To think children can go a couple of hours without eating

[OnlyFoolsnMothers]

Not sure if this is just the people I hang out with but every park play date I go on at the moment (there’s quite a few- child is 4), the other parent brings with them copious amounts of snacks.
I’m in no way a food nazi, my child has a morning snack, the odd ice cream when out on hot days, a biscuit pudding after her dinner - I always carry water and an apple- but even I think she can manage 2 hrs in a park without me having to produce a family size bag of crisps, popcorn, a fruit shoot, a haribo.
I’m really fed up of it, firstly because I’m the grinch who says “no” when my daughter asks if she can stuff her face 2hrs before dinner and secondly, because then (unsurprisingly) the other kid sits there eating rather than playing.
If you take a picnic amount of food to a 2pm play date- pls why?

@User5827372728. Well, yes no one needs crisps at 9am but it's your sister's parenting choice whether she gives them to her DC. It's not a choice I would make (crisps are one of my red lines so my DC never has them) but if her kids are active and a healthy weight, it's probably fine. If they're overweight or lethargic, she needs to rethink what she's feeding them.

Your DC bothering you is a separate issue. You have three choices - give in, say no and put up with the whining (and try to distract the toddler) or avoid seeing your sister and her DC at times when you don't agree with snack-giving so your children aren't exposed to it (for example, see them for short periods in the afternoon at the playground). You are not powerless but you really can't expect your sister to change her parenting choices just to suit your convenience. All you can do is make your own choices.

Its a whole lot worse - every single snack causes an insulin spike, specific meal times are far healthier.

Tosh. Only if you're eating the wrong foods.

Actually eating the right foods at regular intervals throughout the day keeps blood glucose levels more steady. Eating one BIG meal causes a big spike and then going 4hrs with nothing causes a longer drop.

First picture is yesterday when I was in work meetings all morning and didn't eat until lunchtime. Second picture was the day before when I had my normal mid morning snack.

@Goldbar

Thank you, I agree with what you’re saying. If I know I’m meeting them I usually try and take something for mine!

I don't remember any kids snacking much when I was a child. A snack was a satsuma or an apple at playtime if at school, or 1 small biscuit between breakfast and lunch at home- certainly not every hour. We definitely didn't get toast smothered in butter and jam and fruit and yoghurt at preschool. Kids came after breakfast- they didn't need another repeat of breakfast mid morning. We were offered a mini bottle of milk and sliced of apple.

@FrangipaniBlue- what does your graph show?

Sorry posted the wrong second picture 🤣

You get the gist though, one is where I've gone 4hrs between meals (morning) and the other is where I've "snacked" in between (afternoon)

[quote FreekStar2]@FrangipaniBlue- what does your graph show?[/quote]
My blood glucose levels

There has been a seismic shift in eating habits in Britain in my lifetime.
When I was young, nobody would dream of eating in the street - it was considered vulgar behaviour. Snacks were rare - we had three meals a day, and junk food was unavailable or unaffordable.
Nowadays, by contrast, whenever I go out I see every second person stuffing Greggs pasties in their mouths or quaffing high calorie coffee/syrup/chocolate from giant cups! Nobody seems able to last ten minutes without another dose of nutritionally bereft processed crap food.
I am not in the least surprised that we have an obesity epidemic. Levels of ill health in the middle aged are now worryingly high, and will worsen as currently obese primary school pupils fill their arteries with atheroma deposits and store up trouble.
Parents have a responsibility to raise their children with healthy eating habits- and far too many are failing abysmally.

So what are you using to measure blood glucose?

@FreekStar2

So what are you using to measure blood glucose?

I have a sensor in my arm that measures it constantly.

That's interesting @FrangipaniBlue, why?

I think you need to take the line of least resistance here and take a small healthy snack with you so that both children (yours and the other mum's) can snack at the same time. Then at least your child isn't feeling left out while the other child gorges themselves! I would never have taken crisps out with me but I would take something like a small banana, little pot of Cheerios, some chopped up dates, bread sticks. Only one of the above though! Eating is a social occasion and it's an activity children enjoy doing together.

