PORTION DISTORTION, part 2

I have to work at eating 5 to 8 servings of fruit and veggies a day. Some days I get 1 or 2. Occasionally, none. However, due to portion distortion, 5 to 8 servings isn't as much as it sounds. A couple of pieces of fresh fruit in the morning. (Or one large banana, which counts as 2 servings.) I generally pile half my lunch plate with veggies; that's about 3 servings right there. Add eight ounces of V-8 with dinner: bingo, I'm up to 7 servings (4 oz. per V-8 serving).

It doesn't happen, though, unless I plan for it. And it won't happen at all on a dollar drive-through menu or at the snack machine. I'm finding, though, that veggies cost less than fast food, and, believe it or not, I've come to enjoy them more. Honest!

Focusing on eating *enough* fruit and veggies keeps me from awakening my rebellious inner-adolescent, who wants to feed my face with both hands if I focus too much on *not* eating too much junk food. Heaven forbid if I even whisper the word d-i-e-t. Shhh.

--Judith Allee
Parent Support Coordinator

PORTION DISTORTION, part 1

Here's a fun, surprising and quiz in pictures about the portion distortion that has given Americans the dubious distinction of being the fattest country in the world.

I have the goal of eating 5 to 8 servings of fruit and veggies every day. The hidden camera in the office microwave can attest to the fact that I'm the only one here nuking peas and broccoli and the like for lunch. Today I put a whole baby squash (from the Friday afternoon Farmers' Market in downtown Newark) in there for two or three minutes and ate it with salsa and hummus. It was lovely.

But whenever anyone wrinkles his or her nose and says, "What's that smell?" they always seem to ask me first. It's a small price to pay for a healthier me.

--Judith Allee
Parent Support Coordinator