Frequent snacking in between meals. (meal, milk, baby, weight)

[FosterDadGSP]

My wife and I are taking care of a 3 year old boy. He has a ton of energy and is always running around, and he has a great appetite, always finishing his plate at every meal and asking for more.

But a half hour after meals, he starts asking for snacks. And if he eats a snack, he'll ask for another one shortly thereafter. We don't give him junk food, just breakfast-biscuit type things (kind of like Nutrigrain bars, but not exactly) . But he asks for snacks quite often.

I feel it's important to have structured meals and want to implement a "one snack between meals" policy. My wife thinks he's a growing, incredibly active kid and there's no harm in giving him several snacks between meals, as long as he keeps eating his meals.

Is there anything wrong with giving a kid multiple snacks between meals in such a situation?

[hothulamaui]

as long as it isn't junk food. jive him apples or even a small bunch of grapes, then give him another bunch of grapes. they say we as adults should be eating 5 small meals a day. the kid may also be bored, at the second snack request maybe read him a book.

[stan4]

Depends on the contents of his meals and snacks.

My kid is turning 3 in a month.
He eats breakfast at 7, 10am snack, lunch 1230, snack after nap ~1530, and dinner at 1830. Without fail. These are presented to him whether or not he asks for food.

If my kid asks for *anything extra*, he gets fruit or veg or sometimes a cheese (babybel wheel).
His meals have protein, LARGE portion of veg, legumes, fruit for dessert, and an occasional grain/rice.
His snacks are fruit or veg and sometimes some crackers. Yogurt.
He drinks water. Period.

So if this kid is already consuming a large, varied, whole food diet with scheduled snacks, you may see less of this.

Do NOT carb him up with sugary breads and crackers and cookies and kiddie cereal. Insulin spikes from high carby meals/snacks will cause a crash and seeking more crappy snacks.

[monumentus]

I see nothing wrong with it really. What do you feel the downsides could be exactly?

However if it concerns you then simply read into what foods are appetite suppressants. Slow energy release foods for example can leave one feeling less hungry for longer. Bananas, nuts, and a few other things do this. A boiled egg is a good example of a food I have read - and noticed - leaves one feeling not hungry for longer.

But in general what is the harm in your view? What is your worst case concerns about this? Are you fearing obesity and the child becoming over weight? Or something else?

[FosterDadGSP]

I don't have a real solid reason to be against it, as long as he's still eating his meals - it just feels wrong to me. Which I know isn't a great reason, so that's why I'm asking.

[stan4]

One reason is that you want to build good habits.

[no kudzu]

If he is a foster child he may not be in the habit of having food available to him on a regular basis and is testing to make sure it really is there. Also food represents care and nurturing so it is not unusual for insecure or neglected kids to reach for more food. Stan4 is right. Give good quality snacks like fruits- no fruit juices-just whole fruits and raw veggies to fill him up. Good luck.

[Hedgehog_Mom]

He may be going through a growth spurt right now. My kids used to have a bigger appetite and want to snack all day during growth spurts.

Yogurt makes a good snack. So does cereal (like cheerios) in a little tub or bag that he can carry around with him.

[Murk]

Make his meals bigger? As long as all the food is actually healthy, I don't see a problem. There is also no problem with saying, "No. You can wait for lunch."

[Zimbochick]

Add a glass of skim milk to each meal and/or snack. Veggies such as baby carrots and celery with hummus is a filling snack. Some of those pre-packaged breakfast sandwiches are quite low calorie. He may be better off with a cooked breakfast or real oatmeal.