Anyone want to answers my questions on children and food?

[portionpower]

Hello! I?m a 3rd year student studying Design and am researching into food groups and portion sizes for children and was hoping any parents or careers out there would be able to answer a few questions for me?

I am designing a product which teaches children about how much they should eat of what. I want to get families more familiar with food groups, what food is part of which group, and how much they should be eating for their age. I intend to do this through encouraging children to interact more with their meal. My product will be designed with the belief that by making meal times more fun and relaxed, children would be willing to try new food - and perhaps more of the food they don?t usually like.

Do you know about recommended food portion sizes for your child?
Where did you find out what you know?
Do you follow the recommended guidelines for portion size?
If no, why not? Do you find them hard to work out & understand? Do you not have time to follow them? Or perhaps you didn?t know about them?
Do you let your child serve themselves at meal times, or do you do it yourself?
Do you involve your child in the preparation of their food?
Do they like to be involved in the preparation of meal times?
Do you think your child would be more willing to eat new food if they helped to prepare it?
Does your child know about food groups? And how much they should be eating of them in a meal?
Where did they learn what they know?
Would you find it useful to have a simple measuring system to work out how much of a certain food group your child should be eating per meal?

I am a nursery nusre and work in a private day nursery (I am also a student so know how much you need thise info)

Do you know about recommended food portion sizes for your child?
no, only that children are smaller so need a smaller portion
Where did you find out what you know?
from experience
Do you follow the recommended guidelines for portion size?
no
If no, why not? Do you find them hard to work out & understand? Do you not have time to follow them? Or perhaps you didn?t know about them?
don't know what the recommended guidelines are
Do you let your child serve themselves at meal times, or do you do it yourself?
I have tried to introduce this at the nursery but the management are against it because it takes too much time
Do you involve your child in the preparation of their food?
I have tried to introduce this too but again the management don't like change
Do they like to be involved in the preparation of meal times?
Yes
Do you think your child would be more willing to eat new food if they helped to prepare it?
Yes, we grew carrots and tomatoes that the childrten ate
Does your child know about food groups? And how much they should be eating of them in a meal?
no
Where did they learn what they know?
Would you find it useful to have a simple measuring system to work out how much of a certain food group your child should be eating per meal?
yes

Do you know about recommended food portion sizes for your child?
No. It's something I worry about sometimes. Although I know she needs less than me.
Where did you find out what you know?
Trial and error.
Do you follow the recommended guidelines for portion size?
I have no idea what they are!
If no, why not? Do you find them hard to work out & understand? Do you not have time to follow them? Or perhaps you didn?t know about them?
Don't know about them.
Do you let your child serve themselves at meal times, or do you do it yourself?
I serve her (she's just 2) but she eats as much as she wants then stops. I don't force her to finish what's on her plate.
Do you involve your child in the preparation of their food?
Occasionally.
Do they like to be involved in the preparation of meal times?
She likes to do something in the kitchen while I'm cooking - she doesn't mind what.
Do you think your child would be more willing to eat new food if they helped to prepare it?
I'm not sure she'd realise it was the food she'd helped to prepare.
Does your child know about food groups? And how much they should be eating of them in a meal?
No.
Where did they learn what they know?
Would you find it useful to have a simple measuring system to work out how much of a certain food group your child should be eating per meal?
Yes, although I wouldn't want a divided plate (I don't like the idea of foods being separated) and I'm not sure how it would work as children have such different appetites.

Do you know about recommended food portion sizes for your child?
Fist sized portion
Where did you find out what you know?
MN!
Do you follow the recommended guidelines for portion size?
No
If no, why not? Do you find them hard to work out & understand? Do you not have time to follow them? Or perhaps you didn?t know about them?
My Dd's always want more, BUT food is healthy and they run it off
Do you let your child serve themselves at meal times, or do you do it yourself?
Lunch, yes. Dinner not usually.
Do you involve your child in the preparation of their food?
Yes
Do they like to be involved in the preparation of meal times?
Yes
Do you think your child would be more willing to eat new food if they helped to prepare it?
They will try most stuff, but very keen if they have prepared
Does your child know about food groups? And how much they should be eating of them in a meal?
No.
Where did they learn what they know?
They are only 4&2 so i wouldn't expect them to
Would you find it useful to have a simple measuring system to work out how much of a certain food group your child should be eating per meal?
Not especially as i pretty much know this anyway

Do you know about recommended food portion sizes for your child? yes
Where did you find out what you know? internet? Cant really remember! Probably MN
Do you follow the recommended guidelines for portion size? yes
If no, why not? Do you find them hard to work out & understand? Do you not have time to follow them? Or perhaps you didn?t know about them?
Do you let your child serve themselves at meal times, or do you do it yourself? bit of both
Do you involve your child in the preparation of their food? sometimes
Do they like to be involved in the preparation of meal times? yes, when there is time
Do you think your child would be more willing to eat new food if they helped to prepare it? probably
Does your child know about food groups? And how much they should be eating of them in a meal? yes
Where did they learn what they know? from me and school
Would you find it useful to have a simple measuring system to work out how much of a certain food group your child should be eating per meal? maybe

Do you know about recommended food portion sizes for your child?
Yes.

Where did you find out what you know? HV leaflets/internet.

Do you follow the recommended guidelines for portion size? No

If no, why not? Do you find them hard to work out & understand? Do you not have time to follow them? Or perhaps you didn?t know about them? I follow my children's appetites as well as recommendations.

Do you let your child serve themselves at meal times, or do you do it yourself? Depends on the meal but try to cover both options.

Do you involve your child in the preparation of their food? sometimes

Do they like to be involved in the preparation of meal times? Oh yes, they are all very interested in food and cooking.

Do you think your child would be more willing to eat new food if they helped to prepare it? On most occasions, yes.

Does your child know about food groups? And how much they should be eating of them in a meal? No, I think mine are too young, the oldest is 7 and is just gaining a proper understanding of this now.

Where did they learn what they know? Home and school.

Would you find it useful to have a simple measuring system to work out how much of a certain food group your child should be eating per meal? Not really, I find this a rather insulting and fussy concept tbh. There is a huge variety in meal portion sizes dependant on age and activity levels of different children. One size does not fit all in this instance. Being observant of your child's health, size and activities as well as the general healthy eating info readily available is enough I feel.