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Characterization of food portion size in children from 6 months to 8 years of age: a descriptive analysis

Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Purpose Diet during early infancy, as well as dietary patterns during childhood and parental feeding styles influence children’s eating behaviours and long-term health. While extensive data exist on the timing of complementary feeding introduction and recommended food frequencies during infancy and childhood, data on portion sizes during this period remains limited in Europe, despite their clear relevance for evaluating dietary patterns and supporting evidence-based guidance. This longitudinal study, secondary to the European Childhood Obesity Project (EU CHOP), aims to describe portion sizes consumed by infants and children aged 6 months to 8 years across five European countries. Methods Dietary intake was recorded using 3-day food diaries and analysed by trained personnel following standardized procedures at multiple infant and childhood ages (6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72 and 96 months). Portions sizes were calculated for 33 food groups and expressed as percentiles in the overall sample and stratified by country. Results A total of 1018 3-day food records were available at 6 months, with sample size gradually declining over the 11 follow-up time points to 400 records at 8 years. The results revealed a wide variation in portion sizes across food groups, ages and countries. Conclusion Food portion sizes vary across food groups, age and countries. These findings provide reference percentiles representing typical portion sizes when foods are consumed. The data can support guidance provided to parents by healthcare professionals (pediatricians, nurses, and dietitian-nutritionists) and assist public health authorities in defining appropriate portion sizes and mitigating risks associated with both overeating and undereating, while respecting children’s hunger and satiety cues. These results also have practical applications in school meal planning and dietary assessment methodologies in research.
DOI: 10.1007/s00394-026-03943-7
Authors: Irene Hernandez-Perez, Joaquin Escribano, Veit Grote, Berthold Koletzko, Mariona Gispert-Llauradó, Mireia Alcázar, Elvira Verduci, Dariusz Gruszfeld, Louise Etienne, Veronica Luque, CHOP Study Group, H Demmelmair, U Handel, I Pawellek, S Schiess, S Verwied-Jorky, M Weber, R Closa-Monasterolo, M Gispert-Llauradó, C Rubio-Torrents, M Zaragoza-Jordana, A Dobrzańska, D Gruszfeld, R Janas, A Wierzbicka, P Socha, A Stolarczyk, J N Van Hees, J Hoyos, J P Langhendries, F Martin, P Poncelet, A Xhonneux, C Agostoni, M Giovannini, S Scaglioni, F Vecchi
Institutions: Institut de Recerca Biomèdica Catalunya Sud, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, LMU Klinikum, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, University of Milan, Ospedale dei Bambini Vittore Buzzi, Children's Memorial Health Institute, Centre Hospitalier Chrétien, Université Libre de Bruxelles
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $2,890
OpenAlex ID: W7140201393
FWCI:
Cites: 53
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