CDC Shows Burger Size Has Tripled in Last 50 Years This CDC graphic shows fast food has tripled in size over the past 50 years.

May 24, 2012  -- intro: A new graphic from the CDC shows how the size of a burger has tripled over the past 50 years. Today's average fast food burger clocks in at 12 ounces, compared to the mere 3.9 ounces it weighed in the 1950's.

Burgers weren't the only food to get a growth-spurt, fries and soft drinks grew right alongside it.

The size of fries has increased from 2.4 to 6.7 ounces and soft drinks have skyrocketed from 7 to 42 ounces.

"The large is the new small and it makes it very difficult for us from the nutrition standpoint," says "Good Morning America" contributor and nutritionist Diane Henderiks.

Henderiks recommends always ordering a small when you go out- "today's small is probably what a large used to be in the fifties."

She suggests eye-balling a portion the size of a tennis ball when making burgers. If you have a scale at home, each patty should weigh about 3 ounces.

While most recipes call for much larger portions, it's ok to alter the size of patty to a smaller size.

"Traditional sliders should be an ounce or two," she says.

Craving a burger? Click through to see some of our best burger recipes.

quicklist:1 category: title: Rachael Ray's 7-Layer Sliders url: 16261848 text: These burgers are like a mini Mexican meal topped with guacamole, refried beans, sour cream and salsa. media: 16278026 related: 11394132~11394238~10872217

quicklist:2 category: title: Carla Hall's Buffalo-Style Burger url: 14413120 text: Do you love buffalo wings? If so- this burger's for you. media: 14429506 related: 7966060~7966060~12537226

quicklist:3 category: title: Emeril's Turkey Burgers with Cilantro Mayonnaise url: 13792043 text: Give the beef a rest with these spiced burgers and mayo. media: 13800850 related: 16380157~10740972~6942103

quicklist:4 category: title: Marc Murphy's Big Marc with Spiked Ketchup url: 14341500 text: Ketchup spiked with vodka and homemade cheddar and black pepper buns make this adults-only burger unlike anything else you've tried. media: 14355133 related: 6821344~7987782~10426254

quicklist:5 category: title: Rocco DiSpirito's Cheeseburger url: 14096577 text: Watching your waistline? You'd never guess these burgers were made with lean beef and low-fat cheese. media: 14105586 related: 16380151~7967639~6890813