Wipe the plate clean
Published
Over a third of parents expect their children to wipe their plate clean and finish meals, according to a new survey. The research, from the British Nutrition Foundation, also found that 57 percent of the parents surveyed rely on visual estimations to decide portion sizes for themselves.
Following the findings in the survey, the British Nutrition Foundation is encouraging parents to Get Portion Wise and check the portion sizes they are eating and serving to their children.
Bridget Benelam, nutrition communications manager, from the British Nutrition Foundation says: ’Being aware of appropriate portion sizes can be a helpful way to get the balance of the diet right for everyone in the family. In England, about a quarter of adults are living with obesity (25.9 per cent) and 37.9 per cent are classified as overweight.’
More than one in 10 parents with children aged under four years say they let their children serve themselves and 11 per cent of parents with children 5-11 years say they give their children the same portion sizes as they give to themselves. Less than 1 in 10 parents say they use resources, such as guidelines or portion charts to determine appropriate portions sizes for their children at home.
One way to understand proportions is to compare yours and your child’s hands, says Bridget Benelam. For example, for baked potatoes offer a potato approximately the size of a fist, which will be larger for an adult, smaller for a younger child. If in doubt, start small and offer second helpings if your child is still hungry.
The British Nutrition Foundation survey also looked at how much children are eating in addition to the portions served at mealtimes. Nearly half (48 per cent) of parents surveyed said that their children have second helpings at least once a week. More than half of parents with children four years and under say their children have second helpings between once a week and every day. Over three quarters say that their children eat a dessert or pudding after their main meal at least once a week.
Parents were also asked about their children’s snacking habits. Snacks between meals every day are most common in the younger age groups: 49 per cent of parents with children under four years and 39 per cent of parents with children five-11 years say their children have snacks every day of the week
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