I'll be the first to say that Americans eat too much, and that part of the problem is portion control. We can't control our portions. (Well, some of us can. But most of us can't.)

With rising food prices and a sinking economy, now is the perfect time for restaurants to give us the food we need -- nothing more, nothing less. I'm not talking about the trendy places that artfully place bits of food on a plain white plate. I'm talking about the regular eateries that families frequent. If portions were smaller, people would eat less -- and restaurants might charge less.

I'm one of those people who likes to get her money's worth. I will gobble down a large salad in one sitting because everyone knows that the lettuce won't be crisp the next day. And who am I fooling by getting a salad anyway? Just because the cheese and dressing and nut-encrusted chicken are on a bed of lettuce doesn't mean they're any less bad for you.

This weekend, I had two meals out. I also brought three meals' worth of food home. If I could have ordered half-portions and paid half as much, I would have.

Of course, that would have meant I would've had to cook three more meals. But who's counting?