Serving Size

Many of us are obsessed with our weight and health.  We diet, exercise, pretend to diet, try to exercise, make resolutions, try to diet, and – in extreme cases – pretend to exercise.  We try Paleo, Noom, Keto, Atkins, GOLO, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, gyms, fitness centers, walking groups, the YMCA, Silver Sneakers, and many other programs to lose weight, gain muscle, and/or stay healthy.

               Yesterday, completely by accident, I realized the secret to staying at a healthy weight is really quite simple: stop eating so much.

               Honestly, this is harder than it sounds.  Let me explain.  Yesterday we prepared lunch (a Keto protein serving of meat and cheese) with chips and cheese dip.  I carefully poured half the bag of chips into the bowl and set it on the table.  We were so proud to finish our servings, knowing that if we’d put the whole bag on the table, the bag would be empty!  Instead, we just ate the apportioned amount of chips and were patting ourselves on our respective backs for our willpower and intelligence.

               While putting the clip on the bag, I noticed – accidentally – the number of servings the bag contained.  Usually, my eyes go directly to carb and/or sugar content, but this number seemed to jump out at me:  “servings per bag: about 13.”  13?  THIRTEEN?

               If this was true, we had just consumed about 3.5 servings each!  Of potato chips!!!  Ack!  It turns out, half a bowl is not a serving.  14 chips equal one serving.  “About.”

               This made me frantically root around in our pantry and fridge to make the horrible discovery that we’ve been exceeding a lot of serving recommendations!

               Turns out chips aren’t the only snack that has a limited serving.  For example, pre-popped popcorn.  As it turns out, one serving is about 42 pieces.  This is enough to fill – level to the top, not over – a normal soup bowl of popcorn.  Okay, that’s about a fifth of my normal popcorn intake.  I mean, isn’t the bag a serving??

               Canned vegetables are sneaky, too.  We’ve been routinely splitting cans of veggies in one sitting between us.  But baked beans and corn – in small cans, mind you – are supposed to be 3.5 servings per can.  What?  I’m supposed to not eat 1.5 servings from a can (or about 1/3)?  At least not in one sitting, apparently.

               Another shocker was macaroni and cheese in a box.  This is supposed to make 3 – 4 servings.  Per box!  Yikes, I’ve been known to down the whole box myself!

               Frozen food didn’t encourage me either.  Fish sticks – you know, the ones that are about the width of my pinkie and as long – are 6 “sticks” per serving.  We usually have 7 – 9.  I mean, seriously, these are not “sticks” in any universe.  They are twigs at best.

               And chicken nuggets aren’t much better.  McDonald’s calls 5 chicken nuggets a kids’ meal.  But that’s the recommended adult serving.  FIVE.  That’s barely an appetizer!

               Apparently, I am simply eating too much.  So, I guess I’ll try following the recommended serving sizes of my foods.  The upside is I will likely lose more weight and be healthier.  The downside is I’m going to be hungry.  And not in a very good mood.  Thirteen chips, indeed.