October 10, 2002

Prairie Fare: Would You Like to Super-size That?

By Julie Garden-Robinson, Food and Nutrition Specialist
NDSU Extension Service

Now I know it's not my imagination. Researchers have done the weighing and measuring, and they've found that food portions really are growing in the United States. The platters of food commonly served in many restaurants today are indeed much larger than the plates of food served in past decades.

Researchers weighed foods from fast-food restaurants, family-type restaurants and take-out establishments. They then compared the sizes offered today with serving sizes of yesteryear.

Compared to the standard serving sizes of the U.S. Food Guide Pyramid, today's cookie is 7 times larger, cooked pasta servings are nearly 5 times larger, muffins are 3.3 times larger and steaks are 2.2 times larger.

French fries and soda pop servings have more than doubled in size relative to past decades. French fries of the past came in one size, which now would be considered "small" or about one-third the size of today's "super size."

"Hearty portions" is a claim often used in advertising. Consumers flock to places that provide big portions. Getting more for your money isn't all bad. With larger portions, however, come more calories. Without counterbalancing physical activity, enjoying an extra 3,500 calories could translate to carrying an extra pound of body fat.

Some people have pointed to the restaurant industry as "causing" the nationwide obesity issue. Overweight/obesity, however, is a complex issue, and the increase in food portion sizes is only part of that issue.

The National Restaurant Association has stated its industry provides many choices, including healthy menu options. Besides, no one forces you to clean your plate. People eat out an average of four times weekly; what's going down during the other 17 meals during the week?

About two-thirds of Americans "clean their plates," but you can use larger portion offerings to your advantage. Here's one of my personal strategies to avoid overeating: I order a "take-out" container or "people bag" right away, divide my meal and put about half of it away for the next day's lunch.

If leftovers don't appeal to you, try requesting a half portion if available. Or share your meal with your companion. Remember, too, that an occasional "splurge" is OK, and regular physical activity can go a long way in helping maintain weight.

When selecting other foods, look carefully at the serving sizes listed on Nutrition Facts labels. For example, if you buy a 20-ounce bottle of regular soda pop, it appears to be a single serving. A closer look at the nutrition information may reveal the container actually contains 2 or 2.5 servings, so the "per serving" information listed on the nutrition label needs to be at least doubled.

Here's a tasty and easy recipe to enjoy during the cool days of Fall. Go ahead and super-size your portion.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

1 lb. extra lean ground beef
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3/4 c. cooked white rice
1 small onion, minced
8 oz can tomato sauce
12 cabbage leaves

Sauce

1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. vinegar
8 oz. can tomato sauce

In medium bowl, combine beef, salt, pepper, cooked rice, onion and 8-ounce can tomato sauce; blend well. Place cabbage leaves in large bowl; cover with boiling water. Let stand 4 minutes. Drain well. Shape meat mixture into 12 loaf shapes. Place 1 loaf in center of each cabbage leaf. Roll up, folding sides in. Place seam side down in 10-inch skillet. Combine sauce ingredients. Pour evenly over cabbage rolls. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer, basting often, 1 1/2 hours or until meat reaches an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees. 

Makes 6 servings. Each serving contains 266 calories, 13 grams fat and 21 grams carbohydrate.

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Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu