From Blog
The smallest portions
A once-a-month scoop of ice cream with my daughter, 30 grams and 60 calories, dragged out over six spoons — why food is a tool for memories, and why micro-portions beat exclusion.
Published
by Adarsh Gopal
I enjoy eating ice cream with my daughter. We do it once a month. We go to a place around the corner, she has her scoop of strawberry with sprinkles, and I get a salted caramel.
And Ibaco does something cool: they give me a tiny portion of 30 grams. Just three spoons of ice cream. I drag it out into six spoons and take my time with it. It costs thirty bucks. It’s roughly 60 calories. That’s negligible.
Food is a tool to create memories. I remember sharing a macadamia-nut ice cream with my father growing up. Then there was the Magnum, the ball-shaped ice cream, the cassata — we used to go to town on those. I can’t indulge the way I did when I was younger. Nor can I now, given that I prioritise leanness and being nimble.
But memories matter, and food is a part of it. Do I want to be the parent who demonises sugar for their kids and has them avoid it entirely? I’m not sure how that pans out in the long haul, given how ubiquitous these foods are — and given that they taste pretty damn good too.
I believe the approach of exclusion is neither necessary nor healthy. Being able to enjoy a food, display impulse control, and be content with the smallest portion feels like the most pragmatic approach.
We need to normalise the idea of micro-portions. Watching us behave responsibly also teaches our kids that eating a very small portion of some foods is fine, and that walking away when you’re content is fine. And that we consume some foods not for nourishment or energy, but simply for enjoyment.