Americans have things backwards. Companies and jobs downsize while meal portions and waistlines supersize. Our collective economic status and our health would both flourish if we could simply switch modes.

The word supersize is one of those newly coined words that now easily trips off our tongues as we grab those extra large, jumbo, gargantuan portions that fast food places, dinner houses, and all-you-can-eat restaurants bait us with. In other words, we simply eat more when we eat out because food is served in huge quantities.

Portion sizes have indeed expanded. “Restaurant plates used to 10 inches or 11 inches in diameter. Now, according to the National Restaurant Association, the 12-inch plate is the rule,” says Laura Beil.¹ Consumer Reports noted that “In our years of reporting restaurants, we can’t recall such an array of belly-busting servings across a broad spectrum of chains.”²

Why do we eat more than we should? Some of us were raised by parents who lived through the Great Depression when food was indeed often scarce. Many of us heard at the dinner table, “Clean up your plate. Think of the poor, starving children in Africa” (or China or Armenia, depending on our parents’ geographic leanings). Others of us like bargains and will eat all the food served just to get our money’s worth. A lot of us just don’t know when we’re full enough.

A professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania conducted a study over a five-month period in which diners were offered at different times varying-sized portions of baked ziti and hoagie sandwiches. Following their eating, individuals were questioned about the appropriateness of serving size and how full they felt. Interestingly, “The fullness and hunger ratings were similar no matter what size sandwich they ate.” Said Professor Barbara J. Rolls, “It shows that when consumers are served bigger portions they adjust their satiety level to accommodate the larger size.”³

While getting more “perceived value” for the food dollar is a marketing success, the  hidden costs of eating large portions have exerted an enormous toll on the well-being of millions of people.

Obesity is a national epidemic. Former surgeon general David Satcher warned that obesity “may soon surpass smoking as the nation’s principle cause of preventable death.”⁴ We have gained the dubious honor of being the fattest nation in the world. A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 44 million Americans were obese in 2001.⁵ This number increased to 59 million in a study the following year and reported in The Journal of the American Medical Association.⁶ One in three adults is very overweight to obese. At least 15 percent of children  and adolescents are overweight (some reports indicate 25 percent).

Greg Critser, a health and obesity journalist and author of Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World, claims an even higher number of fat Americans. He  notes that 60 percent are overweight. A significant contributing factor to national obesity, according to Critser,  is “the explosion of fast-food restaurants and the resulting popularity of super-size ‘value’ meals over healthier, more modest portions.”⁷

Obesity is far more than a cosmetic problem. Obesity increases the occurrence of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, stroke, arthritis and depression.  According to the surgeon general’s report, as many as 300,000 people die each year in the United States from obesity-related causes.⁸  And many more people suffer diminished health and vitality due to their excessive weight.

Bigger is not better when it comes to portion sizes. Certainly, it is possible to gain excessive weight by eating home-cooked meals and constant snacking and grazing through the frig and pantry. However, home cooking allows a family to select healthy ingredients, tailor meals to suit their own particular nutritional needs and tastes, serve portions appropriate to age and activity level, and monitor methods of preparation. A wise home cook will provide his or her family with a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, meats, poultry, fish, grains, and dairy products and minimize the number of high-fat, high-cholesterol foods served.

Both the Better Homes and Gardens article and Critser’s book suggest  eating at home as a key to better portion control and thus a way to downsize weight.  Debora Yost, author of “Say No to Pile-High Portions,” states: “Eat at home more. You will be in charge of portion control, and you’ll spend far less on food.”⁹ Greg Critser in Fat Land indicates that the “ ‘obesity epidemic’ is not an inevitability. In fact, he concludes it can largely be avoided by sitting down together to eat simple, nutritious meals as a family.”¹⁰

Cooking dinner at home and serving downsized portions is one of the best and most lasting gifts you can give to your family. Their individual health, longevity, and appearance will be immeasurably blessed!

The following recipes from Remedies for the “I Don’t Cook” Syndrome offer easy ways to be healthier by cooking at home. Portion size for all meals should be monitored by parents and individuals. Please visit idontcook.net for more information on strengthening the family at the dinner table and healthier eating,  more recipes, and ordering Remedies for the “I Don’t Cook” Syndrome.

SALSA BEEF
Janet Peterson
Salsa and cilantro add excitement to roast beef.

1 (2-3 pound) boneless shoulder or rump roast
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup medium salsa
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon lime juice
3 cups cooked rice

Trim fat from beef and cut into 2-inch cubes. Heat oil in a large covered pot or Dutch oven and brown meat. Pour off drippings. Add salsa, brown sugar, soy sauce, and garlic. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 1 hour or longer. Remove lid and continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes. Remove beef from heat and add cilantro and lime juice. Stir. Serve over cooked rice.

Serves 4-6.

EASY MINESTRONE SOUP
Julie Marshall
This is great to make early in the morning---while you are doing breakfast dishes---and have it ready for dinner when you come rushing in. It can be made the night before as well, but do not add pasta and zucchini until ready to serve.

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (28-ounce) can Italian-styled tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans
1 (12-ounce) can corn or 1 cup frozen corn
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans
1 (14½-ounce) can green beans
3 to 4 cups water or tomato juice
1 teaspoon salt
¼ to ½ teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
2 to 3 teaspoons Italian seasoning (or substitut e ½ to  l teaspoon oregano, ½ to l teaspoon basil, ½ to l teaspoon thyme, ½ teaspoon rosemary, ½ teaspoon sage)
1 cup pasta, any variety
1 zucchini, thinly sliced

Brown ground beef with onion in a large soup pot or Dutch oven.  Drain grease. Add tomatoes, kidney beans, corn, garbanzo beans, and green beans. Add water or tomato juice. Add salt, pepper, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil and let simmer  a few minutes. Remove from heat, and refrigerate if eating later. Or add pasta and zucchini and cook for 8-10 minutes, until pasta is cooked.

Serves 6-8.

COLESLAW     
Dee Kreider
This salad should be made the day before serving. It keeps well in the refrigerator for a week.

1 head cabbage, shredded
1 green pepper, chopped
1 onion (red or white), chopped
¾ cup oil
1 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoons salt
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon celery seed

Put cabbage, green pepper, and onion in a glass salad bowl. Mix oil, vinegar, salt, sugar, and celery seed in a small bowl. Pour over slaw mixture. Refrigerate for 24 hours.

Serves 4 to 6.

ORIENTAL BEANS
Janet Peterson
Fresh green beans are a must; canned green beans just don’t taste the same.

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1½ tablespoons soy sauce
2½ teaspoons sesame seeds*

Place sesame seeds in a baking pan and bake 5o 7 minutes at 350 degrees, watching so they don’t burn.

Steam green beans for 10  minutes in a vegetable steamer or cook in boiling water in a medium saucepan for 10-12 minutes, until beans are crisp tender. Drain. Put in serving bowl. Add butter, soy sauce, and sesame seeds. Toss to coat.

Serves 6-8.