Do your kids eat ALL day long?

I feel like they are eating all day long and I'm not sure if it's because they are growing and not getting enough to eat at the three main meals or what? I was just told by the dentist that they shouldn't be having snacks between meals daily.

What does a typical menu look like for your kids daily?

Re: Do your kids eat ALL day long?

It's funny... dentists say they *shouldn't* eat throughout the day, but doctors and diet experts say they *should* eat snacks and things throughout the day....

In other words, no matter what, you're wrong....

DC eat all day. I think it's healthier, since they eat when they are hungry, and don't eat when they aren't. They are the perfect weight, and they have no food issues. I'm not messing with it.

Re: Do your kids eat ALL day long?

Posted by GoldenRod

It's funny... dentists say they *shouldn't* eat throughout the day, but doctors and diet experts say they *should* eat snacks and things throughout the day....

In other words, no matter what, you're wrong....

DC eat all day. I think it's healthier, since they eat when they are hungry, and don't eat when they aren't. They are the perfect weight, and they have no food issues. I'm not messing with it.

Re: Do your kids eat ALL day long?

I wish my DD ate more. I feel like she eats nothing compared to other DC her age. yet she is in the 50% for weight and 60% for height so I guess she is eating enough. Today she ate:

1 waffle for breakfast

1/2 peach and some pretzels for lunch

2 chicken nuggets and some fries for dinner.

thats it. Some days are alittle better, but she is not a big eater at all. she is 5

Re: Do your kids eat ALL day long?

My kids do eat all day long. I keep the bottom drawer of my fridge stocked with fruit, raw vegetables and low fat cheese and yogurt and they can help themselves whenever they want. If they are truly hungry they eat the healthy snacks. They rarely ask for "junk" except for their after dinner snack, which I allow.

Re: Do your kids eat ALL day long?

My kids go through fits and starts with eating. Sometimes I can barely get them to eat anything all day long. Other times it's that they are eating me out of house and home.

Right now we are in an "eating all the time" period. Here's what my 5 year old DD ate today:
-2 waffles
-bowl of dry Special K
-PB&J sandwich
-2 big pieces of watermelon
-paper cup of pretzels
-2 pieces of plain bread
-bowl of homemade mac and cheese, with a side of veggies

The pediatrician tells me my 2 girls are underweight. They barely make the charts. Yeah right, doc, come to my house and see what they eat all day!!!

Re: Do your kids eat ALL day long?

Yep my ds eats all day long and it drives me nuts! I feel like a short order cook!
For breakfast he had 2 waffles, 1 bowl of farina, eggs and toast and a fruit cup. The thing is he only ate like 1 bite of each and said he changed his mind!
The rest of the day he had chicken nuggets, salad, ice pops, chips & salsa, strawberries, a peach and 3-4 bites of everything on my plate!

Re: Do your kids eat ALL day long?

My DD eats all day. Most of it is good food but some days she eats junk too. But she eats all 3 meals so I don't worry about a little snacking here and there. She will usually eat 2 things for breakfast, lunch, dinner and a before bed "meal" like cereal or oatmeal. Plus the snacking. She is VERY active all day (and night).

Re: Do your kids eat ALL day long?

I wish my DD would eat like what everyone else is describing. she eats like a bird!

Re: Do your kids eat ALL day long?

Re: Do your kids eat ALL day long?

Re: Do your kids eat ALL day long?

DS eats all day long- I am constantly fixing something for him to eat- I feel like I am housing a teenager! He is SUPER skinny- to the point where I feel like I have to assure people that I feed him at all- He is just growing really fast- Shirts that he wore at the end of the school year don't fit him anymore.

Re: Do your kids eat ALL day long?

First off I want to say that from the dentist's perspective, it's about sugar sitting on their teeth all day long and not being brushed off like someone might after each meal. I wouldn't go by the dentist's opinion when it comes to their nutritional well being or hunger & growth phases. As far as the eating all day - their stomachs are smaller, they are growing so I get that they can eat all day long. My issues with it come in when I feel like it's from boredom and/or eating too much of something. My one son would fill up entirely on dairy all day if given the chance. So I definitely have to stay on top of what they are having. My 7 yr old DD is a bottomless pit lately, luckily she's a very diverse & open-minded eater.

Re: Do your kids eat ALL day long?

They eat when they are hungry - and sometimes it's all day long.. but usually not so much.

Typical day for Robbie:
Bowl of oatmeal with fruit
Chobani yogurt
Handful of cashews and a glass of water
PB&J sandwich, peach, glass of almond milk
Blueberries
Supper (whatever I make including protein, starch, veggie), glass of almond milk or fruit juice
Dessert - popcorn, pretzels or a homemade treat.

Noah is usually much less:
Bowl of oatmeal
Tomato and Cheese slices with a glass of OJ
Blueberries
Supper (see above)
Dessert (see above)

I pretty much let them tell me when they are hungry and give them choices as to what they can have -- but there are rules. They can't have dessert if they don't eat supper. Also - sometimes they will SAY they are hungry because they really want a particular treat that I have in the house - I'll offer an alternative and suddenly they aren't hungry. I try to keep 'junk' out of the house because I have my own weight struggles and because it discourages that 'false' hunger.