Study: Kids Take, Eat More with Big Plates

Kids eat more food when it’s served on larger plates, a new study suggests. The study included 42 first graders. They were served lunch at their school cafeteria. Half got their food on smaller plates and half on larger plates. The menu was either chicken nuggets or pasta with meat sauce. Side dishes were applesauce, mixed vegetables and bread. The drink was milk. On average, kids using larger plates served themselves about 90 more calories. They didn’t eat all of the extra food, but they did eat about half. Overall, they consumed more calories than kids using smaller plates. The children served themselves more fruit and more of the main dish on larger plates, but not more vegetables. The journal Pediatrics published the study. HealthDay News wrote about it April 8.