How Do You Do Snacks?

[URMySunshine77]

DS can get dysregulated when he has an empty stomach, so I give him food about every 2.5 hours. Recently I've wondered if he isn't attentive enough during regular meals because he hasn't worked up a hearty appetite. I wanted to see how you all usually treat snacks (how often, how much,
Etc). He usually doesn't tell me when he is hungry.

[toastie]

My kids eat A LOT! They don't tell me when they're hungry but if we get yo 3 hours their behavior goes down the tubes.

I try to focus on fat and protein as the basis for their food to help avoid blood sugar spikes. They still eat a ton of carbs too. So snack will be a cheese sticks, nature valley protein bars, whole milk Greek yogurt with fruit and granola, granola bars

I try to aim for whole wheat and oats over white carbs. Lunch is pb and j, leftovers, yogurt, pancakes, applesauce oatmeal muffins, pasta with ground sausage mixed in.

My kids eat veggies at home so I don't list them. They can't have most of their foods at school,because of safety so I don't bother with veggies all the time.

[mrsbuttinski]

At four, DS was good for 2 meals a day; kind of iffy at either dinner or breakfast.

I don't tend to ply kids with snacks if they aren't eating at mealtimes. If DS asked for food, I tended to give him his meal early. My BFF's kid was a scrawny grazer and had a tough adjustment to kindie when she couldn't have food whenever she wanted it.

LOLZ, as an adult, DS snacks like it's his job. He made a salad for dinner. Then had some salsa and chips followed it with a bowl of ice cream.

[akafred]

Snack for DD is something like a cheese stick or babybel and half a banana or some freeze dried peas and raisins, half an avocado, or apple slices with peanut butter, that kind of thing. That is weekends. On weekdays snack is provided at school, and would be something like a couple slices of cheese and a handful of pretzels or a boiled egg and some rice Chex. I try to limit it to just enough to prevent the low blood sugar dysregulation because she will fill up on snacks and not eat dinner sometimes.

[luvboston]

We are supposed to not let ds snack between meals unless there will be 3 hours between the snack and next meal BC he barely eats and has lost weight.

I give a lot of fruit/veggies,nuts, goat cheese

If we are on the go he gets crackers, Chex, cheerios.

He will eat eggs, oatmeal, pbj, vegan pizza, pancakes, waffles, rice, fish, occasionally chicken with ketchup he's basically a vegetarian.

[spooko]

DS can EAT. I let him have healthy options between mealtimes because he will still eat at meals. DD is finicky and so I often don't allow her snacks in between because then she won't eat later.

DS and I are both susceptible to getting HANGRY, so I do try to push for more protein-based options for him, as they keep him fuller longer. He's 9 now and we've also (probably in the last year) started talking about how the different foods impact his body and which are more satisfying and what is an appropriate portion size of various items. So, sure, you can pick the sugary cereal for breakfast, but this is the amount. Yes, I realize you're still hungry after that...maybe you should choose something more filling and/or healthier where you can have more. That kind of thing. It's a work in progress!

[Deleted]

On the weekdays kids get breakfast at 8, lunch at 11:30, snack at 3, and dinner at 6.

At home kids get breakfast at 9, lunch at 12, snack at 3 and dinner at 7.

At school they eat a ton for their snack and are not usually that hungry for dinner. At home, I give them a cheese stick, cheese and crackers, banana, or cereal bar for snack. So it is less, and dinner is later so they usually eat a better dinner then.

[URMySunshine77]

Thanks for all of your responses. So I do think I've been giving him too big of snacks because I'm afraid of him getting dysregulated. I think he focuses a lot better when he is hungry. So I guess I need to find the right balance moving forward. I like your schedule @clarypax.

[nanaosaki06]

We allow Cade to take as many snacks as he wants, as long is its not too close to dinner. We fill the drawer on the fridge with healthy snacks and let him have at it. I'd rather he eat something, than nothing. When he's hungry, he's hungry.