Portion sizes for a pre school child

Ditto my GC feeding time too (when I saw them last) uneaten cereal every day, uneaten dinners, massive bowls of slow cooked casseroles etc all ending up binned, yet healthy bonkers lively and bright! I used to prep a lunchbowl for GD at 2- some cherry Toms cheese, grandma toast (!) And usually a grandma cheesy omlette one egg bit cheese butter to cook, she gobbled it all up then a satsuma, strawbs or fridge cold apple sliced in a bowl(even though mummy says she doesn't like apples...!) I'm a grazer as is she, big meals overface and bits and bobs delight!

Marilla

A big thank you to both Grans who included the very useful links. I look after my 18 month old grandson and portions have been my worry. Am I giving him too much or too little?
These simple guides are excellent.

Yes, it is useful but would not have worked with a couple of mine - one would have demolished the recommended portion of dinner in the blink of an eye and be asking for more and another would have to be encouraged to eat it!

Portion control is a massive problem these days and causes a lot of obesity. You seem to be appalling a realistic approach h to your GCs eating. Would stick with it.

Talk quietly to your son. Point out that you do not grudge the children or their parents as much as they can eat, but that you dislike waste, both on environmental grounds and on account of your purse!

There is no reason why food that was not eaten could not have been kept for later- okay, perhaps not cornflakes and milk, although my mother would have been quite capable of keeping it until mid-morning when we got hungry!

A big thank you to both Grans who included the very useful links. I look after my 18 month old grandson and portions have been my worry. Am I giving him too much or too little?
These simple guides are excellent.

They are spoiled. I lived with a man for 12 awful years who had twin daughters. Would pile their plate high, let them choose whatever they wanted, then they wouldn’t like it then he’d let them have sweets to compensate. If they came to stay for a week we threw out so much it was disgusting. And they were obese. This even happened at restaurants where they didn’t like what arrived and he’d order something else for both and pay twice x 2! They were playing him and he couldn’t (and 20 years on) still can’t see it.

Two crumpets each for children that age is ridiculous!

Scrape all the wasted food into a container on the table so all can see it build up! Keep it in the fridge between meals. Suggest they do the shopping? Food waste is a huge issue, these days.

Or is that all a tad confrontational? ???

They must waste a similar, huge amount of food when they're at home.

This is the best (non-food industry linked) evidence based info:

www.firststepsnutrition.org/eating-well-early-years

My son don’t pile up my youngest grandson plate he gets a little bit of this and that but if he eats it then he gets more he’s nearly 3 but he goes through phases one day he will eat loads following day not as much. Step grandson he’s 10 and eats loads but my oldest granddaughter is 10 and she is fussy never used to be but this last year she as and her daddy my oldest son loves to waste food. But she laughs when I say if I went to my nannas and I left food she wouldn’t let me leave table till I cleaned my plate and she used to say food cost money lol.

On your phone/search engine look at 5532 - British Nutrition. Org guidelines for Preschoolers

I still remember hearing the instructions to an auntie I was going to stay with.
“ She doesn’t like the skin on blancmange or rice pudding. If you give her something she says she doesn’t like then believe her. Any 6yr old who loves brussels, winkles and those Indian curries, is certainly not going to be a fussy eater”
That was 70yrs ago.
Though 76 yrs later my great grandchildren have never been given Brussels or winkles. Curries however, which were hardly heard of in those days, are just common everyday food.
How fashions change!

Frankly, I think you're worrying too much. You are unlikely to change the parents' behaviour. I agree that it does sound as though the parents are putting too much on plates, but the children are not overweight and it will not have cost you all that much over a week. I do think it's better to let the children serve themselves at the table, but be prepared for eyes to be bigger than tummies! It is an irritation, but not worth risking falling out IMO.

When at Granny’s it’s food on the table and help yourself to the bowls or dishes on the table. They can have more when needed.
We do this at our home and the children like the good table manners. Perhaps have napkins to add to the appeal cups and saucers “Please pass the potatoes or vegetables or ???
The children love the formality. Worth a try.

Looking at my own DGC I think everyone seems to be different. One will eat a big 'sit down' meal with no snacks between. Another seems to like little and often (usually healthy) and will leave half a normal meal. Then the one who eats big meals and is constantly hungry and snacking, including 'rubbish'. Plus the other who leaves most of their food at mealtimes and rarely snacks. All of them seem to be normal weight for their height.

My GD (aged 9) has a very good appetite, eats pretty much anything and everything and always clears her plate. GS (aged 5) is a picky eater, changes his mind frequently as to what he likes and dislikes and rarely clears his plate unless he's going through a growth spurt. My solution is to put everything onto serving dishes and let them help themselves. I've found that what's left on the serving dishes at the end of the meal, usually gets picked off and eaten by them as they wander past through the kitchen later. And no; that doesn't bother me in the slightest.

MissAdventure @ 20.17, you're absolutely right.

I think much can depend on whether they are having a growth spurt or not, too.

This is quite a helpful link on portion sizes.

www.swft.nhs.uk/application/files/4314/7929/4203/Recommended_intake_and_portion_sizes_for_children_-_all_appendices_2016_FINAL.pdf

I would say your ideas on portion sizes are about right but maybe it's best to keep the peace for the sake of family harmony?

So much food which is grown, produced and sold is wasted.

It seems terrible to me, when so many people are hungry, that others can discard it so carelessly.

It is entirely reasonable for the OP to not want HER food that SHE has paid for wasted! She is not asking them to "parent differently", she is just saying she doesn't want her food wasted! Which is why a sensible conversation with the parents seems a good way forward!! Dear me!

Thec point being made, (not fixated upon) is that the children aren't actually eating a lot.
They're leaving it.
And it's fine to discuss it here.

What you are asking is for the parents to stop parenting their way to satisfy your standards.

Kids eat way more than you think they do, according to their size.

Please enjoy their company instead of fixating on how you would do it vs their way

That’s one thing I’ve found very difficult to watch with some of my own GC, Nanagem. The sheer waste! When my GC (aged 4 & 7) were staying with us over the summer we were filling the kitchen food waste bin up every day or day and a half. With all the emphasis now on climate change and so on, it absolutely grates with me.

I’ve learnt to deal with it by absenting myself at the children’s mealtimes. I don’t understand the need for constant snacks, especially the snack within half an hour of a meal being put on the table or a snack before going out for lunch in 30 minutes. Not only is most of the snack wasted, most of the lunch is uneaten, too. ?‍♀️

We allowed my daughter to control how much she wanted on her plate when she was a toddler - still do now she’s ten actually. Eliminates waste and also allows toddlers the self control they are practising naturally.

I half remember one of those Supernanny type programmes where the children's reluctance to eat much was attributed to how much they were drinking and when. Perhaps that appetite spoiling line could be worth investigating?

It's offputting to be faced with too much food.
I could never finish a full plate of food when I was a small child and remember everyone applauding the first time I ate up all my dinner (including sprouts).

Your approach seems sensible Nanagem

I find if some food is put on serving plates in the middle they tend to eat more, perhaps because they may be worried they may not get their fair share. Then offer more if it all goes.