Being a “weight loss doctor” and subject to the recommendations I provide to my patients, the following falls under the category of “Do what Dr. Posner says, not what he does”. Well, one of the things that Posner “does” is goes out to eat lots and one of the restaurants we frequent in Williamsburg is Carrabbas eatery. They do not provide the “all you can eat” breadsticks like the Olive Garden but they do provide warm bread as soon as you sit down. They also offer a deal that is hard to refuse: When you order a meal to eat at the restaurant you can bring home a similarly priced meal for $10 bucks.
First: The portion size of the meal they bring to you is huge. I am never able to finish the meal and then the take-home meal that I order (chicken parm, pasta and meat sauce) is also a huge portion that I derive two dinners out of. So, essentially for about $35 bucks I get 4 dinner meals. The quality is good, the taste is great and the calorie counts are very high.
During our various trips outside the U.S. to Europe, one of the first things we noticed at restaurants we ate at were the much smaller portions compared to the U.S. restaurants we frequent. When did the restaurant portions become so large? The trend of increasing portions in U.S. restaurants started in the 1970s but shot up astronomically in the 1980s. The increase in size of the meals often eclipsed 50%. The reasons mostly centered around the U.S. consumer being drawn to restaurants that brought more value for the money. Quantity of food seemed more important than quality.
If you are in a weight-controlling mode, frequenting restaurants that provide these very large portions would not be recommended UNLESS you:
- Consider sharing a meal with your partner
- STOP eating when you feel full and bring the rest of the food home for subsequent meals
There are many reasons why the U.S. population is one of the most obese in the world. Our restaurant portions are one of these reasons. Beware!
And here is a very funny 1980’s commercial about portions…if you remember the 80’s you will know this one!
