Marie Rodriguez

Marie is a professional, over-the-road driver

Portion problems

Many people are surprised to learn that the USDA food pyramid serving sizes are small compared to what is served on a restaurant plate. For example:
• Meat serving – two or three ounces
• Fruit, vegetable – ½ cup
• Bread – one slice
• Pasta – ½ cup
• Milk – eight ounces (one cup)
     Think about it: an average adult stomach can hold about one quart. It was not made to hold a bowl of soup, a salad, a 10-oz steak, large potato, cup of vegetables and two dinner rolls all at one sitting.
     To break the overeating habit, a person must learn to listen to his/her body. Eat only when you are actually physically hungry. Next, pay attention to how your body feels while eating and STOP eating when you are no longer hungry. Chew your food thoroughly and eat slowly. Do not allow yourself to get to the point of feeling full, much less stuffed. You don’t have to clean your plate.
     Since I don’t like wasting food, and my husband doesn’t like wasting money on food that isn’t eaten, we’ve learned a few tricks to avoid waste and avoid overeating:
•     If you are on a team and like similar foods, order one meal and get an extra plate and split the meal. If you are solo, check if the restaurant offers half portions.
•     If you are in a hurry and want to get the buffet for timesaving reasons, just get the soup and salad bar. It is less expensive and usually offers sufficient food. If you want meat and veggie choices, just get one plate and watch your portions. Do not return for seconds. Most buffet prices are close to a regular menu dinner anyway.
•     When eating at the fast food sandwich counter, the six inch sandwich is enough for an average adult. Agreed, the foot-long is a better deal money-wise. You can order the foot-long, ask them to cut it in half and wrap the halves separately. Now you have a second meal for later. Again, if you’re on a team, you can split the sandwich.
•     On the quest to improved health some may believe the fast food hamburger place must be avoided at all costs. You need not feel guilty about indulging on occasion (Some may accuse me of blasphemy here. To this, I say “whatever.”)  If you find you want a burger, or if it is the only food option open at your stop, go ahead and order. Do NOT supersize, though. In fact, for most adults, a kid’s meal will be enough. Give the toy to your kids or grandkids. Heck, keep it for yourself. Even cheaper, just order a small burger and fries from the value menu.
     Actually, eating five or six “mini-meals” a day instead of three “traditional”’ meals, is a healthier way of eating. Mini-meals can be a piece of fruit, carrot sticks, granola bar, nuts, etc.  Most of these items can be carried on the truck and are easy on the food budget. Also, these mini-meals will keep you from becoming too hungry. When a person gets very hungry it is much easier to overeat.