Kid Size Your Meals

Children tend to eat only when they're hungry, and usually stop when they are full. However, by the time children hit kindergarten many have developed a habit of eating for the sake of eating and not out of true hunger. We loose the ability to recognize true hunger because we are presented with larger portions than necessary, we've been told to “clean your plate,” and we have developed poor habits of mindless eating in front of televisions and computers. Monitoring portions is not about “diets,” it is about teaching children how to lead a healthy lifestyle. Your stomach is only about the size of your fist, so stop and think about how much food you're trying to stuff in there. Here are a few tips that can help:
Start using child-size plates or salad plates.
Limit drinking juice and soda to 4 ounce glasses
In restaurants, split a child's meal between two children, order a side of the vegetable of the day
Do not eat snacks out of a bag. Instead portion into a small cereal size bowl.