Portion sizes
It can be quite difficult to judge how much food a child needs, as it depends on age, gender, genetics, body composition and activity levels. Children who struggle with weight may need help from their parents/caregivers on how to listen to their bodies, recognising satiety signals and distinguishing hunger from e.g being tired, thirsty or worried.
What affects how much we need to eat?
In addition to the factors mentioned above, availability, marketing and peer pressure can affect not only what we eat, but also how much. The food industry has slowly increased their factory-made portion sizes, from pizzas to fizzy drinks, making it more difficult to judge what is a suitable amount of food. Being served larger portion sizes makes it more likely for us to finish our plates and drinks, even if it is more than we used to eat.
What is a suitable portion?
It can be tricky to adjust the appropriate amount of food for adults, but even more so in children that go through growth spurts and develop skills as they mature. It becomes very important that the parent/caregiver pays attention to how the child develops and at which rate it grows.
A rule of thumb that can be useful is:
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small children need less food and smaller plates compared to adults
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older children and adolescents need larger portions than toddlers and pre-schoolers
Try to make the child close its fist and use that as a guide to show for example how much meat he/she needs. Then, compare that to the closed fist of an adult in terms of amount of meat that fist represents.
Composing a meal that makes the tummy feel full for longer
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always include veg as an essential part of the meal. Vegetables fill up the tummy and it takes time for the body to digest them properly
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Practice always choosing wholegrain and wholemeal alternatives when preparing carbohydrates. Foods high in dietary fibre will slow down digestion and help a child feeling full for longer (wholegrain bread, oats, high fibre cereals, wholemeal pasta, cooked potatoes with skin)
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choose good sources of protein such as chicken, eggs, pulses/beans, fish, seafood, lean meat and lower fat dairy products
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use the eat well-plate as template for a healthy meal, always letting veg fill up half the plate
Portion sizes
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Last updated 11/25/2025