Giving the American consumer the benefit of the doubt, I will bet that many of us do not know the actual size of a single serving for the many different foods. Subsequently, there is a high propensity to misjudge said portions, especially when they are so abundantly given to you at no extra cost. While it is not necessary to break out the measuring cups and spoons at the counter of your favorite diner, there is a general rule of thumb about accurate sizing of food. A couple examples are grains and veggies ranging from ½ cup to 1 cup per serving or cheese usually measuring 1 to 1½ ounces. For those who have difficulty remembering these technical measurements, McKinley Health Center has a website that features a clever rendition of accurately sizing up the nourishment set before you at any dinner table. Portions are described in the manner of the “size of 9-volt battery" or the “size of a checkbook" instead of the textbook lingo you may have learned in cooking class. You can enjoy more of these silly comparisons at http://www.mckinley.uiuc.edu, click on Health Information, Nutrition and then Making Sense of Serving Sizes.



Even armed with the knowledge of accurate portions, it will always come down to your own degree of self-discipline. I am definitely not a believer in suing successful corporations simply because someone ate themselves into a miserably obese physical condition or even an untimely heart attack. While it would be nice if we were less enticed into over-eating, just like a lot of other areas in life, we each have the power to choose, especially when it comes down to just how much chow-mien to woof down during a road trip’s meal-time interruption.