food servings for kids?

[hollyh]

I'm always wondering how much food I am actually supposed to be giving my kids. I know the food pyramid, but it is designed for adults. I'm not figuring that my kids should be eating as much as me. For instance- in the food pyramid, you are supposed to eat fruit/veggies. Are they supposed to eat the SAME amount of fruit/veggies or proportionate to their size? And if proportionate- what amount? Does 1/2 or 1/4 equal a serving for them? Any websites that help out with this?

[JennyD]

Ellyn Satter has an appendix with precisely this information in her book, Child of Mine. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be available online -- I just took a quick look at her website, ellynsatter.com, and didn't find it -- but you can probably get the book from the library.

[Storm Bay]

Good question. I don't have a website, though. Until recently, my kids could eat as much as they wanted to at meals provided they were eating enough fruit or veggies with it (usually in between helpings if they haven't already.) I should say that we eat whole grains and very natural dishes--very few highly refined foods ever. However, my dd's had no weight issues at all and my eldest naturally started eating less when she stopped growing.

 

However, at his 12 year check up ds had a BMI of 86 percentile which is apparently barely overweight. While I think he's okay (he was just about to grow taller, which got him back to healthy bmi, and he has broad shoulders--he's going to have what my kid brother calls a thick build--my db is buff, but thick--has a 6 pack & makes a living as a screen actor), I told him it's time to set some limits so that he doesn't get overweight. He has some extra fat that my sister, an MD with 2 thin boys, said was fine last summer as one of her boys got it before his growth spurt, but we don't want it to increase.

 

What I did was look up calorie requirements for 12 yo boys in a book I have from the late 1970s. It had the ones from then (before there was as much of a problem with this in dc) for 3 countries, Canada, US & UK. I took the lower one & said he should stick to that for days when he doesn't exercise & the higher one for days he has swim practice. Since I have never counted calories, I had to figure this out with a scale!!! He needs 2500-2800 calories per day.

 

If you'd like I can give you the caloric requirements for dc your dc's ages (need to know if girl or boy) as most food packaging gives serving sizes & calories.

 

However, unless your dc look like they are going to be overweight or your family has a tendency to be this way (number of fat cells is very much genetic, apparently, and the cells get bigger if you put on too much weight--I'm not sure how this works in dc, though) I wouldn't worry about it. If you have healthy, active dc they aren't going to get overweight if you have good eating habits. eg, eat whole grains, healthy foods, avoid chips, ice cream except for once in a while (no more than once or twice a week is what we've done), don't eat in front of the TV, don't offer food to calm kids down or to get them to behave (I've seen this--unless a child is upset because they are hypoglycemic, then it's okay to do that since they need something), etc, kids will eat the right amount. Also, VERY IMPORTANT, make sure to have balance meals. Protein helps keep blood sugar stable, so when my kids were little I never gave them snacks of crackers & juice, but would have crackers or something with some protein. It doesn't have to be a lot of protein, either. Fat helps them feel satisfied (but not too much fat) so I avoided low fat diets.

 

We don't tie food into most activities, but eat to live. When my kids are getting ready to grow, their appetites are suddenly bigger, and I test then by making them eat veggies first if they are demanding more than normal. Most of the time when they really need it, they'll eat the veggies first & then get other food. If they just feel like eating & aren't really hungry, they suddenly decide they aren't hungry (they're 12-17 now, so can also help themselves, which is harder for me). Of course, I don't test them with fruit or veggies they truly hate. If they just have the munchies, a piece of fruit is usually enough.

Edited July 8, 2012 by Karin

[Storm Bay]

If my kid was overweight I would focus on changing the types of foods I was serving him before limiting the amount.

 

That's just my opinion of course.

 

Absolutely. Ds was sneaking inordinate amounts of fatty food, as well, and so I've had to reduce how much of that I've been buying. But we've always eaten healthy overall. Teaching him about calories has helped him see that he needs to eat a better balance. He's 12 and NOT on a diet! He's eating a normal amount of calories, not a diet amount.

[whiskeywife]

You can go on www.myplate.gov and put in your child's info and it will tell you what they should be eating.

[Soror]

I let mine eat unlimited veggies and a good amount of fruit. Well, really the only thing I limit is processed food or candy which we don't generally have anyway, otherwise it is just limited to how much is around and making sure everyone shares. I like them to eat naturally fatty food as I try to make sure it is good fats. I don't deep fry a ton but if I do everyone eats up until it is gone(homemade french fries are loved by all but I only make them usually 1 or 2x a month) and we don't eat out these days. I limit meat only because it is expensive. My kids are super active and my oldest 2 are working on 6 packs, I'm not worried about obesity. Otherwise I encourage them to eat until their full. It seems they balance it pretty well on their own.

[Soror]

I would totally allow that too. Unfortunately, I can't get my oldest to eat a single vegetable. :crying:

 

I don't limit meat. DS said he'd eat only meat. I might take him up on that.

 

All of mine love meat as well, although dd1 leans more veg as she loves carbs and beans as well. The other 2 like them also but not like she does. I sent ds some potato chips for his supper at camp and he came back w/ extra meanwhile us girls here wiped all of ours out :) Mine all like veggies pretty well except peas and asparagus. Although they've all went through stages of what and how much they ate. When our budget was higher I'd let them eat more meat, like you I'd encourage that over the carbs.

