"portion control" news and stories

Researchers (and brothers) Brian and Craig Wansink have examined 52 of the most famous images of the Last Supper -- where Jesus and his disciples observed a Passover seder, the last before the Crucifixion -- and found a sizable increase in portions over the past millennium, from the year 1000 to ten years ago.

Brian Wansink told the LA Times, "I think people assume that increased serving sizes, or 'portion distortion,' is a recent phenomenon. But this research indicates that it's a general trend for at least the last millennium." Wansink, who authored Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think, and who has conducted many portion-size studies as director of the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University, brought his years of nutrition research to the study. Meanwhile, his brother Craig, a biblical scholar at Virginia Wesleyan College, brought the religious studies chops to their analysis of what they are calling "history's most famous dinner party."

• If your plate is larger than 9 inches across, you're probably eating too much.
• Many Kansans are quick to turn their noses up at turnips, but it seems everyone wants locally grown sweet potatoes.
• A small-town barbecue-joint bartender made it all the way to the big time -- sort of. He went before Judge Judy in a carding case.
• A mom on a budget hits three grocery stores to find the best deals.
• One writer says the numbers don't lie when it comes to determining our national sandwich -- and he believes the clear winner is peanut butter & jelly.

As we head into the holiday season, aka the Season of the Endless Buffets, portion control sticks in the back of any health-conscious or body-conscious mind. You know, at least while that mind is sober.

How are your portion control skills? Check them here on WomensHealthMag.com in a test where you are presented with pictures of two separate servings of pretzels and you have to guess which one you think is the 100 calorie serving. Sound tough? It is!

I got it wrong. Whatever, I just ate a pint of Ben & Jerry's. That's about 100 calories, right?

Also, I'd like to take this opportunity to declare that all those 100 calorie packs totally bite, except maybe the Wheat Thins. They taste like the cereal version of whatever they're supposed to be. When I want Oreos, I don't want 100 calories worth of hexagonal Oreo-inspired crisps.

Everyone knows the secret of a good diet is to go ahead and eat what you crave, just don't eat too much of it. My entire pint of Ben & Jerry's? Well, I guess I'm not on a good diet today. Blame the economy. I don't know why, just do it.

We all know that portion sizes have increased over the course of the last few decades. Every so often, TV programs and newspapers run a picture of an original McDonald's hamburger next to today's Big Mac, to emphasis how much more we're eating. Today Divine Caroline ran a feature that shows a variety of foods as they used to be portioned. It's interesting to see how pizza slices have grown, as well as coffee, soda and even our plates and bowls. As I mentioned before, it probably won't be news to anyone, but it is interesting as it will get you to thinking about portion size and how much food you're putting on your dish (at least for the couple of hours after you read it).

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In an effort to meet growing consumer demands for smaller portions at casual dining restaurants, T.G.I. Friday's has announced the inception of their new 'Right Portion, Right Price' menu. The items will be sold at a reduced price all day, every day, rather than just at select times or for select people, like how Seniors menus currently are.

On the new menu they have introduced six new entrees which will fall between $6.99 and $8.99, including such dishes as Asian-Glazed Chicken with Field Greens, Half-Rack Baby Back Ribs, and Bistro Sirloin Salad. Two of their menu items - Dragonfire Chicken and Shrimp Key West, also fall into their 'Better For You' category, which contains items that total 500 calories or less and have less than 10 grams of fat per serving.

After hearing about the extreme eating debate recently, I'm hoping more restaurants adopt this plan, especially for those of us who find it hard to finish a large plate of food and don't want to simply order a salad every time we go out.

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