You may already know that monitoring portion size is an important part of healthy eating, what about the size of your plate?
At a meeting recently, an associate made a presentation about the increase in plate sizes over the years. I was hearing this for the first time and became intrigued, so I did some research. According to studies, the size of what’s considered normal dinnerware has substantially increased over the past several decades. Studies also suggest that the physical appearance of our plates, especially size and color, can influence how much we eat. This means, if we have large plates, bowls, and glasses in our kitchen cabinets, we may be over-serving at mealtime.
Change in plate size:
- 1960’s – dinner plates were about 8.5 to 9-inches in diameter and held about 800 calories.
- Early 1980’s – the diameter of a typical dinner plate increased to 10 inches with the capacity to hold about 1000 calories.
- Early 2000’s – the dinner plate increased even more to 11 inches with the capacity to hold about 1600 calories.
- 2009 – dinner plate increased to 12 inches with the capacity to hold about 1900 calories.
In addition, restaurant plates can sometimes resemble small boats! Even the size of drinking glasses have grown, which means we’re adding even more calories by drinking from them – except water. Portions have increased right along with the increase in plate size and in doing so, we’ve doubled the number of calories that can fit on our plate.
Things to consider:
- An empty stomach is the approximate size of a fist, and can expand up to 10 times its original size to accommodate food.
- Over time with stretching, our stomach is less likely to shrink back to its original size.
- The size of your plates, bowls, and glasses can help you limit your intake at each meal.
- Even though you may be eating healthy, if you eat too much you can still gain weight. Smart eating requires smart portions.
- It is said that we eat an average of 92% of what we serve ourselves. We also tend to fill up the plate we use.
- Consider serving your main course on a salad size plate or a dinner plate that is smaller in diameter, to help you reduce portion sizes without feeling cheated. Most of us really eat with our eyes, so to speak.
Portion size exercise:
At your next meal, fill up a salad plate with a healthy and balanced selection of veggies, lean protein, and whole grains, then move the food to your usual dinner plate. Is there a difference? Memorize it. This will help you be more mindful of portion sizes and help you select your normal portion size when you eat out.
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♦ Take enough time for your meals and eat them in company whenever you can. There is no need for hurry in life, at least not when we are eating. – Edward Everett
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To Your Success,
Althea
Althea A. McLeish Wilson, RN, MSN
Educate . Empower . Encourage
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