How To Help Your Kids Learn Portion Control

When adults and children are offered oversized portions of food, they eat more and consume more calories. But what happens when kids are allowed to serve themselves, the goal at many a family dinner table?

Children react to the same food cues as adults, according to a recent study of 60 ethnically diverse 4- to 6-year-olds, published in the Journal of Obesity.

They dish out more food when using a tablespoon instead of a teaspoon. And when a large amount of an entrée is available, children help themselves to more than when a smaller amount of food is presented.

So don’t forget to keep tabs on your kids’ portion sizes even when they’re old enough to fill their own plates.