Edited July 8, 2012 by soror

[Soror]

I have one kid who will eat ANYTHING. The other won't eat nearly anything.

 

This past weekend he said he wanted to try a lobster. He used money from his Oma to buy it. Guess what? He complained about it and my other boy ate it! *sigh*

 

LOL, I'd have a hard time not *sharing* that!

[Ellie]

You know, I'd just try to have a variety of good foods in my home, and offer child-sized portions of those foods, rather than spend this much time thinking about it.

 

We all know what foods are bad and what foods are good. We all know that a steady diet of Twinkies and chips is bad, and that fruits and veggies are better. We know that water is better than carbonated soft drinks.

 

Just do what you know is right. :)

[hollyh]

I'm not concerned about my kids being overweight at all (underweight if anything). They eat pretty healthy and eat a ton of fruits/veggies. I was merely wanting to know for knowledge's sake what a "portion" is for a young kid. I've looked at the site recommended and couldn't find it there. Still hoping someone has this info?

[JennyD]

I am traveling and don't have the Satter book handy but will try to remember when I get home.

[Storm Bay]

I'm not concerned about my kids being overweight at all (underweight if anything). They eat pretty healthy and eat a ton of fruits/veggies. I was merely wanting to know for knowledge's sake what a "portion" is for a young kid. I've looked at the site recommended and couldn't find it there. Still hoping someone has this info?

 

Does the doctor think that they're underweight? If not, I'd leave it be. In my family lots of us are very skinny as kids but healthy.

 

I'm not sure if there are portion sizes, but I'm with Ellie if your kids are healthy. (her quote is below).

 

 

Well oddly I'd rather my kid eat fat than too many carbs. That's currently my oldest son's problem. He just wants to eat noodles and rice.

 

Too much of anything is bad, so I can agree :). Mine needs a lot of flavour with his carbs, and likes to get it from butter (a lot, not just a pat), cheese & peanut butter. A moderate amount is okay (even though I lean to no dairy, my dc are too old for me to force a dairy free diet if there is no allergy/intolerance), but not what he was eating.

 

I would totally allow that too. Unfortunately, I can't get my oldest to eat a single vegetable. :crying:

 

I don't limit meat. DS said he'd eat only meat. I might take him up on that.

 

Hmm, I have to limit meat as to eat organic or at least antibiotic/hormone free meat is costly. There is so much disagreement on this that I try to go for moderation & variation with my dc.

 

You know, I'd just try to have a variety of good foods in my home, and offer child-sized portions of those foods, rather than spend this much time thinking about it.

 

We all know what foods are bad and what foods are good. We all know that a steady diet of Twinkies and chips is bad, and that fruits and veggies are better. We know that water is better than carbonated soft drinks.

 

Just do what you know is right. :)

 

:001_smile: Right, which is what I preach if kids' weights are healthy & they don't have dietary allergies/intolerances.

[Soror]

Well you might be surprised. They probably do need a similar amount of calories except when they are very young. They are growing, but you are not. And it will likely depend on activity level too.

 

I found this site:

 

http://www.livestrong.com/article/256927-how-many-calories-should-a-child-be-eating/

 

 

 

Well, that explains a lot, my almost 8 yo eats as much as dh and I usually. Quite often he eats more than my husband, we think perhaps he is on a growing spurt! But he has always had a big appetite, he is a very, very active kid though. Dd1(5yo) doesn't eat near as much but then again she is the one more likely to fill up on carbs.

[PIE!]

I'm always wondering how much food I am actually supposed to be giving my kids. I know the food pyramid, but it is designed for adults. I'm not figuring that my kids should be eating as much as me. For instance- in the food pyramid, you are supposed to eat fruit/veggies. Are they supposed to eat the SAME amount of fruit/veggies or proportionate to their size? And if proportionate- what amount? Does 1/2 or 1/4 equal a serving for them? Any websites that help out with this?

 

I've heard that a good rule of thumb is a serving is the size of their fist. I don't know how accurate that is.

[Storm Bay]

Well you might be surprised. They probably do need a similar amount of calories except when they are very young. They are growing, but you are not. And it will likely depend on activity level too.

 

I found this site:

 

http://www.livestrong.com/article/256927-how-many-calories-should-a-child-be-eating/

 

 

 

 

 

That is very true. But there are some dc with smaller appetites, too. In my personal experience with family & friends (so purely anecdotal), it has tended to be with short, lean dc who don't grow as fast (runs in their families) & aren't going to be tall or large people. I always had a big appetite, and grew to be tall, so used it to grow up, not out.

 

Then there are the teen boys my dad took to the city to play hockey once (healthy, athletic boys who grew up to be 6 ft 3 & 6 ft 7). When he picked them up, their mother said that they'd had supper. They were eyeing his cheeseburger on the ferry, so he offered to get them something. They each ate 2 cheeseburgers. They were eyeing the people selling snacks, and ended up eating through half the game. Finally, they ate another large meal on the ferry home. Thankfully, their appetites decreased once they stopped growing! Most people would become overweight or obese if they ate as much as those boys did at that time, even growing teen boys.