At this month’s SMArt Kids SMA, we learned how important portions are and how to keep portions appropriate for kids’ ages and nutritional needs. This is not an easy task at home or when eating out, but the answer – literally! – is right at your child’s fingertips!
Each time we meet with the SMArt Kids we remind them that at a typical meal, the protein serving should be palm-sized, the grain serving fist-sized, and the fruits and veggies should fill half the plate. This month, we learned about using the rest of your child’s hand to help keep portions under control. Take a look at these tips at your fingertips!
In addition to teaching us about this “handy” method, Linda Germaine-Miller, our SMArt Kids nutritionist, led the group in a fun activity that highlighted the importance of the MyPlate portions. Using Sharpie markers, they creatively decorated plastic plates for at-home portion reminders.
Linda also provided the kids with a list of “large portion” veggies, those that are healthy and safe to eat lots of!
We also talked about the challenges in keeping portions under control, whether it be at home, at school or when you go out to eat. The kids came up with some great ideas to avoid what we call the “Portion Pitfalls” – they suggested such things as separating snacks into portion-control baggies, putting goodies away in cupboards, slowing down the meal with sips of water or conversation, making snack time only fruit or veggies, sharing meals when eating out and decreasing the frequency of dessert. All are great ideas!
Here are some more strategies you can use with your family:
AT HOME
- To minimize the temptation of second and third helpings when eating at home, serve the food on individual plates instead of putting the serving dishes on the table
- Keeping the excess food out of reach to discourage overeating
- Remember your MyPlate portions!
EATING OUT
- Many restaurants serve more food than one person needs at one meal, so take control of the amount of food that ends up on your plate by splitting an entrée with a friend, parent or sibling
- Ask the waitperson for a “to-go” box and wrap up half your meal as soon as it’s brought to the table
EATING IN FRONT OF THE TELEVISION
- Most importantly, try to avoid doing it at all!
- When eating or snacking in front of the TV, put the amount that you plan to eat into a bowl or container instead of eating straight from the package, as it’s easy to overeat when your attention is focused on something else
WHEN BUYING BULK ITEMS OR LARGE PACKAGES For some reason, the larger the package, the more people consume from it without realizing it. To minimize this effect:
- Divide up the contents of one large package into several smaller containers to help avoid over-consumption
- Don’t eat straight from the package. Instead, serve the food in a small bowl or container
Lastly, we challenged the SMArt Kids to the Portion Distortion quiz from the NIH. Visit the website to take the quiz yourself. It’s amazing to see how portions have exploded in the last 20 years. For example, a typical bagel of the past was 140 calories with a 3-inch diameter. Now in 2014? It has a 6-inch diameter and 350 calories! Think about splitting the next bagel you order.
We look forward to seeing our SMArt Kids in April. Until then, be SMArt and remember how important portions can be!
If you know a child who would benefit from attending our SMArt Kids SMA, we’re welcoming new patients. We hold sessions monthly for boys and girls ages 8-12 years old at the Burlington practice of Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates. Please call us at 781-221-2800 for more information.
Best,
Brittanny Boulanger, MD