the serving size is simply too big. So much so that a main course could be shared by 2-3 persons. For me, I have a habit; I always order what is enough for me as I do not like to waste food.
May 3rd, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Hi BK,
It’s not just you. Americans do like to feel that they’re getting value for money spent and that’s by getting more than you can eat. Over the years people began eating more and the plates began getting larger and larger. You are right though, a small person could share a meal with 2-3 people and do just fine.