Serving sizes have not only increased at restaurants and fast food chains, but also in the home, where the surface area of the average dinner plate has increased by 36% since 1960. Large portion sizes have been linked to obesity and studies have shown that when people are presented with a large portion size of a meal or snack, they eat more food from the larger serve when compared to the smaller serve.

Surprisingly, increases in food intake with large portion sizes do not lead to increased feelings of fullness. In a study comparing a large meal to one reduced in size by 25%, the smaller portion size led to a 10% decrease in kilojoule intake. The effects on energy intake where sustained from meal to meal, so every time the smaller meals were served, people ate less, saving 950kJ per day. There were also no differences in hunger and fullness levels, indicating that a slight reduction in portion size won’t leave you starving.

Be smart with your portion sizes and food choices to not only save kilojoules, but also maintain a healthy body weight. Check out these smart swaps to start enjoying healthier food choices.

SAVE 420kJ (100 cal)
Switch from a regular to a small coffee.
Have one crumpet with honey instead of two.
Enjoy 2 cups air popped popcorn instead of 2 cups of butter popcorn.
Enjoy one chocolate biscuit instead of two.

SAVE 630kJ (150 cal)
Swap a regular can of soft drink for a diet variety.
Switch to fun size chocolate bars instead of regular sized bars.
Swap a 50g packet of chips for a small 20g packet.

SAVE 1420kJ (340 cal)
Have a salad instead of hot chips with your burger.
Have ½ cup boiled rice instead of 1 cup fried rice.
Have 1½ cups cooked pasta instead of 3 cups.

Cultivate Sanitarium can help you and your employees understand the right portion size to maintain your weight and wellbeing...contact our friendly team