Portion size ideas

Kids really only need portions that match their age. A 5-year-old needs less than a 10-year-old, and a 10-year-old needs less than a grown-up. So here are some tips to make sure they get the right amount and aren’t overfed.

Make a fist

Look at the size of your child’s fist compared to yours. Not only are their fists, hands and feet smaller than yours, their stomach is too, so when you are serving up remember to give your kids smaller amounts of food than adults, it will still fill them up. Feeding our kids more won’t make them grow any quicker, it just leads to fat storing up in their bodies.

Liza Place,
Mansfield

"It’s made me think about portion sizes and how I can be more active. 'Me size meals' is always in my head when cooking dinner. I actively question whether I need the car. It encourages positive thinking, not negative thinking."

Clean plates

We all love to see clean plates coming back from our kids. Give them the chance of finishing their food by giving them a portion that matches their size to begin with.

Don’t nag them to eat up

We’ve all done it. Our parents did it to us. But it’s healthier to serve them a kid-sized portion and, if they’re still hungry, let them ask for more. If you use Snack Check to ensure they’re not filling up on snacks they will also be more likely to eat well at meal time.

Watch packaging sizes

Many foods and drinks (like cans of sugary drinks) are packaged for adults and for sharing. Don’t automatically give it all to a child, try saving some for later, or dividing it out - it’s better for them and will save money too.