Isn't this interesting. People being offended that parents feed their kids snacks. Blimey.

I don't care what other people feed their kids and when. I do wonder sometimes why so many adults can't go for a half hour walk without bringing a bottle of water. Why don't they drink a glass before they leave?

@Oblomov21

Isn't this interesting. People being offended that parents feed their kids snacks. Blimey.

It’s not about this, it’s about parents unhealthy and distorted thought processes around food which means that children are stuffed with crap when they don’t need it.

Parents have a responsibility to raise their children with healthy eating habits

But given that its largely the generation that didn't snack that are obese now as adults, what are those habits?

I think some parents are just blind to their children being overweight. I have one who is always joking about her child being ‘a giant’ and ‘solid’. Well yes, because she is being fed high calorie snacks every 2 hours or so, plus meals. Each play date involves lots of food. It isn’t necessary to have a bag of crisps, breadsticks and a packet of sweets to run around the park!
Also agree with the PP about eating in the street. No one is that close to starvation they have to walk about eating.

In my experience regular snacks equals a happy time. Ever had a hangry toddler on your hands? Urgh. If theu are running around at a park or soft play then they tend to work up an appetite very quickly but be too distracted to realise until the hamger hits.

But the answer to that is not bags of sweets, crisps and popcorn. In my experience, the answer is making sure they've had a good breakfast/lunch before going out, and maybe taking a bit of fruit with you.

@wombatspoopcubes

I don't care what other people feed their kids and when. I do wonder sometimes why so many adults can't go for a half hour walk without bringing a bottle of water. Why don't they drink a glass before they leave?

Because they prefer to drink while they walk? How is when someone drinks water an issue at all?

God knows how people would have managed during the war when food was rationed. I remember rationing in the early 50s still. There was barely enough to eat at meal times let alone snacks. We weren't all keeling over through lack of food.

There is nothing wrong IMO with eating a piece of fruit of vegetable between meals, maybe even a slice of toast / plain rice cake / boiled egg, etc. But Haribos and crisps to keep going between meals?! And whilst it might seem fine for kids to do it (because they're still very active), it sets them up for bad habits and will lead to weight gain later on in life.

@Ritasueandbobtoo9 I am one who had admitted that I bring snacks or a picnic to a park play date. Partly because it is a way of getting my kids to come and have a 5 minute sit down if they are getting over excited and partly because I associate socialising with eating.
My children aren’t stuffed with crap. If they aren’t hungry then they won’t eat. They eat some unhealthy foods but mostly eat a healthy balanced diet. They are all slim. I don’t think you can blame obesity on snacking. I live in the lowest area for childhood obesity (or at least one of) in the country, almost all children will have a snack at school and after school.

I totally agree with you.

The entire country snacks too much. It's why so many children and adults are overweight/obese.

Humans don't need to be having food every hour they're awake.

If kids (or adults) are "hangry" unless they have a snack that's full of sugar/carbs then it's only proving that their meals aren't adequate nutritionally.

Of course kids get hungry/irritable if they're starting their day with sugary cereal or Nutella on white bread etc.

We've really lost our way with nutrition and food.

I bring snacks bc when my kids get hungry they turn into monsters. And they always get hungry for snacks at 2/3pm. So yes; I would have to give them a snack when out. But not the junk you describe. Not all kids need this. My kids take after me with fast metabolisms and they really just get hungry. They are slim and active. My friend, who has a slow metabolism (she is open about it and struggle w her weight) has kids who never seem hungry! So everyone is different, while one child can easily go hours w out foods, others need something.

@NatashaRf my child has one or two snacks a day. He doesn't have sugary cereal or Nutella or white bread. His snacks are either fruit or tomatoes and crackers etc.
He's starting to often not need his morning snack now at the weekends now that he's 5 so I assume it's because he's naturally able to have a bigger breakfast now he's bigger himself.
Everyone's different and it's not either 3 strict meals a day with nothing in between or feed your child tonnes of crap.