Help Yourself! Kids Serving Their Own Food Develops Good Habits

Sticky handprints. Drops of veggies on the tablecloth. A splatter of sauce on clothes.

Sometimes letting kids serve themselves can end up making mealtime look like a modern art exhibit.

But some nutritionists believe that allowing your kids to help themselves to an array of nutritious family-style dishes can help them make better choices when it comes to portion size.

Allowing kids to serve themselves helps them to be more enthusiastic about trying different kinds of food – and they’re less likely to overeat. Plus grasping a serving spoon and ladling food onto their plate allows them to build important motor skills.

Laurel Branen, a dietician and a professor emeritus of food and nutrition at the University of Idaho gives parents, caretakers and educators some advice on how to use this autonomy as a teaching opportunity on portion sizes and sharing:

“[Adults] need to explain what a serving is,” she said to NPR. “It means ‘Take a spoonful and you can always have more.'”

Do you help kids to serve themselves at snacks and meals? Share your tips below!