How does 5 a day fruit and veg work with a 2 yr old?

[elsmommy]

Surely they're not expected to eat the same size portions as adults.

Have googled but can't find anything.

No, i had to check this because of work - the 5 a day people said a portion for a child would be equilvalent to a childs handful - obv. varies by fruit/veg type but i think this gives the gist. They said they are working on proper guidelines

I just tried to make sure dd had 5 different fruits or vegetables every day - I wouldn't think the portion size should be the same as an adult, just what the child will eat.

from what the food standards agency says you should now try to work your way up to 5 portions of fruit/veg i.e. young babies/toddlers dont have to have the full 5 portions right from the word go. Some of dd's portions of fruit/veg are very small and she doesnt always make it to 5 (or 3 sometimes depending on what shes having for her meals!!):

Does the advice to eat at least five portions of fruit and veg apply to young children?

Adults and children aged five and above are recommended to eat at least five portions of fruit and veg a day. Between the ages of two and five you can gradually start giving children fruit and veg, working up to five portions a day.

By the time your child is two years old, it's important to start introducing a variety of foods, including fruit and veg. Research shows that the more frequently different food is offered to children, the more likely they are to eat a varied diet later on. So don't be put off if your child doesn't eat a new food the first time you offer it. Try again several times.

I think I have read it is between half and one adult size portion of fruit, or 1 tbsp of veg. However that sounds like too much for fruit and not enough for veg IMO, so I could be talking rubbish. I know the adult portion sizes of veg are realy titchy (3 tbsp peas?) though so maybe it is smaller than we think.

I would say obviously smaller - although I know that DD (16 months) will happily eat a full pear. But anything else would be smaller.

For almost all fruit & veg a portion is the size of your fist/or can fit on your palm.

So for a 1yo a portion might be 3/4 teaspoons

For a five yo a table spoon

For my DH have a fruit bowl.......

It's size related

I got told a portion for a child was the amount they could hold in their hand - this makes it individual to the size of the child (not that I get dd to hold each portion to measure it out tho!!)

sorry, cross posted!!

I personally dont see that getting toddlers to eat 5 portions of fruit / veg a day should be a problem at all...

especailly as by 2 years old they really should be eating 'adult' food anyway.

There is no reason why a toddler could not have

Fruit juice at breakfast time

A bit of fruit as a snack (even twice a day, there are afterall lots of fruits!)

tomatoe / cucumber raw carrot etc with a 'cold meal'

the same 2 or 3 veg as adults with a main meal

maybe s ome fruit within pudding.... fruity yoghurt / apple crumbel / tinned fruitand custard etc

Theres at least 7 portions!!!

Children portion sizes are just smaller than an adults.... may be 1 plum or 1/2 an apple but all depends on the child.

As a simple guide I read that a tyical portionis your own handful. So a adult male's portion is generally the biggest, and a child's portion is just that - what they could hold in one hand. Oh, and one glass of juice allowed in that too.