Do you allow your children eating lots of snack before dinner or lunch time?

I got smarter with my two youngest kids. I allow snacks but they are healthier: apples, bananas and other fresh fruit. I rarely buy chips anymore and when I do, it is often a healthier variety. They will make healthy choices on their own, when that is the only choice, but sometimes when I let them have a treat...they treat to much. But I am in control, I do the majority of the grocery shopping, so they get a good mix of nutritious foods. I think it's sad when I see children that have had to have their teeth capped because of sugary treats, or when I see babies that have "bottle mouth" because of pop or juice in a bottle.

I don't think it's a good idea to allow children to eat a lot of snacks before dinner or lunch time. I'm not married so don't have any children but I have some cousins who always eat snacks all day long. I always see their hands and mouth being busy. They eat a lot but very small amount of nutrient foods that are actually needed for their health. as a result most of the time they become sick and have excessive fat compared to their age which doesn't look good. Snacks actually can't satisfy hunger. It just kills the feeling of hunger and cannot digest properly that's why it cannot give a good amount of glucose to the body to produce energy to keep it healthy and sound. As these type of foods cannot digest well, children feel hungry frequently. Eating a lot of snacks before dinner and lunch thus reduce the chances of eating good foods, necessary for health. We should always be concern about the eating habit of our children to keep them healthy and strong.

Hi friend,I hate the habit of children having snacks at mealtime,but my grown up daughter has the habit and I keep scolding her everytime not to do this.But she never listens and she likes only snacks and not other food.But I 've been very strict recently and slowly she is giving up the habit and as she stays in hostel now she has to follow the rules there.I am very much relieved now as she has given up the habit and this was my biggest worry on the earth.Thanks for sharing happy mylotting.

my mom reminds us not to, but there were couple of times i did.

I am not parent but i will not allow them!

Normally I give my children snack after lunch or dinner. It not good if having snack before meal time, they fell full after snack and don't want to eat meal.

I know my 5 year old is starving sometimes during the mid-afternoon. But if she whines about having a snack just before a meal, I might give her a couple baby carrots or slices of cucumber (or the like) just to tie her over til I'm done cooking. At least it's a healthy choice - and even if she doesn't finish all of her dinner, I can be at ease that she got in something healthy anyway.

My children are teenagers now. It is a challenge to keep teens out of the kitchen and out of the snacks. I try to offer some healthy suggestions uch as fruit and veggies with dip. Sometimes I am the victor, but not always. Snacking is all right as long as children don't go overboard. Parents would like their children to be hungry at meal time.

My daughter eats breakfast, lunch and then an after noon snack about 3 pm. The only times I give her something before dinner is if I know it will be a while before we eat (like if we go out to eat or at familys for dinner) And then I will only give her a little something to tide her over not fill her up. When we are out on the weekends I usually do carry a little something with us like fruit snack (yes I know they are not the best but they travel well and are little) because our schedule usually gets thrown off and if she get really hungry she gets really really grumpy. But I did make the mistake I was giving her a small snack before dinner and she is such a small dinner eatter anyway that it would fill her up so I stoped.