Portioning foods and beverages for toddlers and preschool children

Abstract

ObjectiveYoung children, particularly in the years before going to school, depend on caregivers to choose and prepare healthy foods and beverages on their behalf. Little is known about caregiver experiences, attitudes and perceptions about the portioning of foods and beverages for toddlers and preschool children in Switzerland. This research aims to provide an understanding of the lived experience when caregivers portion food and beverages for young children.MethodsIn‐depth, in‐home interviews (n=17) were conducted with male and female caregivers (14 = female, 3 = male, ages = 20–46y, low to high income) in Switzerland. The model, “Food Choice Process over the Life Course”, was used as a theoretical framework. The interviews explored experiences, attitudes and perceptions about the provision of foods and beverages to children (1–5y). Interview transcripts underwent a thematic analysis and key themes were developed from the data.ResultsCaregivers found it difficult to communicate and express how they portioned foods, yet provided numerical estimates for the volume of beverages consumed. They struggled to describe how they knew how much food to serve. Participants either stated that they made an estimation of their child's perceived appetite and tried to anticipate what the child could finish, or, they served food according to size of the plate, or, they simply guessed what a child's portion should be. Conversely, caregivers gave numerical estimates (mL or dL) of the beverages consumed and were also able to estimate, numerically, the volume of water, juice and milk consumed throughout the course of the day.Conclusions and ImplicationsThis study contributes to the understanding of how caregivers portion foods and beverages for toddlers and preschool children. It demonstrates that caregivers use tacit knowledge when determining food portion sizes for their children. A deeper understanding about the conscious awareness of the degree of a child's appetite warrants further research. Numerical volume estimates of beverages served, and consumed, indicate the use of explicit knowledge when estimating beverage portions. Further research may shed light on the extent to which parental estimates of beverage portions prepared and consumed reflect actual consumption. In addition research is warranted to explore how parents should estimate food and beverage portions in the home and what the best practices may be.Support or Funding InformationThis research was supported with funding from NESTEC S.A., Switzerland