Constant Eating

[Marsha]

When did we start thinking kids can't go an hour w/out food? Is it because we feed too much junk, don't give them long enough for real meals, what?

I do it, I'm not saying I'm better than anyone, but it's gotten to the point where my almost 8 and almost 5 year old feel like we can't drive 30 minutes w/out a snack. Or they can't last an hour in church w/out food. It's insanity !

Is it a boredom thing? It might also help them to be hungry enough to actually eet food, if I could live through the tantrumming of not getting to eat for a few days (tantrumming, not the not-eating LOL)

Thoughts?

[Marrrg]

Probably they are bored, like you said. What are you giving them for snacks?

[Marsha]

I just meant in general. At MOPS last night, people were saying that they can't take their kindy age kids into worship with them becaue snacks aren't allowed (at certain moe traditional services) and I'm like really? an hour?? and it just got me thinking about how often we maek sure we have food if anything is longer than an hour.

[Marrrg]

Oh, yeah. I agree with you. I don't really ever take snacks with me when we go places (mostly because I'm not that organized)! I personally don't think there is anything wrong with feeling hungry for a little while. :shrug3

[butterflyqueen71]

They probably feed them snacks in worship to keep them quiet and occupied. :shifty When I need dd quiet, she takes toys and plays quietly. :shrug3

[cbmk4]

I read somewhere, I think our local newspaper, that kids went from having one snack a day only 10 years ago to having three snacks a day now. That's probably amounting to a lot more food over time and probably why so many children are overweight. I'm sure that the snacks are not fruits and vegetables for most kids.

I have 2 kids who from birth seemed to be hungry all the time. They haven't grown out of it. They are not at all overweight, but I make an extra effort to direct them towards vegetables or fruit or yogurt if they want a snack. Sometimes distraction with another activity works too.

I agree that food is everywhere. The little kids' Sunday school classes want the parents to sign up to bring in snacks. I haven't, because I think it's strange that the kids can't be at church for 90 minutes without food.

[Wonder Woman]

I agree that food is everywhere. The little kids' Sunday school classes want the parents to sign up to bring in snacks. I haven't, because I think it's strange that the kids can't be at church for 90 minutes without food.

Just wanted to comment on this part of it...I taught a toddler/preschool class for years. We ran a bus through town picking up anyone who wanted to attend. For a lot of the kids, that 'snack' in Sunday school was their only breakfast, and a lot of the times they had a late or non-existent lunch. It wasn't the case with all of them, of course, but for enough of them that I fully support snacks in SS :hug

[MarynMunchkins]

Maybe it's just that there's such a wide availability of good food we want to have it. Or that we assosciate food with social activies. :shrug

[Lady TS]

Maybe it's just that there's such a wide availability of good food we want to have it. Or that we assosciate food with social activies. :shrug

I think you hit the nail on the head here. It bothers me that so many places have snacks(read:junk food) for the kids when they are only there an hour. The kids come to expect it and miss it if it's not there. And, let's admit, it does keep them busy for a few minutes. :shifty

If most people only offered a fruit and veggie tray for the snack, I don't imagine that would go over terribly well. I'd probably get some weird looks if I brought that to Awana's for the kids....although...they are doing a veggie night this year. :thumbsup Baby steps, right? ;)

[ubermom]

If most people only offered a fruit and veggie tray for the snack, I don't imagine that would go over terribly well. I'd probably get some weird looks if I brought that to Awana's for the kids....although...they are doing a veggie night this year. :thumbsup Baby steps, right? ;)

I was proud of my DH. He made fruit trays for his children's choir parties. :clap

[MarynMunchkins]

I wish bringing a fruit or veggie tray was the only reason I got weird looks. :haha

[joyful mama]

my kids love the fruit trays and at least 2 of them will eat a lot off the veggie trays too :giggle

honestly, my kids eat allll day long and it drives me crazy too :rolleyes but I figure part of it is that they are growing and very active :shrug3

[Garland]

My kids eat all day long, constantly snacking. I've been trying to make sure their snacks have more protein in them to help them feel fuller longer.

[The Tickle Momster]

Some of mine ask all day long "What can I have to eat?" She's super whiny about it. :blech I give her a selection of healthy choices and usually she turns them all down & starts crying. I suspect she is bored. Not sure why. Lots to do here.

It also bugs me that every activity 'requires' parents to bring a snack. They are almost always sugar laden hyper makers. Why can't we just bring something if we think our child needs it? :shrug

[scottishthistle]

I will say that my dietician said that snacks are very important for those of us with diabetes! I noticed that if I don't have healthy snacks my blood sugar can really spike after a meal, having a snack keeps blood sugars on an even keel

[Peridot]

yes, and those of us on the low blood sugar end of that spectrum do much much better emotionally on 3 meals plus 3 snacks. If it's been 3 hours since i've eaten, I start to get very cranky and irrational.

IMHO it is three 'square' meals and 1 or no snacks that makes people overweight.

