According to a recent study published in the September issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Americans overestimate the typical portion of common foods by up to 50%. The study by Rutgers University found that, over the last twenty years, the amount of food that people consider a single serving has increased dramatically and is much different than the amount indicated on Nutrition Facts panels. This Portion Distortion, as they call it, may have been a major contributing factor to the increase in obesity in America since the 1980s.

In a nation where super-sized servings are everywhere, it’s not really surprising that our understanding of a single serving has become warped. With increased serving sizes comes an increase in caloric intake, so wrapping your mind around smaller servings and learning when to say when is necessary if you want to improve your health and avoid gaining weight.

Get out those measuring cups. To get a better understanding of single serving sizes, spend a week or two measuring and weighing everything you eat. Check the serving sizes on nutrition labels and stick to them. Pay close attention to what each serving looks like on your plate or in your bowl. This will help you to approximate servings when you’re not measuring.

Use smaller serving dishes. Use salad plates instead of dinner plates and dessert bowls instead of cereal bowls. A ½ cup of pasta (a single serving) looks much bigger on smaller plate, so it might also help to use the same dishes at every meal for a while.

Estimate with comparisons. An ounce of cheese is approximately the same size as your thumb. A deck of cards or the palm of your hand is equal to about 3 oz. of meat. A half-cup of pasta or rice, or a serving of vegetables or fruit, is about the size of a baseball. Make up your own comparisons by measuring out single servings of your favorite foods and deciding what common objects they’re similar to in size.

Refresh your serving-size memory every couple of months. You’ll likely find that your portion estimates grow over time, and evaluating your portions occasionally will help you to avoid long-term increases in portion size.

Watch out for oversized restaurant portions. Most restaurants serve portions that are two to three times the typical single serving. To avoid overeating, put half your meal into a take-out box as soon as it arrives at the table. Also watch out for the super-sell at fast-food restaurants. Don’t super-size anything. In fact, the most reasonable servings are generally sold as the child-sized versions, so go ahead and order that kid’s meal.

Once you learn what typical single-servings look like, and get in the habit of paying� a little extra attention to your portions, you’ll have no trouble avoiding that portion distortion-induced waistline expansion. In fact, you might even drop a few pounds without much effort at all.

"Eat well. Live well. Be well."

When you’re trying to lose weight, or are concerned about your diet, having dinner at a restaurant can seem like a major challenge—to your willpower and your waistline. But it doesn’t have to be. With a few small changes in your behavior, you can easily enjoy lunch with co-workers or dinner out with your family without sabotaging your healthier lifestyle. Here are a few strategies for a less stressful, more successful, restaurant experience:

• Know where you’re going and what they offer before you walk out the door. If possible, check the restaurant’s website and decide what you’ll have before you go. You’ll be less tempted to order on impulse if you’ve carefully chosen your meal before you sit down at the table.
• Drink your water. What you think is hunger may really be thirst, so drinking that water will help you to calm your growling stomach and think clearly about what and how much
• Keep the bread at bay. Ask the server to remove the bread basket from the table immediately, or as soon as everyone else has taken their serving. If do you choose to have bread or a roll, eat it plain or with a bit of jelly instead of butter.
• Limit your alcohol and soda intake. If you must drink something other than water with dinner, try a diet soda or a wine spritzer. Save the extra calories for your meal instead.
• Avoid dishes with au gratin, alfredo, creamy, rich, buttery, fried, or breaded in the name or description. Instead, choose grilled, broiled, roasted, poached, or baked options.
• Order dressings, sauces and gravies on the side. This will allow you to determine how much is enough. Dip your fork into the sauce before spearing a bite. This adds just enough flavor without adding a lot of calories.
• Ask your server to bring a to-go box with your meal and put away half your entrée before you start eating. You’ll be able to clean your plate without worrying about portion control, and you’ll have lunch for tomorrow, too.
• Eat slowly and taste every bite. Enjoy what you’re eating and put your fork down between bites. You’ll feel full faster and you’ll be more satisfied with your meal.
• Be social. Use the time to join in conversation and connect with the people you’re with.

By preparing yourself, you’ll take the stress out of dining out and will be able to relax and enjoy your friends and family. And before you know it, you’ll be making healthy choices and substitutions without even thinking about it.

"Eat well. Live well. Be well."

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been sharing information on the newest USDA Food Guide Pyramid and the current recommendations for healthy eating. But remember, the new pyramid doesn’t just focus on changing eating habits for a healthier you. The addition of the staircase to the left-hand side of the pyramid emphasizes the importance of increasing physical activity as part of an active and healthy lifestyle as well. We all know that physical activity is important if you are trying to lose weight, but there are a variety of other positive effects that daily exercise can have on your body and mind. Exercise has been shown to improve mood and self-esteem, reduce stress, decrease the risk of heart disease and other chronic illnesses, help build strength and endurance, and help maintain flexibility, as well as healthy bones and joints.

