Portion sizes in restaurants have increased over time in parallel with rising obesity rates. Turns out, these oversized portions may also be influencing how much food we eat at other times. And to boot, they may be distorting our view of how much food we consider a “normal” portion.
In a study conducted by researchers at the University of Liverpool, subjects were served either a large or a small quiche for lunch. The following day, subjects were asked to serve themselves a healthy portion from a large family-style quiche. The people who got the larger portion on the previous day served themselves more food than those who got the smaller portion.
Furthermore, those served the larger portion on the previous day also chose a bigger portion when asked to identify what a “normal” portion of food looks like.
Moral of the story: the amount of food we are served in a restaurant influences how much food we self-select later as well as how much food we think constitutes a reasonable portion size.
My tips: Eat till you are comfortably full and not stuffed. Just because you are served a large portion of food doesn’t mean you have to eat it all. Chances are, you’ll feel satisfied with less.
It may also help to adopt a health-focused mindset. Research from The University of Tübingen found that subjects who simply thought about eating healthier while they were preparing their meals actually ended up serving themselves healthier portion sizes. Worth a try!
I offer lots of useful portion-control hacks in my book Finally Full, Finally Slim: 30 Days to Permanent Weight Loss one Portion at a Time.
** Looking to get a nutrition tune-up this fall? If you feel you need additional help with meal planning, food shopping tips, mindless eating, or creating healthy habits, I’m happy to help. I am offering VIRTUAL NUTRITION COUNSELING SESSIONS and can be reached HERE to discuss your unique needs.
7 habits for a long and healthy life