[scrappyknits]

Just wanted to comment on this part of it...I taught a toddler/preschool class for years. We ran a bus through town picking up anyone who wanted to attend. For a lot of the kids, that 'snack' in Sunday school was their only breakfast, and a lot of the times they had a late or non-existent lunch. It wasn't the case with all of them, of course, but for enough of them that I fully support snacks in SS :hug

I LOVE that you've thought of this, and I totally agree :hug

[butterflyqueen71]

I think the bottom line is "food quality" vs. the "need" for snacks. Not to say there is not a need for snacks, but perhaps the choices need to be healthier.

I've been cracking down on dd's afterschool snacks, b/c I feel like she is borderline overweight for her age. :blush Its gotten to the place where I just cannot have the junk in the house. If its not here, she won't eat it. :shrug3 Instead, I've offered her apples and PB, grapes, or yogurt, or granola bars or something, and she'll eat it. It's interesting how all of a sudden her "need" for snacks has dropped substantially. :shifty She's finding more things to do with herself besides eat. And perhaps because the food is better quality, she doesn't "need" so much either. :shrug3

[mommy2abigail]

My kids snack a lot. I always thought 6 small meals was healthier than 3 big meals anyway?:shrug3 They might have:

Breakfast: bowl of granola/oatmeal/scrambled eggs/breakfast sandwich (homemade)
Snack: cheese/nuts/tortilla chips
Lunch: turkey sandwich and a piece of fruit/veggies
Snack: yogurt/home made pureed fruit popsicle (no sugar, just fruit)
Dinner: protein/veggie/grain (what we are all having)
Snack: hummus and crackers/apple/banana/hardboiled egg


So, I'm fine with them eating all the time, because it's all healthy. We don't keep junk in the house, because *I* simply don't have portion control and I can't expect the kids to either. :blush They don't fill up like we do at meal times, because they eat until their hunger is satisfied, and then they are done. They do not feel the need to eat until they are 'stuffed'. I love that about them.

I will say that it frustrates me to no end that in every 'group' setting, the snacks are unhealthy, and they usually make a big fuss about or forget to give your child the snacks they bring from home. Since the only group setting my dd1 does is Sunday school and they don't serve snacks for her age (3-5 year olds) it's not an issue, but if we were involved in more group things I could see where it would be. We do not feed dd2 during church, and she is able to sit quietly for the 45-50 minute sermon (sitting through worship is easier for her) with no problems, despite being a very very very active 2 year old. :jump

[AngelaVA]

I have banned carb only snacks. No just fruit or just crackers, there has to be fat and protein. I find this cuts way down on snacking and constant begging for food. I don't have a problem with a couple snacks during the day though expecially since my kids are on the low weight end of the spectrum.

[mrsd]

It may be bordom. Offer celery and carrot sticks. If they are REALLY hungry, they'll accept them.

[butterflyqueen71]

I have banned carb only snacks. No just fruit or just crackers, there has to be fat and protein. I find this cuts way down on snacking and constant begging for food. I don't have a problem with a couple snacks during the day though expecially since my kids are on the low weight end of the spectrum.

What kinds of fat and protein? :think

Apples and PB, perhaps? dd likes almonds, too, I have discovered.

Her big issue is that she has a major sweet tooth. :rolleyes And then she wants something salty after she has something sweet.

[Peridot]

maybe a sweet/salty combo, then? Like popcorn w/butter and salt, and then raisins? Or, apples with peanutbutter/honey dip? Yum! Hummus w/crackers, and some cheese? Nuts, cheese, and applesauce?

there are lots of options. :)

[MarynMunchkins]

Cream cheese sweetened with a little maple syrup is a huge hit here. It's a good fruit and cracker dip, and it helps with that need for sweet craving without being too much.

[Peridot]

I also blender really ripe fruit that my kids would not eat otherwise into yogurt...followed by some whole wheat pretzels...

Fig Newmans are good, too...

fruits that get realllly sweet...pears, watermelon, bananas, clementines, kiwi, peaches...

[Ajani]

It may be bordom. Offer celery and carrot sticks. If they are REALLY hungry, they'll accept them.

Mine will eat veggies regardless. :shrug3

I've begun talking to our 5 year old about hunger versus boredom. He'll come to me, bored, and complain that he's hungry. So I explain the difference and help him find something to do. Wouldn't you know it, his "hunger" is forgotten. :yes Sometimes I get him to drink his water (they have water cups available all day), which helps when he's confusing hunger and thirst.

[Sparrow]

I read somewhere, I think our local newspaper, that kids went from having one snack a day only 10 years ago to having three snacks a day now. That's probably amounting to a lot more food over time and probably why so many children are overweight. I'm sure that the snacks are not fruits and vegetables for most kids.



Mine eat two snacks, one mid morning, one mid afternoon. I agree, snacks usually constitute as something that comes out of a box - fake cheese and crackers, factory made cookies, or something else convenient. Snacks in our house are cheese and crackers, or fruit or veggies. Boxed stuff comes from Nana and is a treat. Of course I'm a horrible mother for not buying them :shifty

---------- Post added at 12:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:36 PM ----------

Cream cheese sweetened with a little maple syrup is a huge hit here. It's a good fruit and cracker dip, and it helps with that need for sweet craving without being too much.

YUM!

