• Home
  • Activities
    • Activities - NE Trailblazer Conference
    • Activities - NSAA Academic All-State
    • Activities - TBC Academic All-Conference
    • Activities - NSAA/NSCS Multi-Activity Award
    • Activities - Parent Information
      • Activities - Parent Information - Communication
      • Activities - Parent Information - Participation Forms
    • Activities - Random Drug Testing
    • Activities - School Athletic Records
      • Activities - School Athletic Records - Baseball
      • Activities - School Athletic Records - Boys Basketball
      • Activities - School Athletic Records - Boys Golf
      • Activities - School Athletic Records - Boys Track & Field
      • Activities - School Athletic Records - Cross Country
      • Activities - School Athletic Records - Football
      • Activities - School Athletic Records - Girls Basketball
      • Activities - School Athletic Records - Girls Golf
      • Activities - School Athletic Records - Girls Track & Field
      • Activities - School Athletic Records - Softball
      • Activities - School Athletic Records - Volleyball
      • Activities - School Athletic Records - Wrestling
    • Activities - Arts
      • Activities - Arts - Fine Arts Staff
      • Activities - Arts - Band & Choir
      • Activities - Arts - Musical
      • Activities - Arts - One Act Play Production
      • Activities - Arts - Speech
    • Activities - Athletics
    • Activities - Clubs & Organizations
    • Activities - Lifting & Conditioning
      • Activities - Lifting & Conditioning - Program Verification
      • Activities - Lifting & Conditioning - Records
      • Activities - Lifting & Conditioning - Summer Lifting Teams
      • Activities - Lifting & Conditioning - Summer Weight Room
    • Activities - Booster Clubs
      • Activities - Booster Clubs - Athletic
      • Activities - Booster Clubs - Music
  • Calendar
  • Community
    • Community - Community Links
    • Community - Wahoo's Famous Sons
  • District
    • District - District News
    • District - Employment & Applications
    • District - 1:1 Program
      • District - 1:1 Program - Introduction
      • District - 1:1 Program - FAQ
    • District - Administration
    • District - Board of Education
    • District - Construction
    • District - COVID/ESSER
    • District - Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
    • District - English Lang. Learners (ELL)
    • District - Facility Usage
    • District - Faculty Handbook
    • District - High Ability Learning (HAL)
    • District - Mission
    • District - Space in the Community
    • District - Supt. Transparency Act
    • District - Teacher Forms
    • District - TeamMates
      • District - TeamMates - TeamMates Website
      • District - TeamMates - Program Overview
      • District - TeamMates - FAQs
      • District - TeamMates - DONATE NOW
      • District - TeamMates - Apply to be a Mentor!
      • District - TeamMates - Student Mentee Application
      • District - TeamMates - Mentor Resources
    • District - Title I Plan
    • District - WPS Foundation
  • Schools
    • Schools - Alternative School
    • Schools - Elementary
      • Schools - Elementary - Class Lessons
      • Schools - Elementary - Pre-School / Head Start
      • Schools - Elementary - PTO
      • Schools - Elementary - Reading Interventions
      • Schools - Elementary - Special News
      • Schools - Elementary - Staff Contact Information
      • Schools - Elementary - Supply Lists
      • Schools - Elementary - Title I Plan
      • Schools - Elementary - Warrior Dads
    • Schools - Middle School
      • Schools - Middle School - Bell & Teacher Schedules
      • Schools - Middle School - Daily Bulletin
      • Schools - Middle School - Honor Roll
      • Schools - Middle School - Newsletter
      • Schools - Middle School - Staff Contact Information
      • Schools - Middle School - Student Awards
      • Schools - Middle School - Student/Parent Handbook
      • Schools - Middle School - Supply Lists
      • Schools - Middle School - Latest News
    • Schools - High School
      • Schools - High School - 2024-2025 Curriculum Guide
      • Schools - High School - Academic Hall of Fame
      • Schools - High School - Achievers
      • Schools - High School - Alumni
      • Schools - High School - Bell & Teacher Schedules
      • Schools - High School - Classroom Highlights
      • Schools - High School - Counselor
        • Schools - High School - Counselor - WMS/WHS Vision & Mission
        • Schools - High School - Counselor - ACT/SAT Testing
        • Schools - High School - Counselor - Career Explorations Opportunities (CEOs) Program
        • Schools - High School - Counselor - Career Information
