So why is this an issue? Well, if you haven’t heard there’s an obesity epidemic going on in the United States. We don’t get enough exercise. We don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables. We sit too much. We eat too much food we don’t bother to make ourselves. We eat a lot of stuff out of boxes and packages. Probably most important, many Americans don’t really know how to nourish ourselves and balance out our eating.

Weight management is multifaceted. But when it comes to the purpose of nutrition facts labels, it’s all about educating the consumer about how much food, calories, and nutrients are in a realistic serving. So recently, the FDA has said they need to look at what they can do to help people manage how much they eat and make sure they aren’t confused by the information provided.

Recently, Barbara O. Schneeman, director of the F.D.A. office that oversees nutrition labels was quoted in the New York Times on this topic as saying:

“We are actively looking at serving size and evaluating what steps we need to take. Ultimately, the purpose of nutrition labeling is to help consumers make healthier choices, make improvements in their diet, and we want to make sure we achieve that goal.”

Right now they are considering doing two things: bringing the serving size more in line with what people actually eat and then moving key information to the front of the package. The front-of-package initiative is part of the bigger issue of all the “spots, checks, marks” and other labels that food manufacturers use to give packaged foods a “health halo.” I think this is an important step for the FDA to get involved. The manufacturers’ front-of-package labeling is nothing more than snazzy marketing designed to make people put the package in the cart. If the FDA can oversee a single system for front of package labels that brings some key information to the front (like 120 calories per serving, 2.5 servings per container) this may help bring awareness to how much they are actually taking in if they consume half or the entire container.

The FDA says the front of package label would be voluntary for companies, but what they are considering is regulations that would prevent companies from promoting “benefits” on the front, while downplaying any “downsides” to the foods. I think this step is crucial. The more messages you have, the more potential for confusion. There’s only so much space on the package.

It’s not like this is the first time the FDA has tried to step in and tell companies that they should accurately portray the amount in the package on the nutrition label. Here’s a warning letter they issued back in 2004 (yep, about six years ago):

FDA also recognizes that there is a growing trend in the marketplace for jumbo or super-sized servings. When such products are intended to be consumed by one individual in one eating occasion, the nutrition information should be based on the entire contents of food in the container. We recognize that the current serving size regulations allow for such products to be sold as either one, or more than one, serving even if they are usually consumed at one time. FDA intends to re-evaluate this aspect of the serving size regulations. In the meantime, we encourage manufacturers to provide the most accurate and useful nutrition information to consumers by taking advantage of the flexibility in current regulations on serving sizes and label food packages as containing a single-serving if the entire contents of the package can reasonably be consumed at a single-eating occasion.

If FDA has addressed this in 2004 and warning letters to companies have not inspired any positive change in nutrition labels, then maybe it is high time they set tougher regulations. It does not appear that self-regulation is working.

I’m not so sure how changing the serving size standards to reflect what people actually eat would work because we eat too much now. How do you determine the “real” size people eat? It’s better to show the real size people should eat, but the problem with that is it depends on age, gender, weight, and amount of exercise. It’s hard to give a “one size” serving to fit all Americans.

Let’s take cereal. Toasted oats serving size is usually one cup. Other sugary cereals usually have a serving size of 3/4 cup. I don’t think it should be permissible for companies to choose 3/4 cup to make their products look nutritionally comparable to other cereals (calories and sugar look lower because the serving size is smaller). But what do you choose as the new standard? Even if “two cups” is more like what people actually eat, is it more than they should eat? Maybe for a 50-year-old overweight female, but maybe not for a 17-year-old high school track star. I would love to hear your comments below with good suggestions for how this would pan out in a realistic way.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which provides food and nutrition advice for anyone over age two, gives custom recommendations for servings of foods. Anyone can get a custom recommendation and track their intake for free online. So that’s a place to start. Educate yourself on what you should eat. Buy fewer packaged foods in general. Eat smaller portions. Only eat when you are hungry. All these things will help you in your “healthy weight” journey.

What do you think the FDA should do to educate consumers on food packages?

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Serving Sizes, Packaged Food Nutrition Labels May Get a Makeover per the FDA

That’s why I was thrilled to see this cute idea from the California Almond Board for easy portion control and portability.

The California Almond Board handed out these petite tins that hold 23 almonds – exactly a one-ounce serving. Now, don’t go counting out almonds every time before you eat them, but do it once so you can see how it fills your hand. Then think about how mindlessly eating high calorie food can totally sabotage your hard work.

