Issues with weight and weight are about more than just food. Everyone has a dofferebt balance of what they can eat, when and how much etc.
Sonrisa, I agree with the snack culture. It's insane to me. We go to a playgroup from 10-12 and the first time, I didn't bring anything but water. Most of the kids spend half the time sitting around eating a full bento box of snacks. I was like, 'play. We can sit around eating at home'. I don't always have a bunch of shit with me, and it seems everyone does.
I feed my kid on 'demand', just like I nursed her. She has a healthy relationship with food so far, and she eats about five times a day. I've had to adjust what's she's eating after about 3pm because it was interfering with dinner and she woke up so early bc she was starving.
At her dayhome, I send her with a lunch and two snacks. They have a pullout drawer in the fridge with their own containers and they are allowed to graze. This seems to work well, and she usually eats everything I send; DCP says most kids do a good job of moderating their consumption. She can't open our fridge door though so I'm still in control of that.
And finally, I don't keep snacks here because I would eat them all at night, nothing is safe with me, so that cuts down on temptation for G too.
I am with sonrisa too, I find it hard to believe those kids in your play group can't go 2 hours without eating
Also, when he goes into the full "OMG I'M STARVING" melt down mode, I offer him something like peas or broccoli. If he's really that hungry, he'll eat them. If he says he's not hungry for that, and he needs goldfish I assume he's not actually that hungry. Last night, he ate two helpings of peas right before bed so I'm assuming he really was starving.
This is brilliant and I'm pocketing it away in my brain.
I think it is a good way to keep blood sugar more level. I don't want my child to be ravenous at meal time. The snacks don't have to be junk food. A yogurt, piece of fruit and a string cheese, crackers with peanut butter etc are all totally acceptable snacks. My kids eat very well at meals and have a few snacks during the day too. It's all good.
I think snacks are important, and I encourage my children to eat when they are hungry rather than at the Oh-so-important meal time. Different strokes, I guess.
I'm the same way. They have their regular three meals a day. If they are hungry in between meals, I give them a healthy option (out of two choices) or I choose myself depending on what is readily available. Apple or carrot sticks? Frozen grapes or celery and pb? Etc. Some days they aren't hungry for any snacks, but most days they want one or two that day.
Even with snacks, they still eat well at meal times. To start, I give them small portions for snacks and meals, cause I don't want them getting into the habit of eating what is in front of them just cause it is there. (Same reason why I don't force them to finish meals once they feel full). If they are still hungry after they are finished, then they can get more.
DD was FTT and when we saw the nutritionist they actually told us to have her not snack at all - so I'm assuming that not snacking helps kids gain weight. I know that most diets tell you to eat small meals all the time. I can barely go 3 hours without my blood sugar dipping, I wouldn't expect my kids to.
I think it is a good way to keep blood sugar more level. I don't want my child to be ravenous at meal time. The snacks don't have to be junk food. A yogurt, piece of fruit and a string cheese, crackers with peanut butter etc are all totally acceptable snacks. My kids eat very well at meals and have a few snacks during the day too. It's all good.
Plus I notice a HUGE difference w the blood sugar. The boys just this weekend slept through a "normal" snack time and we both totally spaced. They woke up BEASTS and were alllll up in each other's grills. And then we were like OH SHIT and gave them a snack and they were happy little guys again.
DD was FTT and when we saw the nutritionist they actually told us to have her not snack at all - so I'm assuming that not snacking helps kids gain weight. I know that most diets tell you to eat small meals all the time. I can barely go 3 hours without my blood sugar dipping, I wouldn't expect my kids to.
Same here when I went to a dietitian for weight loss I was told small meals and small snacks. It keeps the blood sugar level which prevents your body from storing fat since low blood sugar tells the body it doesn't have enough food so it pockets fat for future use.
Plus it encourages listening to your bodies hunger signals so that you are less likely to overeat if you aren't starving when you sit down at a meal.
