A serving is a standard sizing for different foods, whereas a portion is actually how much is consumed.

• Eating more than the minimum recommended serve of healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables, as well as the recommended serves from each food group (as recommended by the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating) will maintain a healthy diet and weight.
• Eating more than one serving size from foods high in fats, sugars and salts will lead to weight increase.

US researchers have discovered that it only takes an equivalent 82 kJ of unexpended energy each day to gain a kilogram of fat in a year.

Source: http://smartshape.com.au/a/536.html

These recipes are useful because they provide the nutritional information for one serving size. The recommended daily kilojoule allowance for a moderately active child of primary school age is approximately 7700 kj.

Crunchie Veggie Wrap
Prep time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. fat-free cream cheese
• 4 medium size flour tortillas
• 2/3 c. lettuce, shredded
• 2/3 c. red cabbage, shredded
• 1 red tomato, diced
• 1/4 c. red onions, sliced
• 1/3 c. carrots, grated
• 1/4 c. blue cheese (or other soft cheese such as brie)
• 1 c. alfalfa sprouts

Directions:

1. Spread 2 tbsp. cream cheese over one side of each tortilla.
2. Divide remaining ingredients evenly among tortillas.
3. Roll up each tortilla.
4. Cut each rolled wrap in half diagonally.

Serves: 4
Serving size: 1 wrap

Nutritional analysis (per serving): 182 calories (764.4kj),10g protein, 5 g fat,2 g sat. Fat 24 g carbohydrate. 2 g fibre, 9 mg cholesterol, 443 mg sodium, 157 mg calcium, 1.6 mg iron

Banana bread
Prep time: about 90 minutes
Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
  
• 1 3/4 c. sifted flour (plain)
  
• 2 tsp. baking powder
  
• 1/4 tsp. Bicarbonate soda
  
• 1/2 tsp. salt
  
• 1/3 c. vegetable oil
  
• 2/3 c. sugar
  
• 1 c. mashed bananas (about 3 bananas)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C
   
2. Beat eggs well in a small bowl.
   
3. In a medium-size bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt.
   
4. In a large bowl, add the vegetable oil. Add the sugar a little bit at a time, and continue beating until the mixture is fluffy.
   
5. Add the eggs to the mixture in the large bowl and beat well.
   
6. Add some of the flour mixture to the large bowl and beat well. Then add some of the mashed bananas and beat some more. Continue adding flour, then bananas, then flour, then bananas, until everything is mixed in.
   
7. Pour mixture into the baking pan. Bake for 70 minutes.
   
8. Flip your banana bread out of the pan, let it cool for a bit, and cut it into slices to eat and share!

Serves: 16
Serving size: 1 slice

Nutritional analysis (per serving): 145 calories (609kj), 2 g protein, 5 g fat, 24 g carbohydrate, 1 g fibre, 27 mg cholesterol, 155 mg sodium, 37 mg calcium, 0.8 mg iron

Super Strawberry Bars
Prep time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:

• 1 c. plain flour
  
• 1 c. rolled oats
  
• 1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened
  
• 1/3 c. light brown sugar
  
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
  
• 1/8 tsp. salt
  
• 3/4 c. strawberry jam

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
   
2. In a large bowl, mix everything together except the strawberry jam.
   
3. Measure out 2 cups of this mixture. Leave the rest in the bowl, and set it aside.
   
4. Take the 2 cups of the mixture and press it into the bottom of the pan. You can use your hands or a spoon. Make sure you cover the entire bottom of the pan!
   
5. Using a large spoon, spread the strawberry jam on top of the mixture in the pan. Spread it evenly all over.
   
6. Take the mixture that was left in the bowl, and spread it over the strawberry jam. Press it down lightly.
   
7. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, and allow it to cool for at least 15 minutes.
   
8. Cut the bars into 12 squares to eat and share!

Serves: 12
Serving size: 1 square

Nutritional analysis (per serving): 211 calories (886.2kj), 2 g protein, 9 g fat, 32 g carbohydrate, 1 g fibre, 22 mg cholesterol, 126 mg sodium, 16 mg calcium, 0.9 mg iron

These recipes sourced from KidsHealth, one of the largest resources online for medically reviewed health information written for parents, kids, and teens. For more, visit KidsHealth.org or TeensHealth.org. © 1995-2008. The Nemours Foundation. All rights reserved.