Abstract
Caregivers are mostly responsible for the foods young children consume; however, it is unknown how caregivers determine what portion sizes to serve. This study examined factors which predict smaller or larger than recommended snack portion sizes in an online survey. Caregivers of children aged 2 to 4 years were presented with 10 snack images, each photographed in six portion sizes. Caregivers (n = 659) selected the portion they would usually serve themselves and their child for an afternoon snack. Information on child eating traits, parental feeding practices and demographics were provided by caregivers. Most caregivers selected portions in line with recommended amounts for preschool children, demonstrating their ability to match portion sizes to their child′s energy requirements. However, 16% of caregivers selected smaller than recommended low energy-dense (LED, e.g., fruits and vegetables) snacks for their child which was associated with smaller caregiver′s own portion size, reduced child food liking and increased satiety responsiveness. In contrast, 28% of caregivers selected larger than recommended amounts of high energy-dense (HED, e.g., cookies, crisps) snacks for their child which were associated with larger caregiver′s own portion size, greater frequency of consumption, higher child body mass index (BMI), greater pressure to eat and lower child food liking. These findings suggest that most caregivers in this study select portions adjusted to suit their child′s age and stage of development. Future interventions could provide support to caregivers regarding the energy and nutrient density of foods given the relatively small portion sizes of LED and large portions of HED snacks offered to some children.
Highlights
Caregivers shape children0 s food preferences, consumption and general diet quality through modelling behaviours and the type and quantity of food they make available within the household [1].Modelling or observational learning is an important way children learn about food, and this has been demonstrated to shape children0 s food preferences and eating practices [2]
According to the index of multiple deprivation, caregivers were from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds; 39% residing in areas of the UK that fall below the median decile for deprivation [61]
The present study examined the snack portion size that caregivers select for their young children without addressing possible second servings or snack variety
Summary
Caregivers shape children0 s food preferences, consumption and general diet quality through modelling behaviours and the type and quantity of food they make available within the household [1].Modelling or observational learning is an important way children learn about food, and this has been demonstrated to shape children0 s food preferences and eating practices [2]. Caregivers shape children0 s food preferences, consumption and general diet quality through modelling behaviours and the type and quantity of food they make available within the household [1]. Children0 s meal and snack consumption is influenced by environmental and behavioural factors, such as food availability [5], the maternal diet [6], individual differences in eating traits Caregivers often use specific practices to influence food intake and reinforce the development of eating patterns that they deem appropriate [2,8]. Feeding practices fall into two main themes: controlling (e.g., restriction or pressure to eat) or noncontrolling (e.g., provide child autonomy) [9] and generally are child-centred as an adaptive response to children0 s eating traits, food fussiness and specific food problems [10,11,12]
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