They say everything is bigger in America, and portion sizes are no exception, but that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily better.
People who have grown up in the U.S. may not be familiar with just how much food one should eat every meal or what the content of their food should, or should not, contain.
Most U.S. meals contain more food than what a person needs, according to the National Library of Medicine. International students frequently notice how much more food they receive when they go out to eat in the United States.
French exchange student Elric Chapelon said he was astonished by the amount of food he was given in America, claiming the restaurants in France would never serve so much food. Chapelon took a special interest in the ability to get free soda refills.
“You can get water from a fountain [in France], but that’s pretty much it,” Chapelon said.
According to Chapelon, free soda refills aren’t a worldwide standard. A cup of soda in the U.S. ranges from about 100-200 calories per glass, depending on the drink’s contents, according to the CDC.
The Food and Drug Administration recommends people eat about 2,000 calories a day, but this recommendation can vary depending on a person’s age, weight, height, gender and physical activity level. While 2,000 calories may seem like a lot, it’s easy for any American to exceed that on any given day. For example, a classic McDonald’s Big Mac is about 550 calories and a medium side of fries is 320 calories. Even without a drink, the meal itself is 870 calories which is nearly half of the recommended calories per day.
Not only are American portions a problem, but the content of the food is just as concerning, according to Dr. Francis Collins of the National Institute of Health. People who have never eaten outside of the U.S. may not be aware of how much extra fat a meal from the United States contains.
OU student Ashley Adams studied abroad in Arezzo, Italy, and had a chance to compare the two countries’ food cultures firsthand.
“It’s so much fresher [in Italy],” Adams said. “I mean, even the McDonald’s there tasted healthier.”
Some international countries have limits on how much of a certain item can be in foods, often salt or dyes. Some ingredients are banned altogether. According to journalist Alex Andonovska in an article about banned foods, these can be found in even the most common of American staples.
“There’s stuff in [the food] that’s actually really bad for you,” German exchange student Antonia Martin said. “I don’t understand why it’s allowed [in American foods].”
Overeating and consuming unhealthy ingredients is common in America, according to the CDC. While there are steps for Americans to take to follow better eating habits — saving half their food, choosing to drink water instead of soda, and monitoring their food’s ingredients — it is much harder to live this lifestyle in a country with an unhealthy food culture.
The solution to these problems is a long-term one. It requires Americans to make changes to their diet that pressures restaurants and food suppliers to change their current methods. To avoid overeating, former OU nutrition professor Dr. Allen Knehans said he suggests people cut their meals in half to save for later, or even use a smaller plate if they are serving themselves.
“Our plates are big,” Knehans said. “If you really do try to eat everything [a restaurant] serves you, you’re going to walk out sick to your stomach.”
