Some children just don’t know when to stop. This phrase maybe truer than you think, at least when it comes to food. The same cannot be said of babies, who all seem to have an inbuilt sense of “portion control”: they know when they have had enough. As we grow older, many of us seem to lose that ability.

We made children eat more, just by serving them bigger portions. Portion size is strongly habituated; we become used to eating bigger and bigger portion sizes yet still feel the same fullness, As portion sizes have increased, children have become conditioned to eating more calories than they need.

1. Downsize portions – if your child complains suggest they eat what they have first and if they are still hungry then they can have seconds, Space out the time between first and second helpings and they will probably feel less keen on insisting on seconds.
2. Avoid the supersize, kingsize, or ‘25% extra’ foods; instead of seek out the mini – and fun – size foods.
3. Some sedentary behaviours, especially watching TV, can increase food intake. If your children demand snack food in front of the TV or computer screen try plain popcorn, vegetable sticks or slices of fruit instead of foods and drinks that are high in fat, salt and sugar.
4. Or you can turn off the TV, get the children up and out riding their bikes, playing at the park or any activity they really enjoy doing.

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