Healthy_Food_Guide_UK_-_January_2020

a sponge cake and a large bar of chocolate and asked

them to indicate how many people they thought each

food would serve. A quarter of the adults replied that

the pizza would only serve one, rather than two as

recommended on the pack; one in five said they would

eat the entire bag of crisps, even though the packaging

suggested it contained five servings; 73% said the bar

of chocolate would serve four or fewer even though

the on-pack advice suggested eight portions (16%

said they’d eat the whole bar); and 86% felt the cake

would serve four, when the pack suggested six.

Portion psychology

The more we’re exposed to bigger portions, the more

likely we are to think they’re normal. In one study, adults

repeatedly looked at images of either a small or large

portion of spaghetti bolognese. They then looked at

an image of an intermediate portion and were asked

whether they’d want a smaller or bigger serving, and

whether they thought an ideal serving would be smaller

or larger. Those who looked at images of a large

portion wanted a bigger serving and thought that an

ideal portion would be larger. The people who looked

at the images of the smaller meal said they wanted a

smaller portion and an ideal portion would be smaller.

Even the pack size we buy can affect our portion

choices. Research has shown that buying ingredients

in bigger packs – such as oil or pasta – means we use

more of it. Perceiving a food as ‘healthy’ can mean we

eat more of it, too. Researchers from the University of

manufacturers have also added supersized options to

their ranges, which are then sold in place of traditional,

smaller portions. For instance, in 1990, a medium slice

of white bread weighed 30g. Today, a typical medium

slice weighs 40g – that’s a 25% increase. In addition,

thinly sliced bread has all but disappeared from

supermarket shelves, while extra-thick sliced loaves

have been added to the bakery section. Hovis Soft

White Extra Thick bread, for example, weighs in at a

hefty 67g per slice.

An increasing number of premium and luxury

products – which usually come in bigger portions than

the corresponding standard product – has added

to the problem. Take cookies, for instance. Indulgent

versions are now a normal fixture in the shops. A Tesco

chocolate chip cookie from a small pack weighs 11g,

but a Tesco Finest Triple Chocolate Cookie weighs 66g

• the equivalent of eating six small cookies.

How consuming more calories adds up

Huge portions are now part of everyday life in the

UK, and our waistlines are suffering. Quite simply,

bigger portions mean more calories. Again, using

sliced bread as a measure, two medium 30g slices

provide 131kcal, while two medium 40g slices provide

175kcal. That’s an extra 44kcal. If you eat two slices of

bread every day for a year, there is a potential weight

gain of 5lb. And having two extra-thick slices of bread

(293kcal) instead of two 30g slices every day could

potentially result in gaining 17lb in a year.

The hidden extras

It’s not just calories that increase as our portions get

bigger – we also get more fat, saturates, sugar and salt.

The three different bread sizes above provide 0.6g, 0.8g

and 1.3g salt respectively – 10%, 13% or 22% of the

recommended maximum of 6g salt a day, so reducing

our portion sizes not only cuts calories, but should also

help to reduce the fat, sugar and salt in our diet.

If bigger portions of food are offered, couldn’t we

simply eat less? Sadly, research confirms this doesn’t

happen. When 65 studies looking at portion size were

reviewed, scientists concluded that doubling the

amount of food offered meant adults ate around 35%

more. Nor do we compensate by having smaller

portions at other times.

Relearning what’s normal

Constantly being exposed to larger portions means

many of us have lost sight of what a ‘normal’ portion is.

We feel cheated if our plate isn’t piled high, or we worry

we’ll still be hungry if we’re given a smaller serving

than we’re used to. In other words, our view of what a

‘normal’ portion size looks like is completely distorted.

The extent of the problem is highlighted in research

carried out by the British Heart Foundation. Researchers

presented 140 adultswitha pizza, a large bag of crisps,

❛Reducing our portion sizes not only

cuts calories, but also reduces the amount

of fat, sugar and salt in our diet❜

24 HEALTHY FOOD GUIDE JANUARY 2020