When Are Bigger Portions Better? Sneaking in the good stuff
Researchers recruited 100 adults into a study on how adjusting
portion sizes of vegetables at meals can be used to increase
vegetable intake. Approximately half the adults were served a
test meal in which vegetables were provided in addition to
standard servings of grain and meat. The other half of the group
ate vegetables in place of some of the grain and meat servings.
In the addition study, equal amounts of the grain and meat were
served in all test meals. As the portion of the vegetable was
increased, the total volume and calorie content of food served
at the meal increased as well. In the substitution study, as the
vegetable portions were increased, the amount of the grain and
meat were decreased. The total volume of food served at each
meal did not change. The total calories served at the meal did
decrease, because vegetables are less caloric than grains and
meats. More vegetables in all cases In both the addition and
substitution studies, an i