Small Bites Issue 5

SMALL BITES

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Issue 5, June 2007

Small Bites

Issue 5, June 2007

Portion Explosion

Portions and servings. Cups and ounces. Teaspoons and tablespoons. When it comes to eating, “how much” is just as important as “what”. WHAT IS A PORTION?

other person who downed three cups for dinner at The Olive Garden. The key to successful weight loss (and subsequent management) lies in practicing portion control by understanding – and respecting – serving sizes. People often make statements along the lines of, “I don’t know why I’m having a hard time losing weight. I just have a little pasta with marinara sauce for lunch and a grilled chicken salad for dinner.” The answer lies in how many servings of pasta this person is having. A half cup only contains 91 calories, but three cups – the amount often served at Italian restaurants -- clock in at 545 calories. Servings are easier to measure than portions because the United States Department of Agriculture established guidelines for them. You actually see servings every day on nutrition labels (although these don’t always match the USDA’s idea of servings, as we’ll soon see).

“Portion control” is hard to understand for many people because they simply don’t know what constitutes a portion, or how it differs from a serving. A portion is the amount of food consumed at one given time. Someone eating a cup of pasta for lunch can say they had a “portion” of pasta, as could an1

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For instance, the label on a 20 ounce bottle of Coke lists a total of 2.5 servings per bottle, since one serving is considered to be 8 ounces.

Issue 5, June 2007

The average person pours 1.5 to 2 cups of cereal into a bowl every morning. In other words, they need to multiply those values for half a cup of cereal by three or four to determine just how many nutrients – and calories – they are starting off their day with.

Unfortunately, all these government agencies aren’t making this easy to understand. Consumers have to put some basic math skills to use in order to understand these numbers.

THE PYRAMIDS Both the old and new food pyramids are as mysterious as the ones in Egypt, as far as I’m concerned.

If you guzzle down that 20 ounce bottle, you need to multiply the values on the label (which reflect one serving as eight ounces) by 2.5 to determine how many calories, fat grams, sugar, and other nutrients you are getting from your drink.

Up until 2005, we were guided by a pyramid launched in 1992 (shown below), which many of you are familiar with. Grains were at the bottom, followed by fruits and veggies and then dairy and meat/meat substitutes. Fats, oils, and sweets shared the narrow tip.

There are bills currently floating around Congress that, if passed, would require food manufacturers to alter their nutrition information. The label on the left divides a 20 ounce soda bottle into 2.5 servings. The one on the right lists values for the entire bottle. After all, who buys a 20 ounce bottle of soda and drinks 8 ounces at a time? NO ONE. One significant weakness of serving sizes is that they do not often reflect the way we eat.

Mind you, this was the United States’ food pyramid. The Mediterranean pyramid, for example, lists wine and olive oil as separate food groups, and places red meat all the way at the top (even above sweets!).

Many cereal boxes, for instance, list half a cup as a serving. Next time you pour yourself a bowl of cereal, get out your measuring cups and see just how much – or little! – half a cup of cereal is. I guarantee you will laugh.

The old food pyramid recommended 6 to 11 daily servings of grains, depending on the number of 2

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Issue 5, June 2007

calories you consumed. The illustrations accompanying this guideline included an entire baguette, large loaves of bread, and generous bowls of rice and pasta. It is worth noting that no distinction was made between whole and refined grains.

This new pyramid – officially known as “MyPyramid” -- includes the recommendation of physical activity (although in a wishy-washy “exercise every day, or most of the time” way) and places all food groups next to each other, rather than rank them hierarchically.

Many people saw this and took it to mean, “I can have 6 to 11 bagels a day,” which is a gross misinterpretation.

According to the USDA, this was done to communicate the idea that everyone should include a variety of foods in their diet.

In the USDA’s eyes, one serving of grains is equal to one ounce of grains.

However, I find the new pyramid to be not only confusing, but also rather useless.

So, when a standard bagel weighs five ounces, it delivers no less than FIVE grain servings.