        • Schools - High School - Counselor - College & Scholarship Info
        • Schools - High School - Counselor - Forms
        • Schools - High School - Counselor - Social/Emotional/School Safety Resources
        • Schools - High School - Counselor - Transcript Requests
      • Schools - High School - Daily Bulletin
      • Schools - High School - Extended Learning
        • Schools - High School - Extended Learning - Career Academy (SENCAP)
        • Schools - High School - Extended Learning - Career Explorations Opportunities (CEOs) Program
        • Schools - High School - Extended Learning - Dual-Credit Courses
        • Schools - High School - Extended Learning - SCC Learning Center
        • Schools - High School - Extended Learning - UNL Nebraska Now
      • Schools - High School - Fitness & Wellness
      • Schools - High School - Honor Roll
      • Schools - High School - News
      • Schools - High School - Semester Exam Schedule
      • Schools - High School - Senior Class
      • Schools - High School - Staff Contact Information
      • Schools - High School - Student/Parent Handbook
      • Schools - High School - Supply Lists
      • Schools - High School - WHS Profile
      • Schools - High School - WPS Assemblies
      • Schools - High School - Yearbook Archive
  • Media Center
    • Schools - Media Center - APA/MLA Research
    • Schools - Media Center - Digital Resources
    • Schools - Media Center - eBooks
    • Schools - Media Center - Government Resources
    • Schools - Media Center - Mission & Procedures (Selection/Intellectual Freedom/Weeding)
    • Schools - Media Center - Reference Resources
    • Schools - Media Center - Search the Library
    • Schools - Media Center - Teacher & Student Online Resource Center
      • Schools - Media Center - Teacher & Student Online Resource Center - ACT Practice Tests
      • Schools - Media Center - Teacher & Student Online Resource Center - K-12 Art, Music & Technology
      • Schools - Media Center - Teacher & Student Online Resource Center - K-12 Geography
      • Schools - Media Center - Teacher & Student Online Resource Center - K-12 Government
      • Schools - Media Center - Teacher & Student Online Resource Center - K-12 Information & Reference
      • Schools - Media Center - Teacher & Student Online Resource Center - K-12 Language Arts
      • Schools - Media Center - Teacher & Student Online Resource Center - K-12 Mathematics
      • Schools - Media Center - Teacher & Student Online Resource Center - K-12 PE, Health & Fitness
      • Schools - Media Center - Teacher & Student Online Resource Center - K-12 Science
      • Schools - Media Center - Teacher & Student Online Resource Center - K-12 Social Studies
      • Schools - Media Center - Teacher & Student Online Resource Center - Multimedia
    • Schools - Media Center - Video Conferencing
  • Parents
    • Schools - Parents - Activity Tickets
    • Schools - Parents - Bus Stops
    • Schools - Parents - e-Funds (Online Payment)
    • Schools - Parents - English Lang. Learners (ELL)
    • Schools - Parents - Free/Reduced Lunch
    • Schools - Parents - Health & Immunizations
    • Schools - Parents - Kindergarten Readiness
      • Schools - Parents - Kindergarten Readiness - Getting Ready for Kindergarten - NDE
      • Schools - Parents - Kindergarten Readiness - NDE Kindergarten Readiness
      • Schools - Parents - Kindergarten Readiness - WPS Early Entrance Application and Consent
    • Schools - Parents - Parent Resource Center
      • Schools - Parents - Parent Resource Center - Health & Wellness
      • Schools - Parents - Parent Resource Center - Internet & Technology Safety
      • Schools - Parents - Parent Resource Center - Social/Emotional/School Safety Resources
      • Schools - Parents - Parent Resource Center - Substance Abuse Education
      • Schools - Parents - Parent Resource Center - Supporting Academic Success
    • Schools - Parents - SCIP
    • Schools - Parents - Standard Response Protocol
    • Schools - Parents - Student Handbooks
    • Schools - Parents - Summer Athletic Camps
    • Schools - Parents - Supply Lists
    • Schools - Parents - WEBSS
    • Schools - Parents - Youth Assistance Program
  • PowerSchool
    • Schools - PowerSchool - Student / Parent PowerSchool Login
    • Schools - PowerSchool - Administrator PowerSchool Login
    • Schools - PowerSchool - Substitute Teacher PowerSchool Login
    • Schools - PowerSchool - Teacher PowerSchool Login
  • WPS Enrollment
  • Calendar
  • Contact Us
  • Staff Directory
  • Archives
  • Parent Teacher Conferences
Quick Links
Skip to main contentSkip to navigation
Main Navigation
MenuMenu Toggle
Toggle extra links
    • Current conditions as of 9 May 00:35 am CDT

