Health News
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom
With all the focus on reading nutrition labels, there?s a glaring point of confusion for so many people: how many servings are in a package? We read about calories, protein, fat, sodium, and fiber in a serving ? and often just glance at the number of servings per package. Most people look at a package, and assume if it looks like one serving, it is. It?s essential to look at both the nutrient information per serving AND the number of servings per package. This ?suggestion? is what the nutrient calculation is based on.
Sadly, people aren?t paying enough attention to these suggested serving sizes (and you can eat more or less of the suggestion!). According to a survey of 2,500 US adults, more than one-fourth of consumers reported eating the whole package of a product in one sitting, when the product contained 2 or 3 servings per package. And those ?family size? packages, intended for 4 people? These were routinely consumed by one or two people!
This kind of disconnect between serving size and number of servings per package can easily cause overeating and weight creep over time. It?s easy to avoid, when you become a more mindful label reader.
What do you think of these ?suggested? serving sizes? Share your thoughts!
- More On Limiting Sugary Drinks
By Dr. Madelyn FernstromHere?s an update on the sugary drink debate and size limits that I wrote about back in June. New York City?s leadership proposed a ban on the sale of sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces. A huge debate followed, ranging from personal...
- The New Food Downsizing
By Dr. Madelyn FernstromWhile ?value eating? and supersizing for pennies seems to be everywhere, I?m happy to see a new trend emerging: portion-controlled single servings. And by single serving, I don?t mean eating the entire bag, but a small portion...
- Is Obesity The New Normal?
There?s an old joke that goes something like this: ?If you want to feel thinner, hang around with heavier people.? Maybe that?s not so funny anymore. With two-thirds of the U.S. population overweight or obese, the ?look? of Americans has changed. We?re...
- What's A Serving? Use Your Hand!
by Dr. Madelyn FernstromWhile we all agree that serving sizes are gigantic, what?s challenging is trying to figure out what counts as the appropriate amount for a single serving. This is an important question both for weight control, and overall healthy...
- Health Food Imposters
Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Are you confused when it comes to foods labeled ?healthy?? So many foods sound like they?re good for you, but combining terms like ?natural? and ?organic? with appealing photos, can often derail a healthy eating program. I?d like...
Health News
?Suggested? Serving Size?
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom
Sadly, people aren?t paying enough attention to these suggested serving sizes (and you can eat more or less of the suggestion!). According to a survey of 2,500 US adults, more than one-fourth of consumers reported eating the whole package of a product in one sitting, when the product contained 2 or 3 servings per package. And those ?family size? packages, intended for 4 people? These were routinely consumed by one or two people!
This kind of disconnect between serving size and number of servings per package can easily cause overeating and weight creep over time. It?s easy to avoid, when you become a more mindful label reader.
What do you think of these ?suggested? serving sizes? Share your thoughts!
- More On Limiting Sugary Drinks
By Dr. Madelyn FernstromHere?s an update on the sugary drink debate and size limits that I wrote about back in June. New York City?s leadership proposed a ban on the sale of sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces. A huge debate followed, ranging from personal...
- The New Food Downsizing
By Dr. Madelyn FernstromWhile ?value eating? and supersizing for pennies seems to be everywhere, I?m happy to see a new trend emerging: portion-controlled single servings. And by single serving, I don?t mean eating the entire bag, but a small portion...
- Is Obesity The New Normal?
There?s an old joke that goes something like this: ?If you want to feel thinner, hang around with heavier people.? Maybe that?s not so funny anymore. With two-thirds of the U.S. population overweight or obese, the ?look? of Americans has changed. We?re...
- What's A Serving? Use Your Hand!
by Dr. Madelyn FernstromWhile we all agree that serving sizes are gigantic, what?s challenging is trying to figure out what counts as the appropriate amount for a single serving. This is an important question both for weight control, and overall healthy...
- Health Food Imposters
Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Are you confused when it comes to foods labeled ?healthy?? So many foods sound like they?re good for you, but combining terms like ?natural? and ?organic? with appealing photos, can often derail a healthy eating program. I?d like...