I just had to share with you, a small study just out by Dr. Brian Wansink and colleagues from Cornell University. They took a look at recipes from the Joy of Cooking cookbook over the past 70 years. From the first edition in 1936 to the most recent, in 2006, they checked out the same recipes in each version of the cookbook (18 recipes were still in their original format), and calculated calories per serving. The recipes ranged from mac and cheese to brownies. The results may not surprise you - and here they are:

The calories per serving increased 60% from the first edition to the most recent. The difference was explained by two changes:

1. Changes in ingredients (more fat and sugar in the recipes)


2. Larger serving sizes (serves 8 now only serves 6 for example)

So, while we know restaurant portions and calories are on the rise, perhaps it's time to revisit your cookbook collection! Looking for an easy alternative to mental re-calculations of your favorites? Check out cookbooks and magazines like Cooking Light, that trim calories (even using "real" ingredients) by cutting back portion sizes.

How do you fight portion distortion? I'd love your comments on this!