Master food portions with these tips from an expert

How many servings of fruit per day are necessary?

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(CNN) -- 

Portion sizes for some of your favorite foods are getting bigger.

Ultra-processed foods and beverages, such as chocolate, French fries, fast-food burgers and soft drinks, are sold in sizes up to five times larger than when they were first introduced, according to a study published in December 2021 in the American Journal of Public Health.

Ultra-processed foods are industrial formulations that usually contain five or more ingredients, and may contain, for example, hydrogenated oils, colorants or flavor enhancers that are not found in other processed foods, according to the Nova food classification system, designed by the Center for Epidemiological Studies in Health and Nutrition of the Faculty of Public Health of the University of São Paulo.

• Study suggests that children who consume more ultra-processed foods gain weight faster

The size of Hershey's chocolate bars varies between 14 and 198 grams, this is half an ounce and 7 ounces.

(The 198-gram bar, labeled as 8 servings, provides about 1,000 calories.)

The original McDonald's hamburger, from 1955, was 1.6 ounces or 45 grams.

Although the original size of the burger hasn't changed, today the chain offers two 4-ounce burger patties in its Double Cheese Quarter Pounder, for a total of 8 ounces of meat in a single order.

And the fast food company introduced in 2020 a Double Big Mac burger with four meats and more than 700 calories.

If that calorie count leaves you wondering, consider Burger King's triple cheese Whopper, which has nearly 1,300 calories.

"For some people, this represents an entire day's caloric intake," says Lisa Young, a registered dietitian and lead author of the study.

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Although smaller sizes are still offered, the availability of larger-sized drinks has also increased.

Coca-Cola drinks are now sold in different sizes ranging from 221 milliliters to 700 milliliters.

The original bottle was 192 milliliters, according to the study.

The variety of beverage sizes gives consumers more choice, say some soft drink companies.

"It's no wonder so many of us are overweight, because it's so easy to get overweight," says Young, who is also an associate professor of nutrition at New York University.

"It's hard to stick to normal portion sizes when you're bombarded with these ridiculous sizes."

Regularly consuming very large portions, beyond individual caloric needs, can lead to obesity and its health consequences, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes, as well as other conditions such as sleep apnea, osteoarthritis and gallbladder diseases.

74% of the US population is overweight or obese, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Food and drink ingredients are cheap relative to other costs, such as rent, staff, equipment, production and marketing, so it doesn't cost manufacturers much to offer a larger portion of food, he explained. Young.

"Consumers are happy because, although pay a little more for a large portion receive much more food. So it seems that everyone wins, except that large portions are not good for the waistline," Young said.

Food companies emphasize that customers can choose from a wide range of options.

"Hershey has always offered a wide variety of portion sizes and options more permissive," said Jeff Beckman, a spokesman for The Hershey Company, in response to the findings of the study, via email.

"Over the years, you've expanded our offerings, including ... small size bars 'snack', introduced in the 1970s and, more recently, our many offers of" thins "offering consumers a way to enjoy their favorite brands of Hershey in small portions. "

"By offering more beverages ... in different package sizes, we are giving our consumers more options to choose beverages that fit their lifestyles and needs," said Ann Moore, spokeswoman for The Coca-Cola Company.

Both Burger King and McDonald's claim to offer a variety of serving sizes across their product portfolios and include nutritional information on menu items.

When we tell our clients "have it your way", we mean it ... and nutritional information of all dishes on the menu is easily accessible and easy to digest: on our online nutrition allows customers to search, filter and identify menu options quickly and easily, "said a spokesman for Burger King by email.

McDonald's also offers customers a variety of serving sizes in its portfolio of options, according to a company statement emailed to CNN.

"McDonald's USA is committed to transparency and to provide customers with the information they need to make the right decisions for them."

The company posts calories on menu boards and provides ingredient and nutrition information on the company's website, app and in-restaurant kiosks.

Portion Distortion

When larger portions of food served or purchased larger, it can be assumed that the amount received is what you should eat.