      Fair

      Location:Wahoo
      Feels like:NA°
      Humidity:62
      Wind:N 0 mph
      Fair58°
      Overnight
      Mostly clear, with a low around 48. East southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
      Friday
      Sunny, with a high near 83. Calm wind becoming east around 6 mph in the afternoon.
      Friday Night
      Mostly clear, with a low around 52. Southeast wind around 6 mph becoming southwest after midnight.
      Weather forecast provided by weather.gov.
  • Sign In Sign In Link

Wahoo Public Schools

Return to home

Wahoo Public Schools Logo

  • Elementary
  • Middle School
  • High School
  • Activities Calendar
  • PowerSchool
  • District Employment
  • Students
    • Bookflix
    • Canvas
    • Clever Button
    • Code.org
    • Common Sense Media
    • Discovery Education
    • District Library Catalog
    • eBook Elem
    • eBooks MIDDLE/HIGH
    • EduTyping
    • Gale Cengage Learning
    • Google Education
    • Holt McDougal
    • I Need to See Mrs. Klepper
    • IXL
    • NebraskAccess ELEM/MS
    • NebraskAccess HS
    • NWEA
    • OnToCollege
    • PebbleGo
    • Power of ICU
    • Starfall
    • Think Central
    • Turnitin.com
    • Vocabulary.com
    • World Book Online
  • Families
    • E-Funds for Schools
    • eDirect
    • GoFan Button
    • Head Start
    • Hudl
    • MTSS
    • New Activities Calendar 2
    • Warriors Apparel via Rivalry
    • WHS Music Page
    • WPS Enrollment
    • WPS Foundation
    • YouTube Channel
  • District
    • Educlimber
    • Facility Reservation
    • Lunch Menu
    • TeachBoost
    • Teacher & Staff Forms
    • Time Clock

Parents

  1. Home Link
  2. breadcrumbs: Parents
  3. breadcrumbs: Parent Resource Center
  4. breadcrumbs: Health & Wellness

Website Navigation   As Staff Page Only

Set as Default Template Help

 

HTML Editor:

Your session will expire in 0 minutes.

Feature & Share

Working...

Ajax Loading Image

 

Keeping Portions Under Control

Tips for Parents to Help Raise Healthy Children

posted on www.kidshealth.org on November 26, 2007

Bagels as big as frisbees. Muffins the size of flower pots. Bowls of pasta so deep, your fork can barely find the bottom.

It's not surprising that waistlines of kids and adults have been expanding over the last few decades. Part of the problem is undoubtedly what families eat — too much saturated fat, too much sugar, and not enough nutrients. But another part has as much to do with quantity as quality. Are our plates simply piled too high?

Portion Distortion

Portion sizes began to increase in the 1980s and have been skyrocketing ever since. Our perception of portions has become so distorted over time that, research shows, it's hard for us to recognize what a normal portion looks like.

Take bagels, for example. Twenty years ago, the average bagel had a 3-inch diameter and 140 calories. Today, bagels have a 6-inch diameter and 350 calories. Eat one and you've just consumed three servings of grains — that's half the recommended number of grain servings for the entire day.

In fact, we've become so desensitized to "big food" that we don't bat an eye when restaurants offer us things like neverending pasta bowls, bottomless fries, or 52-ounce mugs of soda. And we don't think it's strange that, in some cafes, we can't even order a "small" anymore — just variations of big, bigger, and biggest. No wonder car manufacturers had to start building bigger cup holders!

