Portion sizes for preschool age kids?

[Paddingtonthebear]

Can someone look at this and tell me if it's about right? This is what my 3.6 year old has had to eat today so far.

Breakfast: Porridge (ready brek type) made up of 5 tablespoons of porridge, milk and a bit of honey.

Mid morning - Tangerine and two multi grain crackers

Lunch: Soft cheese and ham sandwich (one slice of low GI bread folded in half, thin layer of soft cheese and half a slice of naice ham). Half a carrot cut into sticks, handful of grapes, couple of cherry tomatoes. And a handful of Pom bear crisps

Will likely have a banana or apple this afternoon and maybe some cheese and crackers or a few breadsticks

Dinner tonight will be pasta (around 50g) with tuna, mixed peppers and courgette in a tomato sauce. Probably have a yogurt afterwards.

This is about what she has each day though sometimes she has more snacks. Also a beaker of milk AM and PM and water everyday and a small cup of redbush tea (most days).

[winchester1]

Looks within the realms of normal. Is she a healthy weight, growing / gaining weight ok, asking for more food - why are you wondering?

[Paddingtonthebear]

Yes she's about average weight and height for her age, growing normally with no concerns. I was reading an article about portion control, adults and kids, and it got me thinking.

[TiggerPiggerPoohBumWee]

I really wouldn't worry about portion control in a healthy young child who is well within the right weight range. They vary so much, and go through phases where they are much hungrier than other times.

The key (for healthy, not overweight children) is to encourage them to self-regulate. To eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full. Making children clear plates or telling them they have had enough when they are actually hungry is very bad for them and eventually they lose the ability to regulate their own appetites.

Good healthy choices of food and supervised self regulation= healthy kid.

[winchester1]

We do family service so the kids help themselves if they want more but do have a rule that everything should at least be tasted. I'd say both my 15month old and the 2.7 yr old eats more than that generally but it varries day to day. I think if they are choosing amounts and eating a varried diet and in normal sizes range its fine to not worry to much about amounts.