How big are your portions?

"Portion distortion" is a major contributor to many expanding waistlines. Studies show that the more food put in front of people, the more they eat. And since approximately the 1960s, the serving sizes of foods sold in supermarkets and restaurants — from chocolate bars to burgers to complete meals — have become much bigger.

People gain weight when they eat more calories than they use up. So watching the number of calories in food is fundamental to weight management. Also important, however, is the actual size of the portions you eat.

Bigger portions tend to encourage us to eat more whether we really need to or not, so it stands to reason that if you have less food in front of you, the less you’ll eat and the fewer calories you’ll consume.

Here are a few tips you can use to cut down on portion size and still satisfy your appetite:

• At home, always serve food on individual plates instead of serving dishes on the table.
   
• Keep second helpings to a minimum.
   
• Put crisps, nuts and snacks in small bowls or on plates rather than eating them straight from the pack.
   
• When you’re eating out, order two starters or skip a course. If the menu allows it, order a small portion whenever you can.
   
• At parties, avoid standing at the buffet table. Load your plate with what you want and then move elsewhere to eat.
   
• Also, remember that the plates in many restaurants are big and may give you a false sense of the amount you're eating. A normal-sized home-cooked dinner would look tiny and pitiful on some of the large plates used at many restaurants!
   
• It was a basic rule in childhood: clean your plate. Nobody wants to waste food. But eating more than you need doesn't do anyone any good – especially you.
   
• Most people overeat in front of the TV – but you don't need to give up popcorn or snacks with your movie. Just put your snack in a small serving bowl, and bring only the portion you want into the TV room.