As Food Prices Rise, Will Diets Downsize?

Have you noticed a general downsizing of your favorite grocery products lately? You’re not alone. Nor are you wrong in your assessment. Pick up any grocery store staple, and there’s a pretty good bet that it’s gone down in size, largely as a result of the increased cost in oil.

For instance, Apple Jacks – granted, not exactly a good cereal choice, but a choice nonetheless – has gone from 11 oz. per box to 8 oz. per box. A can of StarKist Tuna? That’s gone from 6 oz. to 5 oz. Even orange juice companies have downsized their product. By changing their bottle type from a screw-on cap to a flip-top cap, Tropicana downsized the amount of juice each bottle garners, going from 96 fl oz. to 89 fl oz.

As a money-conscious consumer, I can understand how this might rankle people. After all, these companies aren’t downsizing their price in conjunction with their downsizing product! But this downsizing is the perfect time to start downsizing your diet; in essence, getting the most bang for your buck by exercising portion control, which will get more life out of your daily bowl of cereal, tuna sandwich or glass of oj.

Compared to the rest of the world, Americans’ consumption rate is quite high. And I’m not talking about oil consumption – we’re talking calorie consumption. According to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, the average consumer living in the Southeast Asian section of the world – like India – eats approximately 2,440 calories a day. Our neighbors to the north – Canada – they eat an average of 3,590 calories a day. But the United States takes the cake in daily calorie consumption, gobbling up an average 3,770 calories a day – more than what a pound weighs in calories.

With food and oil prices as high as they are, one would think that restaurants – chief contributors to America’s penchant for prodigious portions – would also be cutting back on their offerings. But fast food restaurants like Wendy’s continue to offer dieting disasters like the “Baconator,” which piles six strips of artery clogging bacon on to an already heaping helping of hamburg and cheese. Experts on the topic say restaurants’ downsizing portions isn’t likely, for a couple of reasons: (1) large portions attract customers who want to get as much food as possible for as little as possible and (2) the money saved putting six strips of bacon on a couple of burger patties instead of one or two strips is minimal compared to the costs associated with labor and marketing. This fact helps explain why food prices at restaurants haven’t increased at the same rate at grocery stores. It also helps explains why nearly 133 million Americans eat out every day.

When times are tough, it’s easy to get lulled into the belief that getting the most for as little as possible is a good thing. To think otherwise sounds silly, doesn’t it? Well, it may be good for material things we need like gas and home heating oil, but when it comes to your diet, it’s not such a good thing. Instead of going to restaurants that offer huge portions for a buck, why not continue to buy the things you used to – the healthy stuff, mind you – and alter your diet so that you’re exercising portion control. It may seem like a bum deal – paying the same amount for a lesser amount of food – but the amount of money saved by eating out more often will pale in comparison to what you’ll save with new found health. In short, you’ll be saving money not spent on the array of diseases and health issues associated with weight gain.