Sharing Size

I once had dinner in Japan, where at the end of the meal the hostess brought out a single Cinnabon roll to be split between us. She cut the cinnamon roll into five pieces and everyone got a slice. I thought it was a bit funny at the time, not only having a breakfast pastry for dessert, but that it was presented in a cake-like fashion (and I had never thought of a cinnamon roll as a cake before).

Part of the reason I was surprised by this dividing of the Cinnabon, was the fact that I generally think of a cinnamon roll as being one serving. They sell them individually, and thus it’s easy to think of one cinnamon roll as one serving. Yet Cinnabons are huge, and I for one doubt that I could ever eat an entire one in one sitting. So taking a step back, dividing the Cinnabon up makes perfect sense because you’re eating a portion size that’s not large enough to overwhelm you.

It’s so easy in the U.S. to get large portions and end up eating the entire plate of food placed in front of you. On my smart days I may get a smaller portion size or take the leftovers home with me. On my not so smart days I’ll consume it all (as though it’s some sort of accomplishment to have cleaned my plate)—but I know I’m bound to regret this poor decision later as my stomach grows more and more uncomfortably full. It’s grossly apparent when you’ve eaten too much when it becomes an effort to eat and you no longer enjoy the food you’re eating. And yet sometimes I still forget about what a serving size should be and eat too much; it continues to be a lesson that I have to relearn on a regular basis because it just doesn’t quite want to stick. [Sigh.]