Alright so I know portion sizes at restaurants have gotten out of control, but what about serving sizes on packages? Is it me or are companies totally duping us into thinking their products aren't so bad for us, when really their tiny serving sizes aren't even close to what a person would actually eat.
Take Vitamin Water for example. When I first looked at the label I thought, "50 calories - that's not so bad." When I took a closer look, I realized that that little bottle of flavored water actually contains 2.5 servings. That means that it really has 125 calories per bottle. How very sneaky because everyone knows I'm going to down that entire bottle in less than 5 minutes.
OK, well 125 calories - that's not so bad, but what about the Alternative Baking Company? I took a peak at their cookie's nutritional info and felt a little guilty eating a cookie with 250 calories and 10g of fat. Then I felt mortified and slightly betrayed when I realized that there were actually 2 servings per cookie! How could I ever eat just half the cookie? The other half would be calling my name and I wouldn't be able to resist. These cookies were tasty but definitely NOT worth 500 calories a pop. I'd rather have 1/2 a pint of Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia for that many calories!
I also love those blue corn chips from Garden of Eatin'. They are so tasty and they better be, since there are 7g of fat per serving. Guess how many chips equals 1 serving? Yup, just 7 chips. What's that? Each chip has 1g of fat? Now that's just wrong!
My point is that I wish companies would come up with real serving sizes that people would actually sit down and eat. Don't try to trick me into thinking your food is healthy for me. Just give it to me straight up!
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I *totally* agree. It really ticks me off when I get all psyched that something is lo-cal and then realize that the serving size is like 1/15 of the bag. GRRRR!! Well, sure it's lo-cal when I eat 3 bites. Almost everything is! LOL! I think they should also have to have the calories of the entire product.
1I learned to look at the serving size. I was label shocked by the same thing in Gatorade. I just go with water now...so much safer calorie-wise. That cookie was tricky though!!!
2I bought Annie Chun's ramen noodles after a recommendation based on their biodegradable bowls. When I looked at them online, I was suprised at how healthy they were. Then, when I went to make it, I realized it was because there were two servings. TWO servings in ONE microwave container? Like I'm going to share with someone at work.
3Oh man!!!! I better watch out for this! what a deceptive trick to busy consumers!
4amen, sista! however, some companies are showing the serving size if you were to eat the whole thing. i believe i've seen it on coke bottles and possibly stuff like...kraft or something, i'm not sure. but it's good to see the companies smartening up. and it's sad to see how some people don't realize that the nutritional info if for ONE serving, not the whole bag! i have to explain this to my boyfriend all the time.
5i mean, i know they usually put info for one serving but u dun really realise how much each serving is til u actually eat it.
6i agree with amanda though..most of the decent food products do have info for the entire package contents...
def been there with the vitamin water. i'm doing weight watchers and so instead of the entire bottle being 1 point it's actually 2 1/2 points... that adds up especially if you have, lets say two cups of coffee... that's nearly 5 points of your 25 point day already....just in beverages.
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7energy/protein bars are 90% labeled for the entire bar's content. good thing.
8I agree completely, it's just not realistic!
9You are right, Fit, this is ridiculous, and actually something I never thought to look at. But I have to say that I totally laughed that ONE cookie was TWO servings, I mean who is going to eat half a cookie?!?
10you're right about servings, i think that and price are major factors in what people consume in a day.
11Its really frustrating. We try to be fit and healthy and then they make a cookie two servings. But what can we do. There not going to change.
12I HATE THAT!!!!
13It's so devious! Especially since when they're mentioning the benefits they dont use the serving size but the whole package.
Did that make sense? Like if you get a Naked brand juice smoothie, it will say how it has this much protein, this many antioxidants, this many vitamins, fiber, etc. In every bottle. But then you look at the nutrtion info label and all the fat, calories, etc are per serving. And there's like 3 serings per bottle. So you cant even get all the nutritional benefits they're touting if you only have one serving, but if you have the whole bottle it will be an insane amount of calories!
I really hate that about food companies. It's completely aggravating!
14Ah...that's why I'm actually enjoying having had gastric bypass surgery. Normal stomach capacity is between a liter and two liters while my stomach can only hold 2 to 3 oz, which in most cases is less than the serving size of most foods. Although my stomach could eventually regrow to the liter size if I pushed it repeatedly (and enjoyed massive pain and suffering) after 10 months it's still thankful limited.
Tiny stomach = satisfaction with two slices of apple and a 1 oz piece of cheese.
15okay - two servings per cookie - that is insane! I don't know anyone who splits a cookie - unless it is giant-sized like a black and white cookie!
I usually take a peek at servings - but not always.
Guess I really have to start looking now.
16I totally agree! It's so frustrating when you are trying to make healthy choices and then you realize you actually just tripled your calories! GAH!
17Labels are misleading. I read them very carefully.
18I noticed the same thing about Vitamin Water. It's promoted as being very healthy but then surprises you with the calories, all of which are from sugar!
19I'm a label reading crazy woman so I've totally noticed this. But I don't mind too much because most of the time what I really want is a taste of something anyway. i.e. usually if I want chips, it's not because I'm actually hungry - I'm just having a chip craving. So taking out 7 chips putting the bag away and (slowly) munching on my chips leaves me quite happy. I wasn't trying to get full off of chips. With vitamin water, that stuff is so sweet to me, I usually pour 1/3 of it is a glass and then add the same amount of water.
I've actually printed out the Starbucks nutrition info from their site and keep in my a drawer at work. Anytime I want a cookie or a brownie bite (130 cal each btw), I look up the nutrition info - just a glance it usually enough of a deterrent.
20i'm not sure when this will become standard, but I love how some companies will have two columns on the nutrition label. One for a serving size and one for the entire package. I thought this was going to become the norm.
21I find that when I look at the package I think "okay this means I should be satisfied eating that serving amount...I mean clearly the companies know what an appropriate serving size is of their products". BUT THEN when I eat more? I feel so guilty. But like the post says, how can you NOT eat more...
This is why I like 100 calorie packs. I get to eat the whole thing and it really is just enough. But...sometimes those little tiny doritos are so good I spend the next hour bargaining with myself about why I shouldn't have a second bag.
22I'd eat the shi*t out of that sundae in the picture!
23SO TRUE.
24FINALLY SOMEONE SAYS WHAT I'VE BEEN MEANING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT FOR SO LONG.
that's a funny picture. yeah i read the serving sizes when comparing calories & find myself shocked also.
25Thats funny you brought up vitamin water, I read a documentary about that stuff, and the woman said it is like drinking koolaid with vitamins. She also said that vitamin water has 200 calories and unless you are planning on exercising off that 200 calorie intake, do dot bother drinking the stuff.
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