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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To not understand the point of 'snacking'

172 replies

Phillipaaa · 31/05/2017 16:55

I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. I have never aten between or after meals. The reason for this is because I wasn't brought up with it.

I'm not hungry inbetween meals but then I do have decent sized portions for each meal.

I'd never be someone to sit down after evening meal with a packet of crisps.

Is this really unusual? when I go to my friends houses they seem to be constantly eating.

OP posts:

oblada · 31/05/2017 18:40

"I have been told recently by several different medical professionals that is it is MUCH healthier to have 5 or 6 spaced out largish snacks a day, than 2 or 3 larger meals."

Exactly this. It is much healthier and natural to have quite a few small meals. After its to each his own, the key is probably being able to listen to your body and eat out of hunger and not boredom or habit. I find that I often skip lunch during the week-end because we have a good breakfast, later than usual, and will instead had an early-ish dinner. Its not possible when I am at work as I am too much into the habit of eating at lunchtime and the stress of work does make me want to eat. With certain kind of work I also like (healthy) snacking, it helps me concentrate.

iamavodkadrinker · 31/05/2017 18:42

These threads are the best. It is a joy to watch the "we've lost sight of what a healthy diet is" brigade slug it out with the "I need to eat a box of 12 donuts a day because of my metabolism" brigade.

Violetcharlotte · 31/05/2017 18:43

Good for you!

I however love to snack and find it preferable to late meals. It's a good way of getting in all the good stuff. For example, I snack on nuts mid morning and fruit/ yogurt mid afternoon. In the evening I'll often have more fruit and yogurt or chocolate

NoMoreAngstPls · 31/05/2017 18:44

I definitely get Hangry....

NennyNooNoo · 31/05/2017 18:44

I've noticed this too. DH tends to snack / eat something or else drink a coffee about every 90 minutes at the weekend. In contrast, I have 3 good sized meals ( I eat at least as much as him at mealtimes, despite being smaller) and a tea time snack at around 4 pm, and nothing else. I like to have at least 2 hours uninterrupted time between meals when I can get on with things without having to stop for a break or snack. Overall, I would say I eat a healthier diet as the meals are usually more nutritious than his snacks which are often high in sugar. We're both slim although I am skinnier ( BMI about 19, don't know what his is). Horses for courses. Whatever works for different people.

QuestionARhino · 31/05/2017 18:45

I love the people who are surprised at people eating dinner at 5:30!! I prefer to eat between 5 and 6 any later and I'm fed up, feel crappy, etc. and don't go to bed particularly early, between 10 and midnight. Don't often snack much in the evenings, maybe a glass of milk (I promise I'm an adult I just really like milk) guilty of grazing throughout the day between meals though.

ashley0710 · 31/05/2017 18:49

Is it not just better to eat when your hungry wether that means skipping meals or adding snacks? Just eat when you need to
Why make things so complex follow your own rules not some that tell you when or not to eat
Others have emotional attachments to food for comfort could be bereavement, stress ect
But yeah don't be friends with them
Must be losers for snacking eh?
Get a grip op!!

Also agree with giidyaunt

TheFlis12345 · 31/05/2017 18:54

I'm baffled by all these people having dinner between 5 and 6. Do you all work? I don't know anyone who even finishes work before 5.30?

migrating · 31/05/2017 18:58

I'm baffled by all these people having dinner between 5 and 6.

So am I. Even my kids are not even back from their various activities so early. They DO have a snack after school though and diner around 7:30, even the preschoolers.

SilentBob · 31/05/2017 19:02

My lifestyle doesn't really afford me to be able to sit and eat 3 meals a day.

I work out of the home 10am-10pm.

I don't do breakfast.

Try to wait til about 4pm for lunch (on the go- usually a salad and something wrap. I'm a chef and don't take an actual break)

Then dinner at around 1030-11pm or whenever it's ready!

Some days this is fine, others I'm hungry at 2 so have lunch then. There is no way I'm going from 2-11 with nothing (unless I'm super busy) so then I snack.

CoalTit · 31/05/2017 19:06

I snack often because I turn into a nasty, irritable pain in the neck if I go for a long time without food.
I suspect that this happens to you too, OP, and that's what's led to this "aibu-to-not-get..." post, which always, ALWAYS means "I disapprove of such and such".
I agree with previous posters who said the OP is a very thinly disguised "Obesity crisis! Panic!" post, so I shall just mention that my gracile figure is greatly admired by lots of people.

Ecureuil · 31/05/2017 19:12

DH is rarely home from work before 7 so we couldn't eat before then even if I wanted to. I don't know anyone who is home and has time to cook a meal before 5.30pm! My pre schooler had swimming lessons until 5.30pm tonight.

WomblingThree · 31/05/2017 19:13

Oh bullshit Gooseygoosey12345. I get so sick of this myth being trotted out on every thread about eating. Eating too little does not make you fat, otherwise there would be no such thing as anorexia and there would be no emaciated children in Ethiopia.

Primadonnagirl · 31/05/2017 19:14

You do realise that breakfast , lunch, dinner are just social constructs? When we were in our caves I'm sure we didn't have three square meals a day. It's just food intake...the frequency doesn't matter.

YoloSwaggins · 31/05/2017 19:19

I don't see how 5.30 p.m. is early for dinner though. I grew up having dinner any time between 5-6 p.m. Any later would be horrible for digestion,

Nope - if I eat before 7, I'm starving by the time I go to bed at 12, and have to have midnight toast

alltouchedout · 31/05/2017 19:21

Never has there been a more appropriate thread for a

HostaFireAndIce · 31/05/2017 19:22

I rarely 'snack', but I am quite fat. Most of the grazers I know are much thinner than me.

Ecureuil · 31/05/2017 19:23

I don't see how 5.30 p.m. is early for dinner though. I grew up having dinner any time between 5-6 p.m. Any later would be horrible for digestion

Most people aren't home from work at that time.
And your digestive system doesn't close down while you're asleep.

EastMidsMummy · 31/05/2017 19:25

Most people I know eat around half five sixish as well.

Where do you live?

migrating · 31/05/2017 19:26

I don't see how 5.30 p.m. is early for dinner though

well, my kids don't finish school before 3:15-3:30, so don't have their afternoon snack before 4pm - and they are hungry. I'd rather them not having diner just an hour later. It still more than 12 hours between diner and breakfast, so that's not that bad.

Practically, most people are nowhere near home so early and it still takes some time to cook diner, even if it's just a quick omelette you can guess the menu here tonight

phoenixtherabbit · 31/05/2017 19:28

I don't like eating big portions so I eat small ones and snack between. I'm a healthy weight and actually when I did diet post baby I found snacking more helped me to lose the weight.

Everyone's different. I don't understand why you'd even question it!

Amethistle · 31/05/2017 19:29

Yolo I just meant for my digestion. Eating late makes me feel frumpy and fat before bed.

I had a SAHP though so didn't need to wait until 7-9 p.m. to have a family dinner. WOHP would just reheat their own meals as and when as they worked shifts.

Tinseleverywhere · 31/05/2017 19:30

If people never used to snack in the past why did they invent the custard cream biscuit in 1908?

IcelandicWarriors · 31/05/2017 19:30

We eat around 1730 - 1800. Both work full time. I finish at 1445 and DH at 1700. We eat at that time with DD5.

Amethistle · 31/05/2017 19:33

migrating Ah, see I never had a snack after school. Just got in, had a drink, homework/chill, while SAHP cooked dinner etc.

7 p.m. is a late dinner in my mind, but old habits...

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