Find a tin you can use (and reuse to be green) and start taking your nuts to-go in the right portion. Pair this high energy snack with an ounce of reduced fat cheese for a snack that is sure to leave you satisfied.

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Food Finds: California Almonds Snack Packs

Overeating not only causes rapid weight gain, but high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, or even a ruptured stomach can be result. Serving sizes have been blow out of proportion these days and can actually be rather scary. Below are the recommended serving sizes as well as a few helpful tips to prevent overeating.

Recommended Serving Sizes

Bread/Cereal/Rice/Pasta: 1 slice of bread/toast or 1/2 cup (eat 6-11 servings per day)

Fruit: 1 piece of fruit or 6 oz. glass of 100% fruit juice (eat 2-4 servings per day)

Vegetables: 1 cup or 1 whole medium baked potato (eat 3-5 servings per day)

Meat/Poultry/Fish/Nuts/Eggs: 1 egg, 3 oz. of meat/poultry/fish, or 1 oz. of nuts (eat 2-3 servings per day)

Dairy: 8 oz. glass of skim milk or 1 oz. cheese (eat 2-3 servings per day)

Fats/Oils/Sweets: Use sparingly (less than 10% of daily food intake)

Top 10 Ways To Prevent Overeating

1. Don’t buy food in bulk
2. Eat recommended serving sizes
3. Drink a glass of water before, during, and after a meal
4. Don’t grocery shop on an empty stomach
5. Take your time while eating
6. Start a meal with fruit (apple) or raw vegetables
7. Eat small, healthy snacks throughout the day to reduce hunger
8. Avoid stressful situations
9. When dining out, ask the server to box half the meal in a to-go box before serving it
10. Exercise

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Top 10 Ways To Prevent Overeating

It can take up to 15 minutes for your brain to register with your stomach that food is in your system, a large proponent for overeating. Many times we will keep eating the food that is on our plate waiting for that “feeling of full,” only to have completely surpassed it. Eating a snack or appetizer prior to eating your main meal will help start that communication between your stomach and your brain, so by the time you go to eat your main course you will only need to eat a portion of it to fulfill your bodies’ needs.

While having an appetizer or snack can help with overeating and the communication between the brain and your stomach, it is important to keep the calories and fat in check. Having fried calamari or chicken wings to start will not provide the weight loss and health benefits that having a good healthy start to your meal will offer. I suggest having a light salad or soup to start. One of my personal favorites is a spinach salad with tomatoes, cucumber, cranberries, nuts and a balsamic vinaigrette. A quick toss to kick off your meal. For a soup example I typically like clear broths like miso soup with some tofu and spinach.

Think about options in which you can incorporate a smaller, healthier meal into your dining routine.

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Eat an Appetizer to Promote Weight Loss

It’s All About Control

The reason social engagements may make you feel uncomfortable has to do with control; how much control you think you have over making “the right” choices so you won’t leave feeling stuffed and regretful of your actions. Some people get “nervous energy” and tend to ease the nerves with the comfort of food. So if you’re attending a wedding where you don’t know too many people, eating can give something for your mind and mouth to do rather than (gulp) chat with strangers.

Have a Plan, Have Control

The best way to convince yourself that you do have control of your food choices in social settings is to make a plan that builds confidence. Make sure your plan is realistic and achievable. For example, do not tell yourself to skip breakfast and eat a salad for lunch so you can “bank” your calories for food and drink. You’ll end up feeling tired, starved, and ready to eat the table.

Here are some realistic tips:

• Eat before you go. You don’t want to get really hungry early on at the party. Who knows when food will be served? I recommend having a healthy meal two hours before the occasion begins or a 200-calorie snack within an hour before the event. A healthy snack might be one cup of watermelon and one cup of fresh cut veggies with a glass of water. A healthy meal looks more like a cup of salad greens and three ounces of salmon with a tablespoon of dressing.

• If possible, delay eating. If you can eat “anytime” at the party consider delaying eating until you start to feel hungry. Skip the appetizer round of food and drinks and instead sip on some carbonated water with lemon. Make a pass at the food table and take a look at what looks good. Think about what you would enjoy eating that would also nourish you.

• Make one reasonable sized plate. When it’s time to eat, choose foods that come close to the foods on your eating plan. If there are fresh veggies or salad greens, be sure to grab some of those to balance out other high calorie foods. Enjoy every bite of what you choose. Try to make the meal last 30 minutes and stop when you are full.

• Choose between desserts and drinks. You probably don’t need me to tell you that desserts and alcohol are sources of empty calories. But it’s a party so you should be able to participate. By skipping appetizers and sticking to one plate, you do have a calorie budget to enjoy one or two drinks or a dessert, but try to keep from participating in both. You don’t want to offset all your positive efforts with this slip up.