There is practically no notion of portion sizes, and it is easy to misunderstand its message to mean we should be eating the same amount of everything, rather than strive for a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Many people thought one bagel/muffin/side of rice at a restaurant was equal to one grain serving, and, in turn, would unknowingly go through a whole day consuming as many as 15 or 20 grain servings. In April of 2005, the USDA launched a new pyramid, developed by advertising agency Porter Novelli (who designed the first pyramid and also worked for McDonald’s and M&M’s!) for a cool $2.5 million.

The new pyramid fails to mention portion sizes. People need to know that one bagel has as many calories as FIVE slices of bread!

I have also always taken issue with the fact that “fats and oils” are thrown into a general “consume sparingly” category, without distinguishing that the fat in avocados and olive oil is a heart-healthier choice than that found in butter and steak. 3

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And, thanks to the milk lobbyists, the “milk, yogurt, and cheese” group is now just the “milk” group.

Issue 5, June 2007

Do you see why this can be so confusing? Many cereal boxes list a serving as a half cup, but according to the USDA’s guidelines, one serving is equal to one cup.

HOW DO I KNOW HOW MUCH TO EAT? According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a person on a 2,000 calorie-a-day diet should consume: 6 servings of grains (6 ounces) 5 servings of vegetables (2.5 cups) 4 servings of fruits (2 cups) 5.5 servings of meats/legumes (5.5 ounces) 3 servings of dairy products (3 cups) No more than 2 tablespoons of added oils Although these are healthful guidelines (they ensure a balanced intake of nutrients, since each food group offers its own exclusive blend of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants), they might as well be written in another language.

1 serving of vegetables is made up of half a cup of cooked or raw chopped, non-leafy vegetables. However, you need a whole cup of green leafy vegetables or vegetable juice to constitute one serving.

No one inherently thinks of their food in ounces or cups, and very little has been done to educate the public on what these serving sizes mean. Before continuing, allow me to provide you with some reference points to help you eyeball your servings easily.

1 serving of fruits is equal to one medium whole fruit, three-quarters cup of pure fruit juice, a half cup of berries, or a quarter cup of dried fruit. 1 serving of grains is equal to one slice of bread, one cup of ready to eat cereal, or half a cup of cooked cereal, pasta, rice, and other grains.

Do you see why this is initially confusing for many people? All fruit is not created equal. Dried fruit is denser, so one cup of raisins is more caloric 4

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Issue 5, June 2007

than a cup of grapes, which hold more water and, thus, less calories.

One serving of dairy equals one cup of milk or yogurt, two ounces of cheese , and half a cup of cottage cheese, ice cream, frozen yogurt, or pudding.

Whereas the old pyramid recommended two to three servings of meat (since one serving was considered to be three ounces), the new guidelines decided to confuse people even more and change the serving size to 1 ounce and recommend 5.5 servings a day.

To make this a little easier, consider the following: • One cup is about the size of your closed fist. • Half a cup is roughly the size of half a baseball. • Three ounces of meat is equal to a checkbook or deck of cards. • Two ounces of cheese are equal to four dice.

Ridiculous! The previous serving size of three ounces for meats was equivalent in size to a checkbook or deck of cards, while the new one (one ounce) is only equivalent to a book of matches. Even the smallest of chicken breasts weighs approximately three ounces.

This is not to say you have to eat just one cup of anything at a time. However, if you pour yourself a bowl of cereal and estimate it’s two baseballs’ worth, you now know you are having two cups (or servings) in one sitting.

The only way in which one-ounce servings are helpful is with alternate meat sources like nut and seed butters, where one ounce (two tablespoons) has always been considered one serving.

If you’re having a five ounce bagel for breakfast, avoid having a grain-centric dinner that same night.

I personally think it’s easier -- and more realistic - to remember the recommendation as two 3-ounce servings a day (two decks of cards’ or checkbooks’ worth).

