The holidays have passed, the visiting is over and yet I still have a cupboard of hidden goodies that I can’t seem to resist. While I’m much like many people who try to eat healthier after the New Year, I still find myself treating myself to treats every now and then.
Sure a little bit here and there is good for anyone, but moderation is the key.
Tim Hortons is the latest company willing to tempt your tummy and mess with your mind. They’re offering up a bigger brew, pouring proportions over and above what anyone ‘needs’.
The coffee company will introduce its new “extra large” coffee cup size today (equivalent to three eight-ounce cups of coffee).
To accommodate the new up-sized brew, the names of the other cup sizes have changed: the original small is now the “extra small”, the original medium is the new “small” and it continues.
Customers will be getting more for less, as the company says prices won’t change. But while your wallets will stay fat, so will your waistlines.
Health Canada recommends healthy adults should not consume more than 400 milligrams of caffeine per day, or one “extra large” Tim’s coffee.
I’m not a coffee drinker so maybe I don’t appreciate the new upsized option as some other java-junkies may, but Timmies isn’t the only franchise upsizing its menu.
Fast-food chains may not call it a Biggie or Supersize any longer, but the proportions continue to grow, fooling and deceiving some customers. A small isn’t a small anymore. Studies have shown that current proportion servings are two to five times larger than they were in the 1950s.
It’s not difficult to find a franchise that offers burgers with more than 1,000 calories, 67 grams of fat and more than 12 ounces of meat- the amount recommended for two days for most adults.
According to statistics recorded by the Public Health Agency of Canada, in 2007, Saskatchewan had the third highest obesity rate in Canada, with nearly 21 per cent of adults topping the scales. From 2007 to 2009, 24.1 per cent of adults in Canada were obese.
After reading some reports and scanning some studies, I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s probably a strong correlation between what’s on the menu, what’s on our plate and the weight that’s around our waist.
People think bigger the size, bigger the value but we tend to eat what’s put in front of us.
I’ve been guilty of it many times, sitting at a restaurant full and unable to eat anymore, but before the server comes to take my plate away, I’m munching away here and there filling the gaps in conversation.
As proportions continually grow, our realization for the true size of what we actually need, and not want, to fill up and refuel is being confused.
I realize that consumers are responsible for the choices they make, but sometimes the healthier option or smaller proportion isn’t true to its claim.
A 12-inch cold cut sub from Subway contains 860 calories and 40 grams of fat compared to a Big Mac sandwich which contains 540 calories and 29 grams of fat. There are healthier options at both franchises, but it’s a matter of knowing what you’re eating and how much.
Healthy choices do exist, but it takes some looking at the nutritional information to know what your best choices can be.
The reading and researching of facts and stats for this week’s column has definitely given me some food for thought.
Maybe size really does matter.