One of the contributing factor to the obesity epidemic (especially among kids) is the "clean your plate" mentality that you have to eat big meals and finish them. This teaches kids to ignore the sensation of fullness and overeat to get rewarded/approval/dessert.
Issues with weight and weight are about more than just food. Everyone has a dofferebt balance of what they can eat, when and how much etc.
Sonrisa, I agree with the snack culture. It's insane to me. We go to a playgroup from 10-12 and the first time, I didn't bring anything but water. Most of the kids spend half the time sitting around eating a full bento box of snacks. I was like, 'play. We can sit around eating at home'. I don't always have a bunch of shit with me, and it seems everyone does.
I feed my kid on 'demand', just like I nursed her. She has a healthy relationship with food so far, and she eats about five times a day. I've had to adjust what's she's eating after about 3pm because it was interfering with dinner and she woke up so early bc she was starving.
At her dayhome, I send her with a lunch and two snacks. They have a pullout drawer in the fridge with their own containers and they are allowed to graze. This seems to work well, and she usually eats everything I send; DCP says most kids do a good job of moderating their consumption. She can't open our fridge door though so I'm still in control of that.
And finally, I don't keep snacks here because I would eat them all at night, nothing is safe with me, so that cuts down on temptation for G too.
you and me dude, you and me
Also I don't keep a lot of stuff around because I get annoyed with constantly saying no. He wants goldfish, then crackers, then fruit snacks, then ice cream etc etc etc. It is never ending.
Normally we have fruit, hummus and carrots, nuts and goldfish. So if he has a serving of goldfish and still claims to be hungry then I push him to something else because he has already had his serving of non-healthy food. It makes it so much easier.
Issues with weight and weight are about more than just food. Everyone has a dofferebt balance of what they can eat, when and how much etc.
I feed my kid on 'demand', just like I nursed her. She has a healthy relationship with food so far, and she eats about five times a day. I've had to adjust what's she's eating after about 3pm because it was interfering with dinner and she woke up so early bc she was starving.
At her dayhome, I send her with a lunch and two snacks. They have a pullout drawer in the fridge with their own containers and they are allowed to graze. This seems to work well, and she usually eats everything I send; DCP says most kids do a good job of moderating their consumption. She can't open our fridge door though so I'm still in control of that.
And finally, I don't keep snacks here because I would eat them all at night, nothing is safe with me, so that cuts down on temptation for G too.
you and me dude, you and me
Also I don't keep a lot of stuff around because I get annoyed with constantly saying no. He wants goldfish, then crackers, then fruit snacks, then ice cream etc etc etc. It is never ending.
Normally we have fruit, hummus and carrots, nuts and goldfish. So if he has a serving of goldfish and still claims to be hungry then I push him to something else because he has already had his serving of non-healthy food. It makes it so much easier.
We keep the goldfish way out of reach/sight and just tell her they're all gone unless she's being given a special treat for some reason. Like others her snack options are fruit or veggies, if she's hungry she'll eat them if not then she can do something else until she really is hungry. Which is usually 3 meals and 2 snacks but when DD is going through a growth spurt she chows down all day long. she then grows about an inch in 2 weeks. She is a cluster grower so I let her eat on demand as long as the choices are healthy. we don't have fruit snacks in the house because those are my weakness and she really likes them too, so they are verbotten unless its for a party or something.
I think snacks are important, and I encourage my children to eat when they are hungry rather than at the Oh-so-important meal time. Different strokes, I guess.
This is more or less me. I'll be more lax on breakfast snacks and lunch, as in when and what (90-ish %) healthy foods, but dinner is 100% a family affair you will sit and we will all eat together and I don't care if you are hungry or not you will sit here dammit it's family time too!! Studies and all that!
I have one teenager (boy) and twin three year old daughters. Both my h and I have add/ADHD (respectively), so dinner is always or usually a chaotic zoo time, but I wouldn't have it any other way. If dh works ot or is DS is with my mom or something, there's a very noticeable different when someone from the fam isn't at dinner it's so rare to have someone not there.
