ANSWER: Spaghetti with sauce and meatball showing portion distortion
On left: 20 years ago, an average portion was 1 cup spaghetti with sauce and 3 small meatballs (500 calories)
On right: Today, an average portion is 2 cups spaghetti with sauce and 3 small meatballs (1,025 calories)
There are 525 more calories in today's average portion! It would take housecleaning for 2 hours and 35 minutes to burn approximately 525 calories (based on 130-pound person).
Larger portions add up. Just 100 extra calories per day can lead to a weight gain of 10 pounds per year. Maintaining a healthy weight is a balancing act … balance calories in with calories out.
Related Resources:
- "Prevent Portion Distortion" powerpoint and handout - learn tips such as downsizing portions, being an able label reader, and using MyPlate.
- USDA MyPlate website - for a personalized plan for your calorie level based on your age, gender, size, and activity level, use MyPlate's SuperTracker
- UNL Food Website - timely and easy-to-understand research-based food information for use in your daily life.
- FDA's Eating Healthier and Feeling Better Using the Nutrition Facts Label article - the Nutrition Facts label makes it easy to determine the amount of nutrients you're getting and to compare one product to another.
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