If you have spaghetti for dinner at a restaurant and your plate appears to have two baseballs’ worth of food, keep in mind you are having four grain servings in that one dish. If you already had four or five grain servings earlier that day, you might want to think twice before finishing your plate and bringing your grand total of 5

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grain servings for the day to nine, if you are eating 2,000 calories a day.

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WHY IS EVERYONE SO HUNG UP ON PORTION SIZES?

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Very simply, the amount of food we are being served has been expanding like crazy over the past two decades. • Consider the following examples from the eyeopening, must-read book “The Portion Teller: Smartsize Your Way to Permanent Weight Loss” by expert dietitian Dr. Lisa R. Young of New York University: •

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Pizzas averaged 10 inches in diameter in the 1970s, and have since increased to 16 or 18 inches. In the 1970s, 7-11 offered 12 and 20 ounce cups for soda. Now, you can walk out of there with a 64 ounce cup (that’s two liters!) When Burger King first opened, their regular burger weighed in at 3.9 ounces. Now, you can get yourself a 12.6 ounce Double Whooper

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Issue 5, June 2007

In 1996, Starbucks’ short (8 ounce) size was discontinued and the Venti (20 ounces) was introduced. “In the course of just three years – between 1984 and 1987 – the exact same chocolate chip cookie recipe on the back of Nestle’s ‘Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels’ package scaled down the number of cookies it makes from 100 to 60.” Queen size beds are 6 inches wider than in the 1970s. “In 1988, the original Lunchables was small and contained 340 calories. By the year 2,000 Oscar Mayer introduced the Lunchables Mega Pack, containing 640 calories for the pizza version and 780 calories for the nacho version.” “Meals served in Chinese restaurants in Philadelphia are 72 percent heftier than those served in Chinese restaurants in Paris.”

And, guess what? The more food we are provided, the more we eat. A renowned 2003 study by Brian Wansink of Cornell University’s Department of Applied Economics and Management had a control group drink soup from a regular bowl, while others did so from a bowl that inconspicuously refilled itself in a continual fashion. The results? Those drinking from the “bottomless” bowl not only downed 65 percent more calories than the control group, they also did not report feeling full for much longer than those who had a limited quantity of soup. In other words, they unknowingly consumed extra calories!

The original 1.5 ounce Kit Kat, launched in 1935, packs 220 calories. King-size bars (440 calories) are now sold as individual candy bars at movie theater concession stands across the country.

This goes to prove – the more food we have in front of us, the more we’ll eat, regardless of how hungry we are. Wansink also experimented with movie theater popcorn. Subjects who later remarked the popcorn tasted bad and stale still ate more if they 6

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were eating from larger containers. Oh, by the way, the popcorn tasted so bad because it was two weeks old!

Issue 5, June 2007

Some people might say, “But I PAID for that food!” So what? You paid for food that would satisfy you. If only half a dish is enough to eliminate your appetite, you got your money’s worth. What is the point of stuffing yourself silly with extra calories if you truly don’t want – or need – them?

If you want to apply this to your own life, place a bowl of candy or chocolates at your office desk and observe what happens. People who would have most likely not gone to a vending machine for a snack will take a few pieces from your bowl just because they are there.

I will never forget an interaction I had last summer in the Del Mar, California race tracks. Craving some soft serve, I approached the stand and, I am not exaggerating, saw people walking away from it with half a foot of soft serve on their cones.

Think about it. Have you ever seen anyone buy a large order of fries at McDonald’s and not finish the entire thing? Throw out an ice cream cone with two scoops on it because they only wanted one?

I asked the salesperson at the counter for a small cone and asked him to stop less than halfway through his pouring of the ice cream.

No. Most people think, “Well, I’m not THAT hungry, but I paid for it. Besides, I feel bad wasting food.”

“That’s all I want,” I said. He looked at me incredulously (waiting for the Punk’d cameras to ambush him, perhaps?).

We need to stop with the food guilt. You can’t expect to maintain a healthy weight if you are under the impression that you must always clear your plate. Why should you have three cups of pasta in one sitting? Because someone you don’t even know decided that’s how much they wanted to put on a plate?

