Children's portion sizes - think I'm getting it wrong. Did anyone see the Jo Frost street party programme about this and if so, what did she say?

[Doodlez]

MIL just been talking to me about something she saw on TV. Jo Frost held a street party and talked about appropriate portions for various aged children. Example - ONE dessert spoon of ice cream is enough. Half a small pizza is enough etc.

Did any one else see this and can you remember what else she said about portions - is there a link to the programme or can you at least remember what it was called?

I've tried searching but can't find owt.

What I'm after is an example list of child's age - appropriate size of portion of different foods.

It was actually a quarter of a pizza, one of those chicago town ones.

A cup of pasta and a tablespoon of ice cream, don't think she said anything else.

I think a portion of meat for a toddler should be the size of their palm and a potato the size of their fist.

Would also be interested to see a list of what a portion should be, my DS is as skinny as a rake and can put away a huge amount of food.

my ds eats about 3/4 a small pizza and he is a skinny rake

Children is a bit generic though isn't it. Do they mean a 2 year old, a 5 year old, a 9 year old?

I know for children under 6 the "rule" is a tablespoon per year of age (i.e. two tablespoons for a two-year-old, three for a three year old etc) of starches, fruits or vegetables and protein is an adequate serving size. As for meat or fish, a serving is the size of a child's palm.

found this

Watched the part of the programme I was after now - thanks Pixie.

I was hoping it might link to a bit of a list with more examples of every day foods and a rough idea of how much of each food for specific ages. It doesn't. And I can't find much on line that does. General information and information about calorie counting for children but not quite what i was after.

I ate crap as a child and was skinny as a rake. Then i hit 20 and got all serious about veggies and balnced meals - put a right load of weight on

Did anyone else think it would be interesting if they'd had a third group who'd served themselves? I wonder what sort of size portions they would have eaten then?

I have to say I've cut back on what my dc's eat a tiny bit since seeing this on tuesday. IIRC she had mini pizza's but said that was too much for an 8 yo. Whereas I do medium size homemade pizza's and my pre-schoolers scoff 2/3 slices each. And half an oatibix for breakfast (with toast) instead of a whole one.

We're on strict rations now .

Oh, good point Mrs Juan!

Mind, my step-mother used to serve 8 of us by putting serving dishes in the middle of the table and all her kids were right porkers - man, you had to be fast to that table if you wanted to eat that night! And tough luck if you got up to fetch a glass of water coz the greedy gits just took food off your plate

So what happens if they say they are still hungry after?

I guess you offer them a bit more or a piece of fruit or summat.

emkana my thoughts exactly - didn't watch the programme but from what I've read here my DS2 would go (and send me) crazy if I only gave him those sorts of amount of food!

I'm now eating a little better than I was, so dish up 3 "small" adult portions, and one "child" sized portion (for DS3).

DD1 is so thin, she's seeing a dietician and food psychologist.

I ply her with as much food as I can and she'll eat.

DD2 could stand to gain a few pounds, too.

What happens if their weight is bang on perfect for their age and height, yet they eat as much as an adult?

How can all children need the same portions of fruit when you might have a 17 kilo bookish, dainty shortarse who is driven everywhere, and a 21 kilo muscular sport freak who runs walks everywhere, both aged 7? How on EARTH can they both have the same calorific requirements?

the science is not making snese to me. I need someone to explain it.

Half and oatibix?? DS (2.10) can sometimes eat 3 weetabix for breakfast.

FOOD not fruit.

I am very concerned about this.

My ds is 6 and skinny. You can see all his ribs even when he's not breathing in. He has to wear a belt on all his trousers and jeans even when the waistband is adjusted to the smallest setting.

I am absolutely 100% serious when I say he eats more than me - a fully grown, infact somewhat overweight 40-something year old.

He eats more than me, more than his 9 year old sister. Those portion sizes would leave him hungry and malnourished.

half an oatibix is ridiculous

And yes, just because a child is thin doesn't mean he's healthy, but what it does mean is that if you cut his daily calorie intake, he will get thinner and thinner and thinner, until he is clinically anorexic (physically, not behaviorally). And this is a Good Thing??

What on earth is wrong with letting children guide their own appetite?

half an oatbix - even DS3 (who is the closest I have to what - looking at my friend' DC to "normal" in terms of apettite) would be gagging for more than half an oatbix.

I think that if you are feeding your child a balanced diet (with the correct proportions of protein/carbs/fat) and plenty of fruit and veg; and your child has plenty of energy and is a reasonable weight for their height, then you are getting the portions about right.

What interested me about the Jo Frost programme was that the children who were given the smaller portions said that they were full and satisfied. To me, that says that the best thing is to dish up smaller portions, but allow seconds if the child is still saying they are hungry - making sure that the seconds aren't just seconds of the higher calorie stuff, and not offering seconds.

The group that got the double portions did say yes when offered more, but also said that they were full up. She didn't ask the small portion group if they wanted more, just whether they were full, which I felt skewed the results somewhat - she should have treated each group exactly the same.

ds1 has been eating a whole weetabix since he was 5 months old, (don't lecture me) and now will eat 3.

His weight is PERFECT

Just because a young child says they are full when specifically asked if they are full by a celebrity (and one as terrifying to children as Jo Frost) does not mean they will still be full in 45 minutes time.

If I halved the portions I give to Ds1, in order the bring them down to government advised sizes, he would be stealing food in desperation. And he is officially Not Fat.

well whenever I do a "light"meal such as beans on toast, I ask DS2 if he's full and the answer is always no

Sometimes he asks for more (even after a huge plate of food) sometimes he says he's had enough.

Some days I eat more, and am hungrier, than other days, - not sure why children are really that different.