The mediterranean diet is also about portions

Different Continent, Different Portions

People from the US are often amazed bythe cultural differences between their continent and the rest of theworld. For example, many Americans who decide to visit some famousEuropean countries which are near the sea, get quite surprised withtheir ways of nutrition and other interesting differences between thediet habits at home and the ones abroad. Namely, if you happen to sitin a cafe in Italy or Spain and order a Cola, you will bedisappointed once you receive a small glass which can hardly quenchyour thirst. People from the US are used to the jumbo portions,super-sized servings and other products of this type. This hasreached cultural levels of a nation. However, some people in theworld, like people in Mediterranean areas, like their meals balancedand their portions small, whether it is about food or drinks. This isa very healthy way of life and the rest of the world has many thingsto learn from these cultures.

The Mediterranean Portion

As it was mentioned above, people inMediterranean areas eat less and in smaller portions. This leads usto an interesting conclusion. Namely, even though we all tend to eathealthy food from time to time, we also have a nasty habit of eatingonce or twice a day. This leads to obesity, regardless of the type offood we eat. Being moderate is the key. Proper nutrition is all aboutthe right servings and the right types of food. You do choose yourportions. However, you should make these only as large as yourhealthy and strong organism requires.

Surely, money is of the essence, andmany of us, when we are eating out, desire the largest amounts offood for our investment. Unfortunately, this should not be ourpriority since, regardless of what many food companies think,nutrition is not business, at least not for the consumers. Thus, makesure you eat healthy and focus on quality rather than quantity.

So, if the portion you got in arestaurant seems larger than you can manage or benefit from, feelfree to ask the waiter to take the extra part of it and wrap it upfor take away. This way, you can eat the rest at home later, withoutstuffing yourself excessively.

Sometimes, you do not need separateportions for each of you dining together. Sharing is a virtue and, ifthe portions are big, you can always split them in half and share,especially if you are dining with a partner.

Finally, if you cannot avoid fizzydrinks completely, make sure you do not opt for super-sized oneseither. Have a small glass of soda and share the rest with yourcompany.