“Are you sure? I can give you a lot more.” “No, that’s all I want. Really,” I said. “OK,” he shrugged. I pulled out my wallet, but before I could hand him any bills, he said, “Oh, don’t worry about it, it’s free.” We need to start becoming more vocal about the portions we are being served. Let waiters and restaurant managers know they are serving you too much food, whether it’s with a verbal acknowledgment, sharing an entrée, or asking for half or appetizer-sized portions of huge entrees. This is a multi-layered problem. Not only are portions bigger than ever; the small ones aren’t all that small!

Your standard Chinese restaurant entree -- approximately 6 ounces of meat and 4 to 5 servings of grains. 7

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Issue 5, June 2007

Starbucks

I stopped by Coldstone two weeks ago and noticed that even the small size was too big for what I was craving at that time. Why can’t I get a half-sized burrito at Chipotle? Since one of their burritos average 1,500 calories, so one with half the calories would still be plenty of food. Not to mention, Starbucks discontinued its “short” size in the late 1990s, therefore entirely taking away consumers’ choice to request an 8 ounce serving of coffee.

Average muffin: 5 ounces Average cookie: 3 ounces Average slice of cake: 4.5 ounces Average bagel: 4 ounces

If you don’t think restaurant portions are out of control, consider how much food you are getting at the following chains:

Dunkin’ Donuts

Au Bon Pain Average muffin size: 5.5 ounces Average croissant: 4 ounces Average bagel: 4.5 ounces Average cookie: 2.5 ounces Average dressing packet: 5 tablespoons Focaccia bread: 4.5 ounces 2 slices of multigrain bread: 5 ounces Baguette for one sandwich: 3.5 ounces Average cookie: 4.5 ounces English muffins: 2.5 ounces Average muffin: 4.5 ounces Average donut: 2.5 ounces

Chipotle Tortilla: 6 ounces Scoop of rice: 5 ounces Scoop of beans/steak/chicken: 4 ounces

Subway

One burrito with rice provides 11 grain servings! And, if you are also getting an animal protein with beans, that’s more than a day’s worth of meat in one sitting.

Sandwich bread: 3 ounces Average cookie: 1.6 ounces Average meat topping: 2 ounces Average condiment: 0.5 tablespoons Average cheese filling: 0.5 ounces

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Issue 5, June 2007

McDonald’s

Coldstone

Chicken breast filet: 3.5 ounces Apple pie dessert: 2.7 ounces Big Mac bun: 3.1 ounces Regular bun: 1.8 ounces Beef patty: 1.2 ounces English muffin: 2 ounces (so, a McMuffin contains 4 servings of bread)

Like it: 5 ounces (0.7 cups) of ice cream Love it: 8 ounces (1 cup) of ice cream Gotta Have It: 12 ounces (1.5 cups) of ice cream HOW DO I APPLY ALL THIS INFORMATION? If your goal is to lose or maintain body weight, portion size needs to be your number one priority.

Domino’s Pizza

Don’t fret about carbs, fat, and protein. Instead, take a look at how much you are eating. The key is to find foods that, when eaten in large amounts, do not add up to a lot of calories. For example, if you eat a cup of ice cream, you are looking at roughly 500 to 600 calories. A cup of strawberries, though, will only give you 46 calories. By the way, strawberries – just like every single piece of fruit -- are 100% carbohydrate, so if you were on a low-carb diet, they would be on the “do not eat” list! Do you now see why I cringe at the mere mention of anything Atkins?

6 inch deep dish pizza (bread only): 7.6 ounces Large thin crust pizza (bread only): 4.7 ounces Extra cheese topping: 2 ounces Breadstick: 1.5 ounces

Remember, weight gain is the direct effect of consuming more calories than you burn. Your body could care less if your excess calories come from steak, potatoes, or unpasteurized, organic goat milk flown in from the Alps.