"We think (the amount you give us) is a reasonable amount because" this is what I bought 'or' this is what you have presented to me, ' "says Young.

This way of thinking makes us run the risk of voiding our internal satiety signals that help us intuitively determine when we have eaten enough.

In fact, when offered larger portions, people routinely consume more food and drinks when offered smaller portions, the study found.

Psychologists call this behavior of overeating the effect of the size of the portions.

"If you have 100 calories of your favorite chocolate every day, not going to happen," Young said.

"It is tremendous when you have lots of meals and snacks and drinks ... which can easily lead to weight gain. So we have a crisis of obesity in our country. No need to look beyond these sizes of food portions little healthy ".

And the larger the serving, the more calories, sodium, saturated fat, and sugar you'll end up consuming, too.

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Master portion control

Here are some tips to help you reduce your portions and improve your health:

Limit portions of ultra-processed foods, which are some of the most common culprits when it comes to oversized portions, according to Young's study.

Here are other ways to combat portion distortion, according to Young:

Chocolate:

Whenever possible, always buy the smallest size.

"You can buy the half-ounce size that they sell on Halloween all year long," Young said.

If you buy a larger size, treat yourself to one or two squares a day.

Treat yourself to eat one or two squares of chocolate a day if you buy too large a portion.

French Fries –

Order the smallest portion on the menu or share an order and ask for a vegetable as an additional side dish.

Nutrition experts suggest buying the smallest size of fries or sharing a serving with another person.

Refreshments:

When you go out, order the smallest size available.

If you're at home, serve the drink in a 230ml glass, or if you have a 500ml glass, fill it halfway with ice.

Cereals:

avoid serving it directly from the box.

Serve the cereal with a 1-cup measuring cup, then pour it into a bowl.

This can help you visualize the amount of 1 cup.

Use a 1-cup measuring cup to portion out the cereal so you can visualize an adequate serving size.

Burgers:

"Make that your meat of the day and make your dinner plant-based, like a bowl of quinoa, a salad or a bowl of vegetables," Young advised.

A Buddha bowl with quinoa and chickpeas can be a healthy alternative to ultra-processed foods.

Potato Chips –

Individual serving packets are best for portion control.

You can also use a measuring cup to portion larger bags, but be sure to put the bag away when you're done.

A single-serving packet of potato chips can help keep you from stuffing yourself with this snack.

Bagels and muffins:

"These things are tremendous; a typical bagel is 140 grams, a typical muffin is 200 grams," Young said.

Try to

cut one in half and heat leftovers in the toaster oven the next day.

Eat just half of a bagel sandwich with avocado, salmon, prosciutto, and mozzarella and refrigerate leftovers for the next day.

visual cues

Fill your plate with more fiber-rich foods, especially fruits and vegetables.

They increase satiety and offer beneficial nutrients.

Ask for half portions in restaurants, especially in pasta dishes.

Don't assume that a single bottle or bag is the amount you should consume.

"A soda should be 8 ounces. If you have a 3 ounce soda, you're having four sodas," says Young.

Still having trouble determining the right portion size?

Consider these size equivalents as a visual guide:

• Baseball: 1 cup fruit or vegetable;

  1 cup cereal, pasta or rice

• Hockey puck: 1/2 cup of vegetables, hummus, baked beans or oats, or tomato sauce

• Deck of cards: 3 ounces or 85 grams of salmon, chicken or beef

• 4 dice: 1 ounce or 28 grams of cheese

• Bottle cap water 400 ml 1 teaspoon oil, sauce, sugar or honey

• Golf ball: 1⁄4 cup nuts or seeds

• Shot glass: 2 tablespoons oil or salad dressing

• Floss container: 1 ounce of chocolate or a cookie

Source:

"Finally Full, Finally Slim" by Lisa Young

- Lisa Drayer is a nutritionist, author and contributor to CNN health and nutrition.

FoodPortions