Portion sizes are very important for
all ages, but particularly for children from 5-13 years.
When making food and drink choices,
it is important to follow the recommended number of servings from each shelf of
the Food Pyramid. A serving is a unit of measure used to describe the total
amount of foods recommended daily from each of the shelves of the Food Pyramid.
The actual portion that you eat may be bigger or smaller than the servings
listed in the Food Pyramid and if so, you count these as ½ a serving or 2
servings. See the examples for bread given on page 7.Portion size servings for children While the Food Pyramid can be used
as a guide for children over 5 years, it is important that children eat
according to their growth and appetite. Smaller children will need smaller
servings - so start with smaller portion sizes from the Bread, Cereals,
Potatoes, Pasta and Rice shelf of the Food Pyramid and increase these as the
child asks for more. Children need a well balanced diet to get enough but not
too many calories, and the vitamins and minerals they need to be healthy. Foods
and drinks from the Top shelf of the Food Pyramid are not essential for health.
These foods provide mostly calories and are best limited to ½ - 1 serving a day
maximum. Higher amounts of these can lead to overweight and obesity. Sugar
sweetened drinks, in particular if taken regularly, can promote overweight and
obesity. One in four 7 year old children is overweight or obese. The advice in
this booklet for children is about healthy eating and not about reducing weight