Food Portions Recipes Food Cooking International Guide
Food Portions For Your Child
By Julia Taylor-Fernandez
Food portions for your children are always problematic. You do
not want to feed your child more than you are feeding yourself,
maybe, the food on their plate should be about half the size on
your plate.
You do not want to let your child go hungry, but you do not want
to overfeed and see your child become another statistic in the
epidemic of childhood obesity.
A Plan Of Action
Just like every parent, you want your child to grow up and be
a healthy adult. You need to review your options with a plan of
action to ensure your child does not eat the wrong foods. Your
first step will be to avoid giving him junk food, as you want
him to learn to eat healthy food.
Your next step is to manage his food portions. This is where
things may get complicated.
Children Grow Too Fast
It can be hard at times to know how much food our kids really
need for proper nutrition. When they are babies, we are given
all the information that we need as they bottle or breast feed,
and then when they start trying out solids.
After that time, however, we are basically on our own. You can
get advice from your doctor, but all children are different, so
that is only a basic guideline. If you are wondering about food
portions for children, you have to take your own child into consideration
and listen to their cues.
Children Are Constantly Growing
For a good rule of thumb, remember that their food portions should
be half of what you have, if not less. You should never insist
that they eat all of the food you give them, as that can lead
to eating disorders in the future. Let them eat what they want.
They will not starve, even though you may worry. When they are
hungry they will eat. Children are different than adults because
they are constantly growing. That means they need smaller portions,
yet they need to eat what their body needs to fuel that growth.
That can be confusing.
Small Snacks In Between Meals
Keep the food portions small at meal time, but give them plenty
of snacks. They will ask you for something when they are hungry.
Again, you can keep the portions of food small for a snack, but
don’t be alarmed if they seem to nibble on everything you give
them, yet they seem to want something to eat every two hours.
It is very common, and is actually a great way to eat. This also
means that they are listening to their bodies cues about food
portions rather than just mindlessly eating because they think
they are supposed to be doing so.
Overweight Children
The one time you should limit eating and food portions is when
your child is overweight. This is becoming a problem, and parents
have to fight back. Some children don’t learn to listen to body
cues, and they just eat when they feel like it, or just because
something is put in front of them.
You may feel bad by limiting what you give them for a meal or
snack, but you are actually doing them a favor. In the long run,
you have put their health first and that is one of the best gifts
that you can give them.
Confirming A Medical Condition
There may be a medical reason why your child is overweight. To
confirm any medical conditions you should take your child to a
medical doctor who will arrange tests to confirm a medical diagnosis.
If your child is obese, the doctor may arrange a visit to a dietitian
who will devise a nutrition plan to help change the eating habits
of your child.
If you child adheres to the nutrition plan, then your child may
grow to be healthy and never be obese again. There may be times
when the child may stray from the nutrition plan, but your dietitian
will advise you how to manage the situation.
Promise A Reward To Motivate Your Child
For example, you may think of a reward system, where if your
child sticks to the nutritional plan then he will be rewarded
with a trip to the beach or a new toy.
The promise of a reward will help motivate your child to stick
to the nutritional ideas and limit his food portion sizes.
About the Author:
Julia Taylor-Fernandez has written a number of articles on dieting, nutrition and cooking including
General Nutrition,
Meal Plans,
Teapot Cake,
Low Carb Cheese Cake,
Fresh Fruit,
Nutritional Information,
Healthy Appetizers,
Low Carb Dinners,
Health Food Store.
Keep a lookout for more of her articles on this website.
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