Post by ElizabethBennet on Aug 12, 2013 15:03:33 GMT -5
I let my kid snack because I want her to learn that she can trust her hunger cues when she gets them. If I think she's asking for a snack because she's bored then I'll redirect and usually I'm right. If she is still asking for a snack 10-15 minutes later, I'll let her have it.
We don't have a designated snack time though. Some days she eats nothing and some days she eats more than me. I try really hard to take her lead on this because I want her to grow up learning to honor her hunger cues, whether that means she eats more often or not.
It's really hard. Even at places like my DD's summer reading/math camp she walked out with 2 ring pops a bag of Doritos and two packs of gum this morning. She also told me she ate a baked lays while she was there for a snack. She ate breakfast right before the 3 hour camp and really did not need a snack. Then she didn't want lunch because she had the chips. I did get her to eat some fruit. So annoying though. She "won" the snacks/candy getting answers in the group lessons correct. Pretty crazy IMO. Around the house they hear a lot of "it's too close to lunch/dinner" or "you do not need more junk food" etc. But outside of the house is the real issue. Snacks are everywhere...and seem like they are on an hourly basis.
ETA DH and I always offer water when they seem like they are asking for a snack because they are bored. It actually does the trick a lot of the time.
I generally don't limit fruit and luckily they both love it. So if they really want to snack I tell them to grab an apple, banana, grapes etc. It's more the Goldfish, chips, cereal bars etc. I try to avoid.
Post by dragonfly08 on Aug 12, 2013 16:31:00 GMT -5
I don't avoid snacking. If my kid is hungry, she should be able to eat. While school forces a set breakfast and lunch time during the week, I realize that they might not necessarily be hungry then, especially on weekends when we're running around.
I do put limits on what they can snack on, however. No ice cream, cookies, cake. No carby snacks within two hours of dinner (if they are hungry during that time, I just serve dinner earlier than planned if I can). Fruit they can have whenever they want it up until they brush their teeth at bedtime.
As an aside, you all treat goldfish like I would an ice cream sundae and a giant bowl of Hershey kisses. You hide them in the back of the cabinet? What? My kids can eat goldfish whenever. They don't ask for them all the time, but I certainly don't consider them junk food.
As an aside, you all treat goldfish like I would an ice cream sundae and a giant bowl of Hershey kisses. You hide them in the back of the cabinet? What? My kids can eat goldfish whenever. They don't ask for them all the time, but I certainly don't consider them junk food.
I just figure if she's hungry why not get her to eat some veggies/fruit when she doesn't have other food to eat instead. It's a personal preference thing. NBD
As an aside, you all treat goldfish like I would an ice cream sundae and a giant bowl of Hershey kisses. You hide them in the back of the cabinet? What? My kids can eat goldfish whenever. They don't ask for them all the time, but I certainly don't consider them junk food.
Jack would eat a whole bag in a day if I let him. And then there would be no meals eaten. I have to regulate.
I should clarify that her preschool morning lasts 2.5 hours. Presumably the kids all eat breakfast right before and lunch after. Any hour long play group park meet up includes a snack break. It feels like "learning your hunger signals" is more like "noticing your mouth is empty right now."
I time meals around when she expresses an interest. Absent outside influences, she's hungry for food about three times a day. Sometimes she'll want to eat four times (if she has been extra active). However, she doesn't naturally want to gobble all the time. But every time she sees another kid with food or a treat, she wants some. It gets tiresome.
ETA: I definitely ration goldfish/bunnies/rockets. She'd eat them from sun up to bedtime otherwise. Salt is her weakness. She'll sneak the salt shaker too if she can reach it. She actually has more self control with cake or cookies.
I try to limit the processed snacks. They usually get one bag of fruit snacks or goldfish or bunnies or newtons or whatever per day. After that they get fruit or cheese or dried edamame or something.
