Remember the days when you weren't allowed to leave the table until you finished all the food on your plate?
Getting children to eat healthier is the topic of a national, multi-layered discussion/debate; with vanguard issues such as eating more fruits and vegetables, eating less sugary and fatty foods and getting more exercise at the forefront, it is easy to lose sight of lesser-broached, but equally as important issues, such as portion control (a topic that is mainly addressed in adults, but, if addressed at a young age, would have a more profound effect later in life).
In a society that seems to be gaining momentum in lifestyle pace, with more extracurricular activities for children and longer workdays for parents, the home-cooked meal is becoming the exception to the rule. Instead, eating habits are learned from restaurants, fast food chains and commercials, with all three options offering a common theme: outlandish portion sizes, and usually at a relatively inexpensive price, making the temptation to overeat that much stronger. If the large portion sizes consisted of fresh veggies, fruits and lean proteins, there would not be much of a problem, but that is not usually the case. Plates are being piled with greasy, fatty foods that are nutritionally subpar.
A healthy, balanced meal needs to define not just what is on the plate, but how much is on the plate.
Go Halfsies, a new social initiative that addresses the issue of portion control along with other interrelated issues such as obesity and food waste, advocates for smaller restaurant portions (in comparison to the current restaurant portions that range from two to four times the size of recommended portions) at full price. Go Halfsies is partnering with restaurants--the first are in Austin and New York City--that have designated items on their menus to the initiative. When customers choose a meal with a Go Halfsies symbol, they pay full price while receiving only half of the portion. Extra proceeds are donated to support the fight against hunger.
Recipe for Success Foundation's hand-on Seed-to-Plate Nutrition Education™ is aimed at preventing childhood obesity by helping children develop healthier habits. Portion size is something we regularly address. Whether in the classroom, in the lunchroom, around the dining room table or seated at a restaurant, we encourage children to focus on the quality and the quantity of their food. So we add our voices to the clarion call: When dining out--whether there is a special promotion available or not, just eat half!
