Anonymous wrote:Kids are 5, 3, 1...

7: Breakfast
9: Breakfast #2 at school
11: Morning snack at school
12:30: Lunch at school
3:30 Afterschool snack
6: Dinner
8: Pre-bed snack

As long as snacks follow the same pattern/rules as meals in terms of nutritional content, why does it matter if kids eat many small snacks v several large meals; the former more closely mirrors humans’ natural health cues.

Er this may match boredom eating cues but a "natural health cue" to eat 7 times a day? Sure maaaybe if I spend hours at the gym.

Kids are 5, 3, 1...

7: Breakfast
9: Breakfast #2 at school
11: Morning snack at school
12:30: Lunch at school
3:30 Afterschool snack
6: Dinner
8: Pre-bed snack

As long as snacks follow the same pattern/rules as meals in terms of nutritional content, why does it matter if kids eat many small snacks v several large meals; the former more closely mirrors humans’ natural health cues.

In my frig I keep a big container of sliced apples and I let them go at it whenever they cry for a snack. I should own an orchard.

That was our routine until my kid was around 6 or 7, at which time he was able to sustain from breakfast until lunch without a morning snack.

Anonymous wrote:Mine is only 3, but:

7:30 breakfast
10 snack
12 lunch
3 snack
6 dinner
7:30 offered a banana or protein smoothie before bed

This is more or less my 4 year olds schedule. Also mine, except I add coffee.

My kids aware 3 and 4.5 and their food schedule is:

7:30 - simple breakfast at home
9 - snack/ second breakfast at preschool
12pm - lunch
3:30 - snack
6pm - dinner at home
8ish - snack (fruit of some nature) and milk before bed

They are both on the skinny side and don’t eat a ton at one sitting.

Mine is only 3, but:

7:30 breakfast
10 snack
12 lunch
3 snack
6 dinner
7:30 offered a banana or protein smoothie before bed

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids have always eaten whenever they wanted to. They are all teens and young 20s. No one is fat. You people are creating eating disorders.

It has less to do with eating disorders/withholding food and more to do with mindless/bored eating (and filling up on empty calories). Unless snack is always nuts/cheese/avocado/protein or something healthy.

I don't know what the snack is at school - it can be anything from oatmeal to a bagel to fruit/saltines. Cupcake if there is a birthday. I've also seen popsicles, goldfish, vanilla wafers -the range of things.

The go-to car snack is an apple sauce pouch and cheese stick.

This is the exact schedule my kid has during the week, although we eat dinner closer to 6:00. She is almost 4. During the weekends I feel like she snacks more and I don't withhold snacks, but I will cut her off close to dinner or if she just keeps asking for stuff. It's generally healthy stuff.

Anonymous wrote:My kids have always eaten whenever they wanted to. They are all teens and young 20s. No one is fat. You people are creating eating disorders.

It has less to do with eating disorders/withholding food and more to do with mindless/bored eating (and filling up on empty calories). Unless snack is always nuts/cheese/avocado/protein or something healthy.

My kids have always eaten whenever they wanted to. They are all teens and young 20s. No one is fat. You people are creating eating disorders.

Nope. DD just turned four. Breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner.

Your kid is eating two more snacks than mine.

My kids (2 & 5) are both on the following rough schedule:

Breakfast at 7:30
Lunch at 11:30
Snack at 3:30
Dinner at 6:30

This totally depends on the kid.

My oldest kid could snack 10x a day and still eat all his meals. Bottomless pit and very thin.

My younger, snacks ruin the next meal so I am more careful about snacking.

My kid is starving in the morning and has breakfast by 8 am, then he gets a morning snack at prek between 9-930, then they eat lunch, then an afternoon snack at pre-k (I guess 2-3ish), then a snack at pick up from me, then we normally go to a playground and he eats dinner around 7. I think we eat dinner later than most families, but does that otherwise sound like what you do?