In 2013, the British Heart Foundation released a report showing the shocking increase in the sizes of popular foods. Known as portion distortion, the charity revealed that servings of many ready meals, muffins and crisps had increased dramatically since 1993.
Since then, food companies have made some efforts to offer healthier portion sizes, by both reformulating the foods they produce (changing the ingredients to lower the fat, sugar and salt content) or reducing the recommended size.
Another problem is that food labels showing the percentage of fat, salt, sugar and calories in a serving are based on the recommended amounts for an active adult (click here to see what the recommended amounts are, and for help reading food labels). If you’re not an adult, or not very active, the amount we should consume – and therefore the size of our portions – needs to be smaller to avoid weight gain, which is a risk factor for at least 12 different cancers.
We went shopping to look at some food products where the only healthy option is to go small or not at all.
Just a slither
Desserts such as cheescakes, trifles, sticky toffee puddings and lemon pies are one example of when a little goes a long way. One trick that supermarkets use to entice buyers is to show a slice of around 1/5 … but state in the small print that the dessert actually serves 10.
One retailer we looked at sells a 400g lemon tart to serve 6 (each 1/6th provides 222 calories, 6.1g of saturated fat and 17.g of sugar). But the same retailer sells a 475g tarte au citron, which also serves 6, bumping up the calories to 295, the saturated fat to 6.4g and the sugar to 21.2g.
One brand of pudding sold by high street supermarkets says it serves “2–4” portions. But the nutrition information is for a 1/4. So if you decide it only serves 2, a portion provides a whopping 38g of saturated fat, 914 calories and 62g of sugar!
Mindful eating
Living more healthily doesn’t mean always saying no to dessert. But getting used to smaller portions, and making your own healthy desserts at home, can significantly reduce the calories. Check out all our healthy dessert recipes.
A slice of reality
Top tip
Make your own pizza! If you buy frozen dough and top it yourself, you’re likely to consume far fewer calories than in a takeway pizza. Serve with a large salad for extra nutrition.
Are crisps for sharing?
Our research
Evidence in our 2018 Diet and Cancer Report revealed that greater screen time increases the risk of being overweight, partly because we’re sitting still and partly because of the higher calorie foods we’re tempted to consume.
Party bag staples
Fun-size servings have been with us for decades, but now – like crisps – you can also get share bag of chocolate, also known as bite size or pouches. These bump up the volume from 20g in a share bag to nearly 270g in a share bag for some confectionery. The message is clear: many people like a sweet treat now and again, but only opt for the larger sizes if you really do plan to share them, and make them an occasional buy, not something you shop for every week.
Fun-size fact
Mini chocolate bars were originally known as junior bars! See more fun-size history here.
Can we help?
We have lots of resources to help you eat a healthy diet, which is a great way to reduce your risk of cancer. From advice on healthy portion sizes, to free booklets and healthy recipes, we’re here to support you.