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Be Social Without Blowing Your Diet

Sometimes we just can’t help the mistakes we make when trying to lose weight. You know what I mean, you picked up on the message of eating close to the Earth so you add in more whole foods. Excellent… and then you discovered how much you really enjoy nuts – the crunch, the taste, the salt! You start to think eating healthy is easy. But despite your efforts you don’t lose any weight over a month. Then, you discover that you’re eating about 700 calories a day in nuts alone! Uh oh.

This is not some fake story. It is based on true events with one of my very fit athlete clients (she actually plays pro volleyball in Europe). She dropped to the floor when I told her that her nut habit is getting in the way of her “off season” weight loss attempts.

Learn more about controlling portion sizes.

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Watching Your Weight? Start with Portion Control

You’re not alone. In fact, most Americans engage in some sort of mindless eating, each meal, every snack, each day.

Author and food psychologist, Brian Wansink Ph.D. talks about how blurry our perception has become in choosing what we eat, how much we eat and when we eat. In his book, Mindless Eating, Wansink helps undue a bit of the guilt that ensues after eating too much.

He helps you dig a bit deeper into the psychology of eating so that you can have a more firm understanding of why deep-dish pizza with extra cheese and mushrooms is your favorite comfort food, or why your Kellogg’s strawberry-frosted Pop-Tarts taste better than the generic brand even though the ingredients are identical.

Mindless Eating also unveils fascinating evidence on the food marketing industry. For instance, Wansink openly discusses how food suppliers package and process foods just so that we’ll eat them and eat more and more of them. He also talks about what colors inspire us to eat, which colors promote satiety and how certain movies enable us to eat the WHOLE tub of popcorn, even the unpopped kernels.

What Mindless Eating openly breaks down the psychological effects of eating from our own personal relationship to food and portion size to the food industry’s manipulation of our food senses. While this book is not a set-in-stone diet plan, Wansink does help you overcome food pitfalls such as avoiding Diet Danger Zones that trigger a food binge and  shows you how to erase 100-200 calories from your daily intake without feeling deprived.

The more we understand that our food behaviors and our health are not held in a vacuum, the more we can become better armed to make more mindful and wiser eating choices that will result in a happier and healthier self. If you’re at all interested in learning more about the dynamics of eating, Mindless Eating will not disappoint.

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Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think

The study looked at how classic recipes have changed during the past 70 years and found a nearly 40 percent increase in calories per serving for just about every recipe reviewed, about an extra 77 calories.

The study identified the trend in many cookbooks, but it focused on the iconic Joy of Cooking. It was first published in the ’30s and has been regularly updated, most recently in 2006.

Cornell University marketing professor Brian Wansink, who directed the study, says he is more concerned about the increase in overall calories per recipe (caloric density) than in the portion size increases.

Since the study doesn’t account for how much is eaten after people prepare the recipes, it’s not altogether conclusive. Not to mention, how many people use recipes? And of those who do, how many follow them exactly? All factors to be considered, but it’s still not welcomed news.

(via: Associated Press)

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The Joy of Cooking, Super-Sized!

With the new Smart Portion Prep and Pack Tray you can now be prepared for these moments with six individual containers you can fill with your favorite treats from cut up carrot sticks to strawberries and even mixed nuts. You can prep your snacks ahead of time in healthy portion sizes and store in the fridge to take with you on the go or to even snack at home.

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Snack Attack Survival

Use these comparisons to keep your portions in check. (Nestle.com)

• A baseball or size of your fist- would be one serving of vegetables or fruit
• Tennis ball- measures to about ½ cup of food (for example, ½ cup ice cream)
• Golf ball or large egg- is about a ¼ cup of dried fruit or nuts
• Six dice or one domino- would equal one serving of cheese
• Deck of cards or the palm of your hand- equivalent to a serving of meat, fish or poultry
• Tip of your thumb- about one-teaspoon of peanut butter
• Computer mouse- one serving of a baked potato
• CD (compact disc)- equals the serving size of a waffle of pancake
• Check book- equals a 3 oz. serving of fish
• A rounded handful- about one half cup cooked or raw veggies or cut fruit, a piece of fruit, or ½ cup of cooked rice or pasta

Other friendly tips:
1. Look at your plate of food. Roughly half of your plate should be full of vegetables, one-quarter should be your protein, and the last one-quarter should be your starch.

2. Read food labels. Every one of them displays the serving size. It’s usually not one entire package.

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Know Your Portion Sizes