How to Set Food Portion Sizes for Young Children

There are guidelines for setting serving portions for children. Children always ask for larger portions, second or even third helpings of the foods they like the most. Unfortunately, most of those foods are the foods that are higher in fat and sugar content since children are driven by taste. To assure that your child get their nutritional needs met at the lunch or dinner table and that they do not over eat simply because the food tastes good, it is important to monitor portion sizes.

Instructions

1. 

   Put everything you will be serving for lunch or dinner into individual serving bowls or serving platters and put them on the table. This makes it easier to serve your child the right portion size.

2. 

   Put one tablespoon of food on your child's plate per year of age. (Do not make that a heaping tablespoon of food). Put the same amount of each item being served for dinner including vegetables, fruit, salad, and a small to medium size piece of meat.

3. 

   Put a double portion on your child's plate If you are serving a casserole, rice, soup or other dish that combines vegetables and meat ingredients for the complete meal.

4. If you are introducing a new food item that your child has not had before cut the portion down to one tablespoon. Encourage your child to 'just taste' the food item. You can always add more if they like the new food.

5. If your child wants another portion cut the portion size in half; e.g. 3 tablespoons as opposed to 6 tablespoons for a six year old child.

6. 

   Depending on your child's age pour them a six to eight ounce glass of juice or milk to accompany their meal.

7. 

   Consider serving dessert as a snack one and a half to two hours following the meal. Do not cut and serve your child more than a four inch square of cake. If serving pudding or jello put one or two tablespoon of the dessert into a dish per year of age, as well.

8. 

   Lightly butter one half of a roll or one half slice of bread for children under the age of five if you are serving a bread item with lunch or dinner.

Tips & Warnings

• You can purchase fruit, jello, and pudding cups in four and six packs. They make ideal snack and dessert items for children. Only serve children one cup for dessert or a snack.

• Use the one tablespoon per year of your child's age for breakfast cereal also.

• Refer to the food pyramid to make sure your child is getting the appropriate servings of milk, protein, vegetabes, breads, and fruits they need daily.

• Do not let your child convince you to give them more than seconds even if they cry or beg. Otherwise they can easily eat too much.