I want to rant about "serving sizes" on food labels.

[101 Proof]

While posting here on Democratic Underground, I am eating Lucky Charms and reading the RDA label on the side panel of the LC box. On it, the label says the serving size is one cup.

Here's what bugs me: how many people only eat the serving size of a particular food item? If I were to only eat one cup, I'd be hungry five minutes later. I usually eat half the box of cereal in one serving.

What are your thoughts on this and how much of the food item do you eat in one serving versus what the label recommends?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. LOL and on a bag of chips, it says THREE

[LastKnight]

2. cookies, crackers, ect ect...

MY serving size is 1-2 sleeves, depending on if im hungry or not.

that and popcans say 1 can, but am i the only one whos still thursty after a can. and hey, the 20 oz bottles say 1 bottle too, how can that be when its the same thing. unless the 20 oz-ers are watered down? hmm?

eat, drink, and be merry... afterall, fat is like money, you cant take it with you, at least i hope not...lol.

-LK

[murielm99]

3. I think they do that to keep the calorie count down.

People would not buy some items if they saw how many calories there REALLY are in a sensibly sized portion that a normal person would eat.

Lucky Charms, huh? They still sell those nasty things? No offense, but if I was gonna pig out, I would not choose Lucky Charms. I would eat chocolate cake, donuts, or pizza, I guess.

We have not had a box of Lucky Charms in the house since my kids were small. I almost forgot they existed!

[101 Proof]

7. Oooh...Lucky Charms are the best!

And since I've pigged out over the last week, I thought I owed my body to eat something relatively healthy. As a college student, this is part of my normal breakfast diet, as well as Raisin Bran, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Oreo-Os, Golden Grahams, Cookie Crisp, etc... :)

[TreasonousBastard]

15. BINGO!!!

The only way to keep things like fat, calories, and carbs to a small percentage of RDA is to make the serving sizes ridiculously small.

When I used to eat cereal, I would eat nearly a half box of the stuff at one sitting. A humongous bowl, with a banana or two. And the sugar.

Then, maybe another bowl.

Damn near a whole day's carbs and calories for breakfast-- and the rest of the day to go.

[Gore1FL]

4. A can of soda is 2 servings

or at least used to be.

Shit, a can of soda is two swallows.

[101 Proof]

5. LOL I agree...

I usually drink a 20 oz. of Mountain Dew in one serving, and the bottle says the serving size is 2.5 servings.

As far as crackers, cookies, ice cream, and other sweets, I usually eat two-three times what the serving size says.

Weird how that works.

[Lady Freedom]

6. Someone that thinks the same way!

Now tell me you like girls with a little meat on their bones and you will have made a new best friend! :evilgrin:

[LastKnight]

9. if we all wanted supermodels...

we would be waiting a helluva long time... i want somone i can share a good meal with... a good sized meal. not a freakin salad (nothin wrong with salads, but to me, thats just what comes before the steak). and i think alot of guys will agree with me (not fat, just the anorexic/stick figure look isnt somethin that i like).

-LK

[101 Proof]

10. Well...

if you were to put a skinny woman like Paris Hilton next to, say, a woman with meat on her bones like Drew Barrymore, and I could choose one of them....I'd take Drew Barrymore anyday. :)

Women who look like sticks are just nasty. I love my women who look like real women. :) (Not fat, by any means.)

On edit: You guys should check out this girl I'm currently pursuing. She has the "womanly" qualities, including: hips, ass, stomach, and bust. Her looks are damn near perfect, unlike those skinny-ass twigs.

[tkmorris]

11. Oh man, you just hit my nerve

I cannot STAND how american society demands that women be skinny little anorexic freaks. We are inundated with that message. It comes from commercials, billboards, television shows, magazines, bus stop benches, you name it there's some skiiny girl on it that we are supposed to admire.

Hey market, guess what? I'm a man and I don't like skinny. Paul Rubens had a pretty good handle on what made women beautiful, why are we obsessed with stick figures? It would be silly except there are simply legions of women out there just killing themselves to look like this ridiculous "ideal".

Ok, all done. Sorry it's a pet peeve. Continue on as you were :)

[101 Proof]

12. Women with meat on their bones...

are far more attractive than skinny chicks. Amen to that post!

[NickB79]

13. I always liked Marilyn Monroe as an example of how our society has changed

Sex-goddess/actress of her day, still causing men to drool decades later, rumored to have even slept with JFK, and she was a size 12! She'd be considered a plus size in our society today! I find that absolutely frightening that in only ~50 yrs our society has progressed to the point that she would be considered fat if she were a young woman in our age. Give me Marilyn Monroe any day over Callista Flockhart, any one of those Victoria's Secrets girls or Pam Anderson.

[7th_Sephiroth]

8. bit of bright news

i saw a can of mini oreos with a serving size being 9 pieves and it was like 18 carbs

[Bertha Venation]

18. Ah, yes, cookie sandwich -- CRE! (carbs ready-to-eat)

Just for you
Oreo Haiku

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=364240

[WindRavenX]

14. It's a big problem

Serving sizes EVERYWHERE have been getting larger and larger over the years; just go into a restaurant and chances are the servings are HUGE- and it's not just the big chains like Outback Steakhouse, TGIF, Chili's- all restaurants nowadays serve huge amounts of food. Compared to other places in the world (and the Boston Globe did a study of this), our portions are much bigger than Europe and Asia's. But even worldwide portions of food are getting larger, which explains why other places in the world are getting fatter too.
IMHO, it's a big concern. We're eating more than we need to.

[beyurslf]

16. My 16 ounce bottle of water is

2.1 servings. I drink it down in just a few gulps.

[Booberdawg]

17. Bread - 1 slice

Who eats a sandwich with 1 slice of bread??

[Bertha Venation]

19. The "U.S. obesity epidemic" and RDAs, serving sizes, etc....

Strange juxtaposition, eh?

There's a fascinating discussion in here somewhere but I'm too tired to add anything.