01/17/97 CSPI Restaurant Meals Survey

CSPI Restaurant Meals Survey

CHICAGO, January 17, 1997

Response to CSPI Restaurant Meals Survey

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) once again is masquerading a public relations stunt as science. This time the group is waving an unscientific survey that was conducted at The American Dietetic Association's (ADA) annual meeting. Seems that CSPI informally asked attendees at the association's recent annual meeting to guess the fat and calorie content of assorted restaurant meals, such as lasagna, grilled chicken Ceasar salad and a tuna salad sandwich It was no surprise that without specific ingredient information and portion sizes the people surveyed couldn't accurately guess the content of the foods presented to them. Who could? Only the person who prepared the foods would have a fighting chance at guessing those numbers.

What does the public gain from this? Unfortunately nothing.

Portion size is an important aspect of a healthful diet. Nutrition professionals and ADA have stressed moderation in portion size, and continually work to educate the public in this area. The Food Guide Pyramid helps consumers know how many servings they need daily and how much of a food counts as a serving.

What the public really needs is practical advice for keeping tabs on portion sizes, or referral to the many excellent publications that list the fat and calorie content of popular foods.

Here, from ADA's Complete Food and Nutrition Guide, are some rules of thumb for determining portion sizes when a measuring cup or scale aren't handy:

Three ounces of meat, poultry or fish are about the size of a deck of playing cards or the palm of a women's hand.

One-half cup of fruit, vegetables, pasta, or rice is about the size of a small fist.

One ounce of cheese is about the size of your thumb.

One cup of milk, yogurt, or chopped fresh greens is about the size of a small hand holding a tennis ball.