fruits and vegetables...

A serving size which is typically 1/2 to 1 cup, is smaller than most people thnk. So eating that five servings of fruits and vegetables a day may be easier than you imagined. The following equals about one serving:

1/2 to 1 apple

1/2 cup canned fruit

1/2 of a banana

8 or so baby carrots

1/2 cup of cooked veges

1 cup of raw, leafy vegetables

1/2 cup of (4 ounces) vegetable juice.

Use a measuring cup to get a better feel for the amount of fruits and vegetables you regularily consume.

Interesting Chatty.
I had a book from the library showing size of portions.A revelation indeed.
Also fruit and veg...as many colours as you can market for.
Our greenhouse tomatoes and grapes are abundant just now.My soups are full of local veg..and barley peas yellow split peas .

My plums really scarce but nearby abundant.We have varied years of growth.
The apples just waiting to be picked.
mountain ash

Look, every time I visit the U.S., I seem to experience by surprise, at least 1-2 supersized meals.

After our long bike ride, we dropped by Applebee's near our hotel. Normally we avoid chains, simply better to try independent more innovative cuisine at other restaurants. But we were desperate and famished at..8:00 pm. My partner ordered 1/2 size of a salad. He knew by experience in previous visits to the U.S. in last 2 years, what to expect at certain places. And the salad was still a large dinner plate sized thing. Can't imagine what full sized salad order would look like.

Next day, we dropped by Stone Road Creamery, an ice cream local chain. And each ordered a medium-sized ice cream. I laughed when he walked out with his humungous ice cream. We were both shocked. This same amount of ice cream would be considered large at 30% higher price in Canada.

Can't even imagine what a large sized ice cream from that place would be.

It's pretty shocking to see and experience such excess. In Canada it would be maybe a Chinese restaurant (where often you are nearly expected share a dish with your companion) or possibly a chain Italian restaurant that you would experience something like this. And you wouldn't always experience such supersizing.

I seem to on average visit the U.S. about 1-2 times annually in past 6 years. Vancouver BC is only 40 kms. north of the U.S. border. (1 mile= 1.6 kms.)

Orchid, thats the exact reason why today most of the Americans asses are supersized....and thats no joke.

I'm laughing out loud. This is so true.

Did anyone see the documentary Super Size It. I think that's what it was called. The guy ate McDonald's food every day for a month. It was gross.

Sometimes, when hubby and I have our wits about us, we share a dinner while dining out. I'd rather pay the plate charge which is minimal, than eat like a pig, though I'm very capable.

We recently spilt an Italian meal and a Mexican meal, both of which the portions were huge. Even with the split, there was plenty food.

This frustrates my husband and me every time we eat out, especially if we aren't going right home afterwards to refrigerate the leftovers. It's so wasteful!

We have never eaten large meals, and tend to eat smaller meals throughout the day. When we eat out, the servings are just huge. I wish they would serve half-size, but most restaurants offer very few small selections. And I don't want to go out to eat for only soup and salad, but that would fill me up most of the time.

Too many of us eat until we are stuffed, not until we are pleasantly full.

Now give me a dessert buffet, and I WILL stuff myself. Arrgh!

I've started reading The Omnnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. He mentions that one way American food companies try to bolster profits to meet stock holder pressures is to get Americans to eat more. And it's working!
UWM

Dotsie that guy that ate at McDonalds for 30 days gained 27 pounds in that timeframe.

Dancing Dolphin we can't blame the buffets if we eat too much, we take what we want ourselves, no one serves us. OH it just all looks and smells so good, and doesn't everyone go out to eat hungry, yee gads, we're doomed!!!!

Omigosh Chatty that is hilarious. I really think that Americans eat larger portions b/c they wait too long to eat. They don't snack in between meals. Whereas in other cultures, snack breaks are the norm.