Healthy_Food_Guide_UK_-_January_2020

HOWPORTIONSHAVEUPSIZED

PIZZA

53%bigger

1990 = 200g/544kcal

2020 = 305g/830kcal

BAGEL

29%bigger

1990 = 70g/191kcal

2020 = 90g/246kcal

CRISPS

50%bigger

(familysizepack)

1990 = 100g/493kcal

2020 = 150g/740kcal

COTTAGEPIE

113%bigger

1990 = 200g/252kcal

2020 = 425g/536kcal

PSIZED

PORTION DISTORTION

The size of

the problem

It’snocoincidencethatsinceservingsizeshavegot

biggersohaveourwaistlines.Here’showportion

creepis contributingtotheobesityepidemic

I

F SOMEONEASKEDYOU

whata healthysizedportion

oflasagnewas,wouldyou

know?Whatabouta servingof

rice?Ora bowlofbreakfast

cereal?If youhaven’tgota

clue,you’renottoblame.

Researchshowsthat,intheUK,

theportionsizesstatedon

packaging,andeventhose

recommendedbyhealth

organisations,canvary

dramaticallyforfoodslike

muesli,granola,fish,meat,rice,

pastaandpotatoes.Asa result,

manyofusarecompletely

baffledaboutjustwhatcounts

asa healthyservingoffood.

Anda lackofconsistencyin

recommendedservingsizes

isn’ttheonlyproblem.Studies

confirmthatportionsizes

havegraduallygotbigger

andbiggeroverthepast

threedecades,makingit even

harderforustojudgehow

muchfoodtoputonourplate

(seebelowforexamplesof

howportionshavegrown

since1990).

Aswellasmakingstandard

portionslarger,manyfood

PHOTO: PIXELEYES PHOTOGRAPHY

JANUARY 2020 HEALTHY FOOD GUIDE 23

WEIGHT LOSS