[mamajane]

We eat a lot of quick breads for snacks: banana bread, zucchini bread etc. I use about half of the sugar in the recipe and ww flour. Often with a slice of cheese. Pretty filling, cheap and healthy.

[Jemma2]

My kids snack a lot at home too. Especially after school. I've often been annoyed too that every outside activity seems to require a snack. For us, though, it has more to do with DS's food allergy and the ramifications of little kids + peanut butter and the risk for my son in that. Now that he's older he usually just declines the offered snack, but I had to watch like a hawk when he was little. I think most of the time snack is offered as a filler activity. But I do get annoyed by it.

[MaybeGracie]

I guess I've been lucky - anytime we go anywhere where snacks are offered, they've been healthy snacks. We only offer healthy snacks at home, too. Some days it feels like DS1 eats all day long, but it never seems to be out of boredom (he's on the go constantly), and it's always healthy (fruit and yogurt, veggies and hummus, pitas and guac, green smoothies, etc). He starts to get moody and emotional if he doesn't eat often enough, so I have no problem at all with his snacking.

[Niphredil]

My kids are grazers. You'll find the half eaten apples all over my house to prove it. ;) More than an hour and a half without food and you'll think you stepped into some zombie horror movie :shifty... their blood sugars crash and it gets vicious. I don't know, I'm prone to think it's a very healthy way to eat, as long as you're adding in good fuel, not junk. :shrug3

[Ajani]

My kids snack a lot at home too. Especially after school. I've often been annoyed too that every outside activity seems to require a snack. For us, though, it has more to do with DS's food allergy and the ramifications of little kids + peanut butter and the risk for my son in that. Now that he's older he usually just declines the offered snack, but I had to watch like a hawk when he was little. I think most of the time snack is offered as a filler activity. But I do get annoyed by it.

Oh man, you just described our upcoming evening. Our son is in his second year of soccer. Last year the coach was good about asking that the parents bring fruit. Only one family refused and brought some frozen treats that weren't safe. But since it's isn't a league that communicates well it's up to us to let the coach know that it's supposed to be policy and that all of the other parents need to be informed (really bad league communication). Then we have to remind our son again not to eat anything at all until we're able to check it. :(

[BlessedBlue]

I just meant in general. At MOPS last night, people were saying that they can't take their kindy age kids into worship with them becaue snacks aren't allowed (at certain moe traditional services) and I'm like really? an hour?? and it just got me thinking about how often we maek sure we have food if anything is longer than an hour.

I wanted to address this one. My kids usually get a mid-morning snack at around 10:30 (if we're having a late lunch) OR lunch at 11:30. Every day.

Yet most traditional church service times, at least in my experience, are SS@9:30/Worship@11:00. You can't even get out of the building before 12:30. Even if I skip Sunday School, give them a late breakfast and then go to worship - we're still at the church when their bodies are hungry. And that's not even factoring in drive time.

[Elora]

I snack (or graze) all day long. I'm thin [very]. I'm healthy. It keeps me from overeating at meals. I know portion control. My metabolism and blood sugar are level all day.

I think eating 3 meals a day can be unhealthy. It often times causes spikes and crashes in blood sugar. Your metabolism slows between meals causing your body to retain fat. You're waiting too long to eat, and as a result the average "portions" eaten are out of control.

What's more important is what you are eating - and imo, if you're grazing on healthy food all day, you're better off than eating 3 meals a day.

[mamajane]

My kids are grazers. You'll find the half eaten apples all over my house to prove it.
That's why my kids aren't even allowed to have whole apples most of the time (besides that they're often not organic and need to be peeled). They get a quarter at a time or we'd go through a bag a day.

[WingsOfTheMorning]

I wanted to address this one. My kids usually get a mid-morning snack at around 10:30 (if we're having a late lunch) OR lunch at 11:30. Every day.

Yet most traditional church service times, at least in my experience, are SS@9:30/Worship@11:00. You can't even get out of the building before 12:30. Even if I skip Sunday School, give them a late breakfast and then go to worship - we're still at the church when their bodies are hungry. And that's not even factoring in drive time.

This is a problem for us too...and not just DD. I get really irritable or spacey if I don't eat often enough.

I would have a problem with junky snacks at activities, but healthy snacks are an integral part of our days. Just last week, DD starting melting down all the time and I finally realized she was extra hungry (growth spurt maybe?) and she needed to eat more often.

[mamajane]

Just last week, DD starting melting down all the time and I finally realized she was extra hungry (growth spurt maybe?) and she needed to eat more often.

I think this is what my 5 yo is in right now. Thanks for the growth spurt perspective.

[erh384]

It is frustrating! DH has a quick metabolism and needs to eat constantly (and in quantity), dd is typically a grazer but we don't have 'junk' food as a grazing option (things like healthy boxed cereals, store-bought bread, ww muffins/quick breads, beans & tofu are limited too)

BUT I also teach 2/3yo SS & am SOOOOOOO glad we serve a snack- :bag usually graham crakers, ritz or cereal.

[Mother of Sons]

My kids rarely if ever get snacks but they want them. in particular is hungry all. the. time. They would demolish a fruit or veggie tray so it's not a junk food thing