Product Review: Smart Steps Plates

on February 25, 2009 at 5:06 PM

Portion Plates by Evenflo

I periodically put new toddler products through rigorous, real-mom testing -- which means I use them and tell you about it.

This week's product: Smart Steps Portion Plates by Evenflo; $12 for a 2 pack.

What it is: Plastic lunch and dinner plates for kids 6 months and older with color-coded portion shading on the plate for the three key toddler food groups: protein, fruits and vegetables, and grains.

Why it's different: These and other products in the line, including cups, utensils, and scoops, were designed with help from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Interdisciplinary Feeding Team. About 20 percent of toddlers today are overweight.

The plates attempt to teach both mom and child portion control, especially for toddlers ages 3 to 5 -- the phase of development when tots possess the natural instinct of knowing when they are hungry and when they are full.

My Review: I liked that the plates are lightweight yet sturdy, and can go in the top rack of the dishwasher. They did help to remind me to serve produce or fruit with every meal -- when I left that spot on the tray empty I felt really guilty.

The plates taught me that I had been serving and expecting my kids to eat too much meat and protein at meals -- that's actually one of the smaller portions on the plate -- so I've been paring back to more appropriate amounts.

The plates also come with a little scoop in the middle that can be used to hold dip or as a big spoon. But my kids, ages 4 and 5, didn't find much use for that feature.

One drawback in my view: The colored portion squares scratch easily, so your child is better off using rubber coated utensils and you'll have to cut food on another plate before serving if you want to keep them pristine. My kids use adult silverware now, so the surface is pretty scratched up, which means they fit in well with just about everything else in my house.

All in all I liked the plates and use them often. And one plate snaps on top of the other for quick and easy storage in the fridge.

++How do you control your toddler's portion sizes? Do you worry they are eating too much or not enough?

About the author Cynthia Dermody

is The Stir's Managing Editor who has trophies in her home for her skills at the Irish Jig. She makes cupcakes with as many fattening ingredients as possible, doesn't comb her hair for months at a time, and was probably a faerie in a former life.

Filed Under: food, gear, health

Comments (9)

AgentBrez

on Feb 25, 2009 at 5:40 PM

i dont see a need for these. im not worried about my toddlers weight. she was 26 lbs at her 2 yr check up. if people know how to give their kids a balanced meal, make sure to include a fruit or veggie each time, they should be fine. i dont think they need a plate to tell them. i used to worry that she didnt get enough protein b/c she rarely eats meat but i just read an article that gives how much they really need [its less than you think, like you said] and how much protein milk has. so from her milk alone, and since she eats cheese, im confident she is fine.

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JPsMommy605

on Feb 25, 2009 at 5:42 PM

I don't worry too much about controlling portion sizes - when I serve meat, it's very small portions because my son just doesn't like it that much. When I serve vegetables and grain, I serve larger portions and I don't serve any sauces or anything with them. I try to have the grains whole, but when it comes to mac'n'cheese, it's generally low fibre processed pasta. When I serve legumes, it's in larger portions as well. Mostly, I simply encourage him to eat until he doesn't feel like it any more - I never make him eat everything on his plate because I don't know when he's full - he does. If he doesn't want to eat something, that's fine with me. I know that for the most part, what he does eat is healthy. I'm not very strict, so sometimes, he'll eat 3 servings of mac'n'cheese and only one of his vegetable, but that's okay in my book because it's not every day (or even every other day) that he does this.

Fistandantalus

on Feb 25, 2009 at 6:54 PM

Considereing the general level of knowledge regarding food portions, this product is a good idea as far as an educational device goes. However, they would have been better served with a sturdier item and a see-through "portion chart" to hold over the plate to evaluate portion size.

gitanomadre

on Feb 25, 2009 at 7:18 PM

Eh , its cute but I go by the fist rule your tummy is about as big as your fist . I plate that much and then if they finish I give more as requested. I do believe portion control is the key to childhood obesity .

shivasgirl

on Feb 25, 2009 at 9:06 PM

wow, this would give me such peace of mind when my husband feeds our 3yr old twins!!! where can I get them???

Loveplusmama

on Feb 25, 2009 at 9:44 PM

I worry about protion size constantly. I'm a health educator too, but with kids, I just don't know as much. My 18 month old is a big kid (32 lbs) but he started at 10 lbs, so he's on his growth curve perfectly. Not only is he big, he's a great eater- which always has me worried about how much he eats (he is a very good fruit/veggie eater). A tool like this isn't just for parents, its for kids too and I think it would be handy to have.

on Feb 25, 2009 at 9:48 PM

There's another tool out there too, and one for adults! It's called The Portion Plate (you can Google it). I don't know what ages the kids plate is for tho.

KeagansMom08

on Feb 25, 2009 at 11:05 PM

i like this idea for when my baby is older and my husband has to feed her. We just started solids and he trys to feed even after she turns her head away. with these plates at least i would know she is getting enough and not to much

marbear98

on Mar 3, 2009 at 1:41 PM

I think this would be a big help for those confused about portion control. We too got by the fist rule and also was told be a children nutritionist that a children's serving size (compared to an adults daily value) is about 1 Tablespoon per year. We feed our baby his serving of meat first, then veggies/fruit and grains. If he is still hungry, we feed more veggies/fruit.