American’s are eating more than ever before. Serving sizes for french fries have tripled in the last 50 years, and sugary soft drinks have quadrupled! Paying attention to portion size is critical for weight management, especially when it comes to eating at restaurants and fast food joints…clearly.
Portion tips for eating out:
Ask for dressing on the side. You can end up adding hundreds of calories to an otherwise healthy salad if you don’t do this simple trick. Dip your fork in the dressing and then the salad, and you’ll use just a portion of what they give you.
Eat half of your meal, or share an entree. Serving sizes are literally 3-4 times the size they used to be, which is way more than you need. Split a meal with a friend for a more appropriate sized meal, or put half in a go-to box. You’ll see there’s a big difference between being full and being stuffed to the point of feeling uncomfortable.
Avoid eating 300-400 calories before you’re meal even arrives by requesting no bread or chips on the table, or ask for it to come when your entrees do. You’ll be less likely to eat the basket if you’re not staring at it waiting for the food to arrive.
Order water with lemon or other low calorie drinks, not soda. Sugary soft drinks are now 4 times the size they were 50 years ago, adding hundreds of empty calories to your meal. Order one soda if you have to, but don’t get refills even if it’s free. Stick to water instead.
Chose from the “skinny” or light menus. Restaurants know that lots of people are health conscious or trying to watch their weight, so they are starting to accomodate by offering lighter options. These entrees are almost always under 500 or 600 calories, and are much more reasonably portioned.
Avoid alcohol, especially the fruity blended drinks or anything that sounds like dessert. Boozy conconctions can not only add anywhere from 200-600 calories, but alcohol lowers inhibitions, making you more likely to overeat and not be able to say no to that pile of french fries.
And a few tips for portion control when you can’t measure it out with your kitchen tools:
3 oz. of meat = size of a deck of cards
1 cup = tennis ball or your fist
1 oz. of cheese = size of a domino or your thumb
1 tsp = thumb tip