The price we pay for such overabundance is high. Kids and adults who consistently overeat are at risk for developing weight problems and the medical problems associated with being overweight, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, bone and joint problems, breathing and sleeping problems, and even depression. Later in life they are at greater risk for heart disease, heart failure, and stroke.

The Truth About Serving Sizes

One reason that kids and adults eat too much at meals is that they tend to eat what is on their plate. Thus, as portions have gone up, so have the calories consumed. So it's helpful to understand the difference between serving sizes and recommended amounts of different foods.

Serving sizes. Contrary to popular belief, the serving size on a food label is not telling you the amount you should be eating. The serving size is a guide to help you see how many calories and nutrients — as well as how much fat, sugar, and salt — are in a specific quantity of that food.

Sometimes the serving size on the food label will be a lot less than you are used to eating or serving. In some cases, it's perfectly OK (and even a good idea) to eat and serve more than the serving size listed. For example, if you're cooking frozen vegetables and see the serving size is 1 cup, it's no problem to serve or eat more because most vegetables are low in calories and fat yet high in nutrition.

But when it comes to foods that are high in calories, sugar, or fat, the serving size is a useful guide to alert you that you may be getting more than is healthy. If your son gulps down a 20-ounce bottle of soda in one sitting, the amount he consumed is 20 ounces. But if the label shows the serving size is 8 ounces, not only did he have 2½ servings, he also had 2½ times the listed calories as well as 2½ times the sugar.

Recommended amounts. Serving sizes tell you how much nutrition you're getting from a particular food but they don't tell you which foods you need to stay healthy — or how much of those foods you should eat. That's where the U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPyramid comes in.

MyPyramid offers guidelines to help you figure out how much food kids and adults should have, based on age, gender, and level of physical activity. Once you know that, you can decide how much of those heaping restaurant portions your family should actually eat!

Visual Cues

Now that we're so used to overdoing it, is it possible to bring portion sizes back to earth? Yes. But first we have to understand how much food our bodies need as opposed to how much they want. MyPyramid can help you calculate the amount of each food group required based on age, gender, and activity level.

A great way to visualize appropriate portion sizes is to use the concept of the "divided plate." Think of a plate divided into four equal sections. Use one of the top sections for protein, and the other one for starch, preferably a whole grain; fill the bottom half with veggies (none of the foods should overlap or be piled high). Partitioning the plate this way not only will help you keep portions under control, but will help you to serve more balanced meals for your family.

Portion-Control Tips

Picture your favorite meal at your favorite restaurant. Now picture it 75% smaller. Would you be a happy customer?

It's easy to understand why the food industry tends to serve us way more food than is necessary: We all love to feel like we're getting more bang for our buck. But that's also why it's important to take responsibility for our own portions and to help kids learn to do the same.

Here are some tips:

* Explain the concept of the "divided plate" to your kids and use it as often as you can.
* Serve food on smaller plates so meals look larger. A sandwich on a dinner plate looks lost; on an appetizer plate it looks downright hefty.
* When cooking large batches or storing leftovers, separate them into smaller portions before you put them in the fridge or freezer. That way, when your family reaches in, they'll automatically grab a portion that makes sense.
* Avoid letting kids take an entire bag of chips or a container of ice cream to the couch. Everyone will be far less likely to overdo it if you serve individual portions in the kitchen.
* Serve meals at the counter and avoid bringing the whole pot to the table. Not keeping the food at arm's length can make your family think twice about reaching for seconds. If they do want seconds, offer more veggies or salads.
* Try single-serving sizes to help your family learn what an appropriate portion is. These days all kinds of snacks and beverages are available in "100-calorie" portions. (Of course, the trick is to eat just one!)
* Aim for three scheduled healthful meals and one or two healthy snacks throughout the day. Skipping a meal often leads to overeating at the next one.
* Add more salads and fruit to your family's diet, especially at the start of a meal, which can help control hunger and give a sense of fullness while controlling calorie intake.
* Try not to rush through meals. Go slowly and give everyone a chance to feel full before serving more. Family sit-down meals also provide valuable opportunities to reconnect with one another.
* Be aware that most restaurant portions are three or four times the recommended serving size. Try sharing meals, ordering an appetizer as a main dish, ordering kids' meals (especially at fast-food restaurants), or packing up half to take home before you begin to eat.
* Don't be tempted to go for the giant value meal or the jumbo drink just because they're just a few cents more than the regular size. The "deal" is no value when it triples your family's calories!
* Don't serve kids large portions or expect them to clean their plates. Not only do kids need less food than adults, but studies show that preschoolers do a better job controlling portion size when they're allowed to serve themselves.

