Creating well rounded meals and estimating serving sizes for finicky tots can be a real challenge. Fortunately, a little goes a long way. Follow these tips for giving your family their fair share:

• Toddlers only need about 1000 calories a day and smaller serving sizes than adults. Preschoolers require about 1000-1600 calories a day, while most elementary school-age kids need anywhere between 1200 and 2200, depending on their activity level and size. Adjust meal portions accordingly.

• The portion referred to as 1 serving size on nutrition labels may be smaller than you think. Use this guide to help you estimate the serving sizes of different foods. For children, you can use their fist size to estimate an appropriate serving amount, or portion out 1 tablespoon of food for each year of age.

• Children have a natural instinct to stop eating when they’re full, so let their tummies tell you when they’ve had enough. Don’t pressure them to clean their plates if they’re not hungry. Serve kid-sized portions to avoid wasting food, and provide plenty of healthy snacks to help your child resist junk food.