I should clarify that her preschool morning lasts 2.5 hours. Presumably the kids all eat breakfast right before and lunch after. Any hour long play group park meet up includes a snack break. It feels like "learning your hunger signals" is more like "noticing your mouth is empty right now." I time meals around when she expresses an interest. Absent outside influences, she's hungry for food about three times a day. Sometimes she'll want to eat four times (if she has been extra active). However, she doesn't naturally want to gobble all the time. But every time she sees another kid with food or a treat, she wants some. It gets tiresome.
ETA: I definitely ration goldfish/bunnies/rockets. She'd eat them from sun up to bedtime otherwise. Salt is her weakness. She'll sneak the salt shaker too if she can reach it. She actually has more self control with cake or cookies.
what we're saying is that's not typical. The typical kid wants a couple snacks and 3 meals because that's what their bodies need/want. It also may be a function of timing, DD is normally hungry a couple hours after breakfast so if we have playgroup at 10 that's right about the time she's ready for a snack. Same with preschool the time it falls coincides with her typical snack time. I don't ever mention snack I just let her lead and she's pretty consistent. which works out to her eating at around 8, 10, 12, 4, 6 (times vary but roughly) which works for when we normally eat as a family. She's a very healthy weight (30%) and eats well at each of those times.
My pediatrician also recommends the 2 snacks and 3 smaller meals eating plan because I asked about whether I should work on dropping the snack(s) and she was strongly against it.
Think of it this way back in the day before everyone pretty much worked in an office you'd eat breakfast go work in the garden/farm/etc nibble on whatever was edible then go have lunch, go back to working and snack as wanted again. Our bodies are fairly programmed for that style it's trying to put us onto a 3 meal plan that causes a lot of problems because it isn't the way our bodies are designed to eat.
Think of it this way back in the day before everyone pretty much worked in an office you'd eat breakfast go work in the garden/farm/etc nibble on whatever was edible then go have lunch, go back to working and snack as wanted again. Our bodies are fairly programmed for that style it's trying to put us onto a 3 meal plan that causes a lot of problems because it isn't the way our bodies are designed to eat.
People in more traditional, agrarian cultures generally eat less often, not more often, than we do. They usually eat once or twice a day, not the five to six meals/snacks Americans consume.
Most field work doesn't provide little snacks throughout the day (even on farms, but definitely if you are herding animals). Even in harvest season many things you farm, fish, hunt, glean or gather take more effort to become edible, especially when you are talking about traditional foods rather than what modern agribusiness produces. Food, especially food that doesn't require effort, is much more plentifully available to the average office worker.
Snacks for kids are recommended in France. It's a huge institution here and it has been for 70+ years. They usually eat it at 4:30pm right after school. Dinner is around 8pm usually. It doesn't have to be big. It used to be some baguette and chocolate squares back in the day. Now there are a ton of choices, not always healthy but it's a huge business so... My little nephew, 2.5 years old has been eating 4pm snacks after his nap since he was a baby. Now it is one 100 grams yogurt (no flavor and he eats it without any sugar),an apple sauce pouch and 2 butter cookies like my avatar (the Lu brand that you can find here in the US). It is better for kids and adults to eat little snacks in between meals. Doesn't have to be donuts but a yogurt under 100 calories and a fruit are more than enough.
I didn't read any of the responses, but healthy snacking is good! I would die if I didn't snack during the day!!
I also have snack time in my classroom. I can't stand hearing 'iiiiii'm hungry', all day long! Snacking is good, three large meals a day, I don't think is the best bet for healthy eating"
As an aside, you all treat goldfish like I would an ice cream sundae and a giant bowl of Hershey kisses. You hide them in the back of the cabinet? What? My kids can eat goldfish whenever. They don't ask for them all the time, but I certainly don't consider them junk food.
Jack would eat a whole bag in a day if I let him. And then there would be no meals eaten. I have to regulate.