Getting Kids Involved

If you preach to your kids about portion control, chances are they'll tune out faster than you can say Big Gulp. A better way to go is to get them actively involved in figuring out how much is a reasonable amount to eat.

A serving of rice is about the same size as an ice cream scoop, so let your child use the scoop to serve "rice cream" to the family. A piece of meat should be about the size of a deck of cards, so see how that chicken breast measures up. And why not break out the kitchen scale while you're at it? Weighing or measuring food may not be your idea of fun, but it probably is to your kids — plus it's a great way to reinforce math concepts.

And don't forget the good news about portions: they work both ways. You may want to cut back on spaghetti portions, but you can dish out more than one serving of carrots or green beans. This can help make the "five a day" fruit and vegetable goal more attainable.

Remember the role you play in showing kids how to size up portions. If you eat two heaping helpings of food each night, that's what your kids will learn too.

As kids grow their appetites will vary depending on a number of factors. They tend to be more hungry during growth spurts or sports seasons when they're more active, and less hungry during downtimes. As their appetites change, keep serving right-sized portions and encourage them to slow down to enjoy their food. Then check in on whether they're full before they go for seconds.

---------------

KidsHealth is devoted to providing the latest health information for parents, kids, and teens. Created by the medical experts of The Nemours Foundation, the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in the Philadephia/Wilmington, Delaware, area, the Nemours Children's Clinics throughout Florida, and other children's health facilities nationwide, KidsHealth is constantly adding new content and features. Visit KidsHealth at http://KidsHealth.org

Keeping Portions Under Control

No comments have been added yet. Please add yours!

Author Bio

View More Headlines
More Headlines
Wahoo Public Schools CLOSED for the remainder of 2019-2020
Wahoo Elementary joins forces with SMC for "Youth Be Well!" program
New behavioral health program now available to WPS students
District implements new head lice procedures
Protect yourself from enteroviruses
Link to Nebraska State Patrol Registry Site
Parent & Teen Driver Fact Sheet
Carbon Monoxide is a Killer
Watcha Doin?
Nebraska's Healthy Economy in Face of International Recession Highlighted in British Newscast
Teen Choking - Not Just a Game
The Bullies and the Bullied
Kids Connection - Reaching for a Healthy Future
Fun Summer Days!
Student Athletes & Parents Strongly Encouraged to Know the Risks/Signs/Symptoms/Treatments of Concussion
Strike a Chord for Health
Parents Encouraged to Learn True "Social Norms" of Teenagers
Over 50% of WPS Staff Now Know Their Numbers
Three Rivers Confirms Two Cases of Salmonella in Saunders & Washington Counties
Tips for Teens: Driving Requires More Than Just a Set of Car Keys and a License
Nebraska Posts One of the Highest Death Rates of Carbon Monoxide Poisonings in the United States
Diet Danger: High Fructose Corn Syrup
Students Lacking Education on Healthy Relationships
WANTED: INFORMATION ON MIP PARTIES
'Meanest Mom on Planet' Sells Son's Car
Make Time to Read to Your Children!
"Family Day - A Day to Eat with Your Children": A National Initiative to Remind Parents that What Your Kids Really Want at the Dinner Table is YOU!
Parents Be Aware: 'The Choking Game' Poses Dangerous Threat to Local Youth
Government Releases MyPyramid to Stress Importance of Nutrition and Exercise
Nutrition -- Energy and Sports Drinks Attack Enamel

Sign up for our Newsletter

Wahoo Public Schools2201 N. Locust StreetWahoo, NE  68066PH: 402-443-3051
Fax: 402-443-4731
FacebookTwitterInstagram
SOCS-Simplified Online Communication System  (socs02)SOCS-Simplified Online Communication System  (socs02)SOCS Logo Link© 2025 Wahoo Public SchoolsAccessibilityPrivacy Pledge
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
wahooschools.socs.net