Conventional portion sizes in the United States are, in a word, ample. When you go out to dinner, you are typically served two to four times the amount you should be eating in one meal. This is—in my opinion—because Americans like to get the most for their dollar, which often adversely affects their health, not to mention their relationship with food. I think it’s sad that our country is more familiar with supersizing than portion sizing, but with so many obsolete food pyramids and hyped-up portion plates floating around, who wouldn’t be perplexed?

We grew up with the age-old food pyramid telling us to eat 6-8 servings of grains and “minimal” fats and sweets, but what does that really mean? To further confuse us, we were recently introduced to the USDA’s MyPlate, which gives us these guidelines for balancing calories: Enjoy your food, but eat less. Avoid oversized portions. Honestly, could they be more vague? (continue reading)