Taco Bell Taco shell: 2.8 ounces Side of rice: 4.5 ounces

Wendy’s

That being said, some foods will always be helpful in preventing you from ballooning.

Bun: 2 ounces Chicken filet: 3.8 ounces

The first issue of Small Bites discussed how fiberrich foods – along with fat and protein -- help you feel full. These include fruits and vegetables (with their skins), whole grains, seeds, and legumes.

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Consider the following lunch:

Issue 5, June 2007

This concept, known to nutritionists as “nutrient density”, consists of selecting appropriate portions of foods that help keep you full with the same amount of calories as another food.

2 slices toasted bread (not whole grain) 2 cups iceberg lettuce ½ cup tomatoes 3 ounces lean turkey breast 1 cup apple juice 1 small bag pretzels

Let’s say you are making a salmon and vegetable stir fry and are considering having a cup of one of the following grains as a side dish: white rice, couscous, brown rice, whole wheat couscous, and quinoa.

Basically, a turkey sandwich piled with some vegetables and accompanied by a cup of apple juice and a small bag of pretzels. Sounds inoffensive, right?

Let’s see how one cup of these grains stacks up:

Well, that lunch adds up to 530 calories, 28 grams of protein, 4.3 grams of fat, and 4 grams of fiber. It is very likely that such a lunch would only satisfy for about an hour and a half before hunger kicked in again. I wouldn’t be surprised if, about 90 minutes later, you ended up consuming more calories. Now, take a look at this lunch: 2 slices whole grain bread 2 cups baby spinach ½ cup peppers 3 ounces lean turkey breast ¼ cup avocado 1 banana 1 cup flavored seltzer water

FOOD

CAL

PROT

FIB

White Rice

205

4.3

0.6

Couscous

176

6

2.2

Brown Rice

216

5

3.5

Whole Wheat Couscous

210

7.5

5

Quinoa

254

9

4

The white rice, with its low fiber and protein would not fill you up. The quinoa and whole wheat couscous (and the brown rice, to an extent) are higher in fiber and protein, which would leave you satiated for a longer amount of time.

This lunch contains 25 less calories than the first one and provides nine more grams of protein, six additional grams of heart-healthy fats, and ten extra grams of fiber.

The more satiated you are, the longer before you are hungry again and ingest more calories.

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

The higher protein, fat, and fiber amounts in the second lunch guarantee a longer feeling of satiety (and thus no need to consume more calories just 90 minutes later).

I do not have any recipes to go along with this issue l, but I will advise you to keep a watchful eye on many of the recipes you make at home. 10

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Issue 5, June 2007

If a brownie recipe yields 16 squares, take a look at the final product. Perhaps it would be better to cut 24 or 30 small servings rather than a handful of dense three-ounce brownies.

Every food group is necessary for our health, and should be enjoyed. Just remember to watch your portions and make the most whole, healthy choices from each group.

Next time you’re making dinner, remember your portions! A dinner for four with a total of two cups of vegetables only amounts to half a cup (or one serving) per person. Aim for two vegetable servings at lunch and dinner, respectively!

Small Bites is a monthly newsletter delivering nutrition information without sponsors to please, advertisers to promote, or hidden agendas. Please share your thoughts, opinions, and questions so I can continue to provide you with an excellent publication each month.

FAD DIET OF THE MONTH

Also, be sure to check out the Small Bites blog:

Alas, I also don’t have a fad diet related to portion sizes to share this month.

http://smallbitesnutrition.blogspot.com

However, I will say the following. Many of the diets out there that make such a big deal out of carbs, fat, protein, food group combining, and what time of night you stop eating all end up doing the same thing: restricting calories.

See you next month! -Andy-

As I have stated many times before, when you restrict calories, you lose weight, no matter where those calories come from. Remember, 600 calories can be found in just one cup of ice cream or 12 cups of fresh strawberries! In other words, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables will allow you to eat larger quantities that result in less total calories. Eating foods containing a mix of fiber, protein, and healthy fats will also help you feel full for longer than those with low amounts of these nutrients.

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