The current recommendations for physical activity suggest including at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity most days of the week. This means getting your heart rate up to a challenging level for 30 minutes or more on 5 to 6 days each week by participating in activities such as walking or bicycling at a brisk pace, jogging, hiking, swimming, or playing competitive sports. Remember, however, that these recommendations are minimums. If you are striving to lose weight or maintain a recent weight loss, it may be necessary to increase the amount of time or number of days that you are exercising, or to increase the intensity of your exercise to a more challenging level.

In addition to aerobic activities like those mentioned above, it’s also important to include weight-bearing activities (i.e. walking, jogging) and/or strength and resistance training (i.e. weight lifting). These activities are important for building and maintaining bones and muscles. Stretching is also important to improve and maintain balance and flexibility, and activities like yoga, tai chi, Pilates, dancing and martial arts can provide particular benefits in this area. And don’t to stretch before and after aerobic workouts. Taking the time to stretch will not only improve flexibility, but will also help to prevent pulled muscles and joint injuries.

Whatever physical activities you choose to participate in, make sure that they are challenging but fun. The options for exercise are limitless, and by picking activities that you enjoy and involving your friends and family, you’ll be less likely to skip exercise for other activities. If you’re still not sure how to begin incorporating physical activity into your lifestyle, here are a few ideas:

• Go for a brisk walk with the dog.
• Take your kids for a bike ride around the neighborhood.
• Meet some friends at the gym for an aerobics class.
• Jog in the park with your spouse or a friend.
• Find some new trails and take a hike to explore them.
• Swim laps at your local pool or join a water aerobics class.
• Toss a Frisbee with friends in the park.
• Do some biceps curls, squats and lunges while watching your favorite TV show.

Now get that body moving!

Note: Please consult your physician before starting any exercise program.

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A Note on Discretionary Calories

What about your favorite sweets, regular cheese, or whole milk? Can you still eat these things and follow the U.S. Dietary Guidelines? The answer is yes. While the Food Guide Pyramid and the U.S. Dietary Guidelines emphasize making healthy, low-fat, no-sugar-added food choices from each of the food groups, they recognize the desire for foods that do not fall into the healthiest categories. When creating a healthy eating plan, the guidelines allot a certain number of “discretionary calories” as part of the overall calorie allowance, for use on foods that include solid fats, added sugars or alcohol. The number of discretionary calories allowed is relatively small (usually between 100 and 300 calories), and varies based on a person’s age, sex and activity level.

You can use your discretionary calories for more indulgent choices within the food groups, such as higher fat dairy and meat products, or you can choose to use them on items such as desserts and high-calorie beverages. Whatever you choose to use your discretionary calories for, be sure to limit this intake and be careful not to exceed your calorie allowance. It’s important to recognize that these foods have a higher caloric value and you can quickly use up your discretionary calorie allowance.

For more information on the number of discretionary calories you can include in your daily caloric intake, set up your own Pyramid Plan or get an estimate from the daily discretionary calories chart.

For more information, check out the other posts from our USDA Food Pyramid Series:

The New Food Pyramid

Grains Group

Vegetables Group

Fruits Group

Milk Group

Meat & Beans Group

Oils Group

"Eat well. Live well. Be well."

The yellow band of the Food Guide Pyramid represents the Oils Group. This group includes fats that are liquid at room temperature. While the recommended amount of oil varies based on age, activity level and sex, the newest dietary guidelines recommend that you include 5-7 teaspoons of oil each day. Most people already get enough of these oils in their daily diets. It’s important to remember, however, that some oils are healthier than others.

When including oils in your diet, try to avoid animal-based solid fats like butter, which are high in saturated fats and cholesterol. Instead, focus on including oils from plant-based sources, such as olive, canola, corn, or sunflower oils. You can also get your daily oil requirements from oily foods such as avocado, nuts, olives and some fish. But remember that, although these oils are considered important to a healthy diet, they are high in calories and should therefore be limited to the recommended amounts.

The following are some options for including healthy oils in your diet, and replacing those solid fats, without blowing through your calorie allowance for the day:

• Make your own low-fat salad dressings by mixing a small amount of olive oil with your favorite vinegar and spices.
• When frying foods, drizzle a tablespoon of canola oil in the bottom of your pan, or use a non-stick cooking spray, instead of butter or margarine.
• Eat more fish like salmon and trout, instead of fatty cuts of beef or pork.
• Add a few almond slices to your morning yogurt or afternoon salad.

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Try this homemade salad dressing for a refreshing addition to your favorite mix of veggies or greens.

Dijon-Lemon Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp vegetable broth or water
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1½ Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp salt

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a jar, cover tightly and shake vigorously. Store in the refrigerator.

Serving size = 1 Tbsp

Nutrition Information:

25 calories, 2.4g fat, 0mg cholesterol, 1g carbohydrates, 0g fiber, 0.1g protein, 93mg sodium, 3mg calcium

(From Cooking Light)

For more information, check out the other posts from our USDA Food Pyramid Series:

The New Food Pyramid

Grains Group

Vegetables Group

Fruits Group

Milk Group

Meat & Beans Group

"Eat well. Live well. Be well."