5 a day, but how big is a child's portion?

[Lonelymum]

I hope you are going to make me feel better here.

I try to give my children as much fruit and veg as they will eat but, apart from ds1, this tends to be nearer 2 portions per day. But, I was thinking, how much is a child's portion? You see on packaging one banana = a portion, or 2 tbsp of peas or whatever. Presumably, those are adult portions. Surely a child (thinking esp of ds3 who is only two) would only have to eat a fraction of that to have a portion? Does anyone know? This lunchtime, he ate half an avocado. Is that a portion (for him) do you think?

one tablespoon per year of life" for kids 1 to 6 years of age
\link{http://www.kidsnutrition.org/consumer/archives/portionsizes.htm see here}

try again here

Whaaat? So you have to eat 6 tablesoons of a veg to have a portion? Even I don't do that!

Lorraine Kelly's book has a table with portion sizes for toddlers (am at work, so don't have it on me, but will check later)

found this
What is a portion size?
A simple way to define a portion of fruit and vegetables is by referring to the amount that can be held in the palm of a hand. The smaller the person, the smaller the hand and the smaller the amount of fruit and vegetables required to make up a portion. Dieticians define an adult's portion as 80g.
here
www.sustainweb.org/g5cp/s2_d7.htm
sorry can't do links

mind you that seems excessive to me

Just had a look at the food standards agency website - and it says "There are no specific guidelines on portion sizes for children, but children?s portions should be proportionate." Actually it says 1/2 an avocado is an adult portion - so it's definately at least a whole child portion.

sorry I was referring to my post not anyone elses

I look at the ratio of the child's weight to an adult so my 3 yr old is about .2 or .25 of an adult, so a portion would be about a quarter of an adult one.

Thanks NotTellingYet, that food standards agency link is most helpful - I am going to print it out - and gave me some reassurance. Glad to know I have had at least three portions today as I had one and a half avocados for lunch (and it only seems to be fruit juice that can only account for one portion according to that link!) Thanks everyone else too.

Iota, that would mean my fussy children need only eat a couple of teaspoons of say mased swede to qualify for a portion? Or say 5-6 carrot rings? What do you think?

mashed

I think Lonelymum that since I have a ds with a very small appitite, who is very fussy, that I am not qualified to judge another

If my ds1 eats 1 carrot stick it counts for me!

Well, I think I might be doing better than I imagined, which is quite nice to know.

If my ds1 ate 6 tablespoons of carrots that would probably be as much as his entire eveening meal

I use a palm size as a portion.

But remember that each veg/fruit only counts once.
So OJ with B/Fast and OJ with lunch is only 1 portion.

But OJ with B/F of ceral & raisins counts as 2
Lunch - tomato & ham sandwich,Apples slices counts as 2
Tea - Mince & Mash with carrots & Swede, then banana custard counts as 4 (onions in the mince)

Day sorted

If only it were thqat simple KatieMac!

For a 2 yo that could be as little as a level dessert spoon, or 1/4 of an apple
for a baby a teaspoon or puree

a 6 ft bloke 3 heaped tablespoons

Organix sent me a wall chart guide for different ages, have a look at their web site

I have read the handful advice as a guide. So a portion for me is what I can hold in the palm of my hand, whereas DD's portion is much smaller - as her palm of hand holds much less.

I say don't worry about sizes, portions etc etc. As long as the child (or adult) consumes a variety of fruit & vegetables (and other stuff of course) it doesn't actually matter how much that is.
I could only eat 3 blueberries one day and the next would consume masses of vegs & fruit, the next day wouldn't touch anything green. overall if there is variety and balance, that's fine.

I don't think my children get much balance though, or at least not ds3 because he has such a small appetite at the moment (or at least, he does if he is not being offered a plate of biscuits: then he can happily eat 4 or 5!)

Take this evening. I did shepherds pie with pureed carrot hidden in the mince (one and a half large carrots between the 6 of us). I did courgettes to go with it. Ds3 had a decent serving spoon of shepherds pie and 3 courgette rings. He ate none of the courgette and only half of the pie, so how much veg did he have? About a teaspoon of pureed carrot I would estimate. That, plus his half avocado at lunchtime and a cup of orange juice (diluted) is the only F or V he has had today. Oh and a small fruit fromage frais. But then he is eats so little anyway, so maybe that is all I can expect.

That's quite good juice,carrot (no onion?)fruit in yog...does he like raisins/dried apricots/banana chips? they are good instant fruit

smoothies with ice cream & strawberries/banana/mango? again only a third of a banana or 3 strawberries can be hidden in choc smoothies

Yes there was onion but only a tiny bit in his portion. No, he is not overly keen on dried fruit. Like all kids, he will eat a few if he sees his brother eating them, but most of the time, big bro is at school. I have never tried smoothies. Have you a good recipe I could try?

Ice cream/fruit/blender....add milk to make liquid enough to drink.

You can make loads or just 1 glass

maybe 2 dessertspns choc ice cream to 2/3 strawberries and a splash of milk

as he gets used to it reduce the ice cream and up the fruit - eventually you might get just fruit & milk

also do you make your own pizza cos you can hide loads of veg in that tom sauce