New study says portion sizes at restaurants are often “super-sized,” even when listed as normal-size

Created on August 31, 2010

According to an article in the USA Today, the Center for Science in the Public Interest says many hamburgers, steaks, and bagels are at least two times bigger than the government's definition of a serving. Below are the findings, which really speak for themselves.

 

Findings, reported in September issue of Nutrition Action HealthLetter:

•McDonald's Big Mac and Big N' Tasty each weigh about 7 ounces; the Angus Deluxe, about 11 ounces.
A serving size for a burger is about 5 ounces, the government says. You can get a burger that size if you buy the Burger King Whopper Jr. or McDonald's hamburger or cheeseburger.

•Many steakhouses offer a rib eye steak that's 14 ounces uncooked, which is about 11 ounces cooked. A steak about that size from Outback, LongHorn or Lone Star packs about 1,000 calories.
A serving of steak or other meats is supposed to be about 3 ounces cooked or 4 ounces raw, the USDA says.

•A dinner-sized capellini pomodoro (thin spaghetti with Roma tomatoes) at the Olive Garden is about 3½ cups, 840 calories. The tomato basil spaghettini at California Pizza Kitchen is three cups, 1,040 calories.
A serving of cooked pasta is one cup, the FDA says. Pasta is about 200 calories a cup before you add any sauce, Liebman says.

•A whole smoked ham and cheese sandwich on stone-milled rye bread from Panera is almost 14 ounces, 700 calories.
A typical sandwich weighs about 5 ounces, the government says. That would be about two 1-ounce slices of meat and two 1-ounce slices of bread with garnishes, Liebman says.

•A chocolate chunk cookie at Starbucks is 3 ounces and 360 calories.
A serving of cookies is one ounce, the FDA says. Starbucks offers a treat-sized 1-ounce, 130-calorie double chocolate cookie, she says.

•Bagels at Einstein Bros, Au Bon Pain, Panera and other chains are typically about 4 ounces. That's about 300 calories worth of dough, plus about 90 calories for 2 tablespoons of cream cheese, Liebman says.
A serving of bagel is about 2 ounces, the FDA says.

•A blueberry muffin at Dunkin' Donuts is about 5 ounces, 480 calories. A reduced-fat blueberry muffin, 430 calories.
The government says a serving of muffin is 2 ounces.


'Super-sized' fits even regular food portions at restaurants

By Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY

Portions at popular chain restaurants are often super-sized servings, even when they are offered as a single entree or regular-sized meal, a new report says.

Find this article at: http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/food/diet-nutrition/2010-08-31-supersizingus31_ST1_N.htm