Here is something interesting that I read recently.  The gist of this new research, as reported by Don Sapatkin for the Philadelphia Inquirer, is that:

1. Your children will choose smaller portion sizes if you allow them to do it for themselves.
2. If you use tall, narrow glasses instead of short, wide ones, your kids will think that they are getting more (and so will you).
3. Portion size and control is one of the largest contributing factors to overeating.
4. A smaller number of larger pieces (rather than a larger number of smaller pieces) may contribute to eating less; this is in contrast to adults who tend to judge portions based on the quantity of items rather than the size of each item.

Of course, thinking about picky eaters, there is some discussion about the role that breast feeding plays with the development of food preferences and eating practices.  Some researchers believe that breast feeding, as opposed to bottle feeding, introduces a variety of flavors from the mother’s diet and consequently affects how much is eaten, since babies play an active role in getting the milk.

While vacationing recently, I sat with my mom’s neighbor, Carol. She is a wonderful woman: I admire her for her wit, non-stop brilliance and kindness. Carol has been married for 50 years and is also the mother of 8. She now has several great grandchildren. I love to hear stories about what all of the members of that family are up to: piano recitals, foreign travel, graduations. In short, Carol’s large family reminds me of what families are about.

I mentioned this blog to Carol and she told me what she had learned in her days as a mom. If a portion size for an adult is the size of your fist, than a kid’s portion is about one-quarter of that portion. And a toddler? Well, that, of course depends on the toddler. My daughter keeps up with me sometimes. Carols says that in her day it would have been about 5 peas, a couple of pieces of chicken, and a little bit of applesauce.

When I get frustrated because I think my toddler’s not eating enough solid food (as opposed to the vast quantities of cow’s milk she takes in), I remember Carol’s portion size guidelines and I feel better.