Implode Exploded Portions

I think we've all heard about how portion sizes in this country have exploded in size and proportion over the past twenty years. Sandwiches stacked higher. Burgers thicker. Steaks heavier. Biggie. Super sized. King size. Even our drinks! At Starbucks, all three sizes of drinks – tall, grande and venti – essentially translate to mean “large, larger and largest.” And it's not just with junk food. Even salads nowadays come with half a cup of dressing on the side – who knows how much is used when it's dressed for you. Bottom line, part of America's weight battle is recognizing and de-internalizing the portions that are now quite literally shoved down our throats.

I tend to avoid fast food and a lot of junk food, but I fall victim too. I noticed this a few weeks ago when going to Met Cafe in Washington DC to get my customary nigiri sushi lunch. Nigiri is pretty good for me. I hate soy sauce as a condiment, so with me we're talking some rice, some fish and some seaweed salad. I try to avoid the rolls that often have mayo or fried items and stick to plain, raw fish. I used to grab the container and fill it up to what I thought I needed for lunch. And I would eat it all. It usually cost a little over $10 by weight.

But then I noticed that these containers were enormous and that there were much smaller containers right behind them. I skeptically grabbed one and filled IT up – 6, maybe 7 skinny pieces of fish, and a little mound of seaweed. And it was a perfect amount. I did not get hungry and was completely satisfied. And ever since, it has been costing me only about $7 by weight. That's health and money savings!

It's the same with plates. Use small plates at home, order them in restaurants or take them at buffets and you'll trick yourself into feeling fuller with less food. A full plate looks like a lot of food, no matter how small the plate. Plus, while our eyes may not be able to remember 20 years ago, our hardwired instincts do. It's not too hard to reprogram to smaller portions.

Take my friend from work. He has always loved going out to lunch and getting whatever he wants, be it healthy or not. A few years ago when he found himself a bit overweight he didn't stop his lunchtime habits. He simply started eating only half. He now shares his sandwich, quesadilla, burrito, salad, rice bowl, wrap, burger or whatever it happens to be with someone else. Anyone else. Or he saves the other half for another meal. Religiously. And guess what? He's 20 pounds lighter and has significantly lower cholesterol and body fat than he did 2 years ago. And he still eats WHATever he wants, every single day.

So do these mental tricks of slicing plates, containers or even the foods themselves in half sound ridiculous? Check out this article I read the other day comparing portion sizes now to portion sizes of the 1980's with some stunning pictures. Look at that tiny little French fry container! Don't you vaguely remember that little white paper container? That little container with twelve fries in it? None of these half gallon cartons that are served nowadays as a side of fries, just a few is all we needed back then. And go figure, THAT portion was only 210 calories – today’s is nearly 700, and I doubt that’s the maximum. This comparative article was more corroboration than inspiration for me to write this post, but I think it could inspire more than a few people out there to reevaluate what's making them fat, the burger itself – or the other burger hidden inside it?

Bruschetta Fresca

Julia and I had some fun last weekend having a little “switch-off” dinner. Basically, I go in the kitchen and make a little, creative plate that we share together, and then she goes and does the same. The dishes were small and tasty so we were able to have a few rounds of it. We had a lot of fun eating, relaxing and laughing about our cooking and just stuff in general. You need a bit of time on your hands to play this dinner game, but it is a worthwhile couples activity.

With my first dish, I decided to utilize some of our best ingredients in a simple way with a play on a bruschetta. I took four long, thin slices of beer bread and spread some nice horseradishy mustard on each side. I heated a little Smart Balance in a pan and then put the slices in to absorb a little bit of the flavor and crisp up a bit. I had shredded some amazing sharp, Irish white cheddar and put a nice heavy pinch of it all over the top of each piece of bread before carefully flipping each one, so the cheese ended up on the bottom. I then sprinkled a little more cheese on top of the “bottoms” and let them crisp a little more. Once the cheese on bottom was crisped enough that it was not sticking to the bottom, I flipped the breads again for just another minute. The breads were golden, orange and crispy on both sides and smelling great.

I put two of the thin slices on each plate and then topped each plate with some salad of arugula, diced Roma tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt and cracked black pepper, which I had dressed up in a separate bowl on the side. I then shaved off a few more bits of cheddar onto each plate for garnish. All done was my fresh take on bruschetta – less garlic and oil and more greens and mustard flavor.

Julia very much approved of my dish, loving the subtle decadence of the plate without losing its freshness and crispness. I might have said it was the best appetizer served that night if not for the beautiful overeasy egg, kalamata olives and lime yogurt sauce over a toast round that Julia served to me some 20 minutes later. She must have read my 101 favorite foods and known that while balsamic vinegar (#39), extra virgin olive oil (#28), sharp cheddar cheese (#23), arugula (#25) and Roma tomatoes (#51) all appear high on my list – that she could even win me over ME with a perfect egg (#2) and kalamata olives (#11). Although I'm guessing she would have gotten that one right, list or no list.