In a 2019 study, Dutch researchers examined whether large servings of food skew your sense of what’s typical. The researchers served 132 women either a small portion of lasagna (with about 290 calories) or a large portion (with 875 calories) for lunch.

The next day, the participants were told to eat as much as they wanted from a family-sized lasagna (with 1,585 calories) for lunch. Those who had been served the smaller portion of lasagna on the first day ate 620 calories’ worth of lasagna on the second day. Those who had been served the larger portion on the first day ate 765 calories’ worth.

What to do

Don’t let huge restaurant servings taint your sense of what’s normal. Take home the excess.

Photo: Francesco83/stock.adobe.com.