• Portion Sizes and Our Kids

    Posted on October 24th, 2009

    Have you taken a close look at restaurant portion sizes? Recently, I took my kids out to lunch and ordered their favorite dish - macaroni and cheese. When the server asked them what size they wanted my kids said, “Large.” When I saw the large bowl, I almost fell over. It’s no surprise that childhood obesity is an epidemic. I ordered the large bowl, but had them split the portion between my two kids. I added some fruit, vegetables and water to make the meal complete. I saved about 500+ calories off my kid’s lunch but I couldn’t help but wonder why EVERYTHING is now super-sized, even macaroni and cheese?

    I used that experience as a life lesson for my kids. I told them that just because food is served in large portions doesn’t mean they have to accept it that way. They can take control, ask for smaller portions, refuse soda and intentionally add healthier sides like fruit, vegetables and water. I was encouraged by the dialogue that continued throughout the meal. My kids discussed ways to eat healthier especially on busy days. I listened with pride as my kids vowed to eat healthy, exercise regularly and not get tricked into eating unhealthy. Teachable moments like this make my parentng journey worth every (lunch) minute.

    Posted by valerie