Portion Distortion

Recently over my spring break from school I gave a presentation at one of my cousin's school about portion distortion and portion sizes. First I talked to the teachers at their morning meeting about how portion sizes have almost doubled in size over the past 20 years, then later, I talked in her classroom about the importance of eating breakfast every morning to ensure we have enough energy to learn and work hard. For my first, actual nutrition presentation as a student and a future dietitian, it went great! The adults seemed to really enjoy it and the students really learned the importance of the most important meal of the day.

Like I said, portion sizes have doubled and almost tripled in the past twenty years! No wonder so many Americans are considered overweight or obese. 58% of Americans eat out or grab a meal on the go at least once a week. And now, for the first time ever, we are spending more money at restaurants and fast food joints than in grocery stores!  The average person needs about 2000 calories a day to perform daily bodily functions, extracurricular activities and just to live. However, we eat on average about 3500 calories a day. No wonder we are such a large country. Daily caloric needs are specific to each person, but are really around 2000 calories. When we eat an excess of 500 calories a day, we gain about a pound a week. With eating 1500 extra calories a day, that adds up to 3 pounds a week! Wow!
Here are some examples of how big one portion size is considered today:
- One bagel is equal to 4 slices of bread
- The standard restaurant plate of food has 2 servings on it
- Steaks served at restaurants are actually 4-6 times the size of one serving of steak
- Restaurant portion of baked ziti is equivalent to about 3 servings of pasta
- A bakery muffin is equal to 6-8 slices of bread
- One pint of orange juice is equivalent to 3 fruit servings

With the kids I talked about the importance of eating breakfast. I had 3 sample breakfasts bags that I showed the kids (one empty signifying the 1/3 of kids who don't eat breakfast every day, one with junk food for the 1/3 of kids who do not eat a nutritious breakfast, and a nutritious and wholesome breakfast for the 1/3 of kids who do eat it), and asked what they thought about each breakfast bag. They learned that if we do not eat a proper breakfast, they will feel tried, sluggish and unfocused by the time lunch comes around. The kids were able to tell me what kind of foods belong in each food group and what they do to be healthy! This is was such a fun experience and really fit into the theme of national breakfast week last week!

Savor the Flavor of Eating Right!

March is National Nutrition Month, and March 9th is National Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day! the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is celebrating the month by kicking off a national campaign for nutrition education and information. This years campaign is focusing on making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.

In honor of National Nutrition Month, I thought I would share some things that a dietitian can offer you!

The highest level of nutrition counseling. Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist, but only a registered dietitian (RD) or registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) has completed multiple layers of education and training established by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). In addition to holding a bachelor's degree, an RD or RDN must fulfill a specially designed, accredited nutrition curriculum, complete an extensive supervised program of practice at a health care facility, foodservice organization or community agency and pass a rigorous registration exam. What's more, roughly half of all RDs and RDNs hold graduate degrees and many have certifications in specialized fields, such as sports, pediatric, renal, oncology or gerontological nutrition.
Personally tailored advice. When you see an RD or RDN, the last thing you'll get is one-size-fits-all diet advice. "A dietitian is like an investigator seeking to learn about your current and desired state of health," says McDaniel. "At your initial visit, expect to do a lot of talking while the dietitian does a lot of listening." After learning about your health history, favorite foods, eating and exercise habits, an RD or RDN will help you set goals and prioritize. Follow-up visits will focus on maintenance and monitoring your progress.

 Help managing chronic diseases. If you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes or cancer it can be hard to know what to eat. "An RD [or RDN] can review your lab results with you, help you understand your condition and provide education about the nutrients that affect it," says Angela Ginn, RDN, a spokesperson for the Academy. "Then, he or she will help you create an eating plan that includes all the important nutrients that can help you manage your condition."

Guidance navigating food allergies, sensitivities and intolerances. When you suffer from conditions such as celiac disease, food allergies or lactose intolerance, it's easy to be overwhelmed by what you think you can't eat. That can translate into a boring diet and may even lead to nutrient deficiencies. An RD or RDN can teach you how to read food labels so you’ll know which ingredients to avoid and a help you find substitutions to keep your diet balanced and tasty, too.
A weight loss program that really works. Fad diets may sound like the quick ticket to weight loss, but they rarely work for very long. A registered dietitian or registered dietitian nutritionist will partner with you to develop a safe, effective weight loss plan that you can stick with for the long haul. To guide and motivate you, an RD or RDN will use creative and out-of-the-box strategies to help with meal planning, grocery shopping, food journaling and mindful eating.
(eatright.org)


If you're interested in meeting with a dietitian, you can follow this link to find an expert near you!
http://www.eatright.org/find-an-expert