You are probably familiar with the stories circulating about America: a small milkshake at well-known fast-food chains is just as big there as the largest milkshake in the Netherlands. That is a fact, but what do those differences in portion sizes between the countries mean?
Development of portion sizes
Portion sizes have increased significantly since the development of the food industry. For instance, family-sized bags of chips and value packs emerged to supply food as cheaply as possible. The problem, however, is that the abundance of food causes people to gain more weight and even throw food away. People eat more of tasty products because food producers use various techniques to entice people to buy and eat their products.
Eating too much: a danger to weight loss?
The environment appears to have a significant influence on a person's body weight. The more food there is, the pickier we can become regarding taste. If you don't like plain chips, you always have ten other flavors to choose from, all for just €1.50 per 300-gram bag. A 300-gram bag of chips contains 1,500 kilocalories and is comparable to 2.5 to 3 times a normal evening meal. This means that family-sized bags of 300 grams can pose a threat to your weight loss goals. When you have a bag of chips lying next to you on the couch, you unconsciously eat more than is desirable. That is why professionals always work with specific portion sizes. Adjust a portion to your lifestyle.
Cheap food is usually high in calories.
If you look at America, a fast food chain is cheap compared to a home-cooked meal. mealYou can eat and drink a lot for just a few dollars. Finances play a role in product choice. If a product costs €3 per 100 grams and you pay only €5 for 200 grams, everyone will choose the 200 grams. After all, it saves a euro. This way, consumers save tens of euros on groceries. However, this comes at the expense of body weight and health. Additionally, food manufacturers also produce cheaper versions of more expensive products. However, these cheaper versions contain more sugar, E-numbers, fat, and salt. This is necessary to make the products more flavorful. That is why sugar, fat, and salt are classified as flavorings. If you want to take good care of your health, pay attention not only to the price of a product but also to the ingredients!
Assignment
- Try using a smaller bowl.
Plan a product for one week for which you use a smaller bowl, such as chips. - Cook smaller portion bags of chips, candy, and cookies (if financially feasible).
- Try not to put a bag of chips, candy, or cookies next to you on the couch/table for a month (but use assignment 1).
English 
Dutch