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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

I do not understand snacks

392 replies

Yellowdaffodila · 27/03/2023 10:52

So I'm not from the UK and I hear and read about the snack thing all the time.
What is a snack? When I take my children out I'm asked to bring snacks. They will be home for food after our trip. They eat breakfast. Why a snack?

OP posts:
Oldnproud · 27/03/2023 13:25

helpfulperson · 27/03/2023 11:42

Why does mumsnet have such a hard time understanding that other countries or cultures do things differently. Its fairly obvious you don't mean you don't understand what a snack is but you mean why do we snack so frequently?

It is a fairly recent phenomenon to the extent it happens now. In the 70's we maybe had a snack after swimming but not everyday after school or every time we went to the park.

I think it's tied in with parents wanting to be their child's friend so they give them what they want.

Well said.

IDontWantToBeAPie · 27/03/2023 13:26

Cottagecheeseisnotcheese · 27/03/2023 12:43

Snacking is really not so much a thing even in other places in Western Europe, in France most people only eat three times a day but they don't tend to eat lunch at their desks
Children normally get a 3 course lunch at school, then a small meal at about 4pm called "goitre" to keep them going till dinner around 7pm I think but most adults won't snack, there is less of a culture of eating or drinking on the go too
of course crisps popcorn etc exist but it's just not an every day thing
part of the dietart control of type 2 diabetes is only eating 3 times a day and not eating at all for 12 hours say 8pm- 8am
When I was a child in 70's snacking was a treat not daily like getting icecreams mid afternoon on holiday or biscuits mid morning, lots of people went home for lunch from school lunch was over an hour it was quite common to have main meal at lunch time, if we were hungry after school or sport you would get bread and butter or jam but it wasn't a regular thing but we probably had more a meal times we normally had eggs as well as cereal for breakfast, lunch and dinner would have a pudding or cake afterwards

Got some news for you... goitre is a SNACK. That's what it is! So France has a major culture of feeding their kids a snack! And it's white bread, butter and chocolate not something healthy and nutritious 😂

ThereIbledit · 27/03/2023 13:27

I think (hope) the difference can be surmised as:

Some people eat at mealtimes only. If they are hungry, they wait for the next mealtime.

Some people feel hungry between meals and they don't like waiting for the next meal. Hunger can be unpleasant to experience, distracting and/or reduce their energy level. So these people eat snacks, as a way to end the strong feelings of hunger, whilst ideally not filling them up for as long as a meal would so that they will be ready for the next meal on time.

Children who are hungry find it more difficult to concentrate, and may find it harder to regulate their emotions. These children are harder work for staff, so they are encouraged to eat something between meals that satisfies the immediate hunger but (ideally) not so much that they will not be hungry when the next mealtime rolls around.

Emmamoo89 · 27/03/2023 13:27

Namechangedforthisonetoday · 27/03/2023 13:12

Oh Emma, you do make me laugh hen 😂 Forever preaching to us all about how you’re going to breastfeed your little boobie monster until he’s 45, then in the next breath yelling at us all with a mouth like a docker 😂 It’s always more entertaining with you around I’ll give you that!

Show quote history

I'll take that as a compliment 🤣Grin
Nah he's gonna get breastfed till 2.
In a foul mood as I'm poorly. Off to the doctors now!

potniatheron · 27/03/2023 13:31

Archeological evidence first brought forward in 2014 suggests that popcorn (popped maize in general) was a favourite snack of ancient indigenous people in Peru and Mexico.

JackiePlace · 27/03/2023 13:34

Snacking is generally a bad habit, unless you're an athlete or over the age of 80. It's good that your family is not in the habit. No need to send snacks on outings. Make sure your children don't start mooching off others though!

Dutchesss · 27/03/2023 13:35

A snack to me is a handful of nuts, a piece of fruit or something like that. It helps keep your blood sugar regulated and actually helps stop me from over eating at meal times.

Many people seem to refer to sweets and chocolates as 'snacks', I don't understand that either. These things are treat foods that should be moderated not expected.

Mercurial123 · 27/03/2023 13:38

Dutchesss · 27/03/2023 13:35

A snack to me is a handful of nuts, a piece of fruit or something like that. It helps keep your blood sugar regulated and actually helps stop me from over eating at meal times.

Many people seem to refer to sweets and chocolates as 'snacks', I don't understand that either. These things are treat foods that should be moderated not expected.

I give my cat treats. I eat food.

Architectahoy · 27/03/2023 13:40

I lived in a European country where all children were entitled to a pan au chocolat at school, for free! As a midmorning snack....

Pastry and sugar. The horror 😂

If the Brits did that there'd be uproar.

Notjustabrunette · 27/03/2023 13:43

So I take snacks with me if I’m going somewhere and I’m not sure what time we’ll be back. I like a trip to a country park, and I don’t want to have to rush home because everyone is hungry. I also don’t want to take a full picnic lunch with me in case we don’t need it. A banana and a pack of crips or something could mean that we stay out for an extra hour or so if we are enjoying ourselves. I also take a snack with us if we go swimming as the kids a really hungry afterwards and by the time we get home and make some food would be about 40mins later.
Or we might be on a big day out like London for the day with lots of walking about. We have on occasions stopped for a biscuit and a drink to keep our energy levels up.
Hope this explains the snack situation.

JonesDrones · 27/03/2023 13:50

If you're asked to bring snacks, what that means is 'we don't want to feed your children'.

MoonriseKingdom · 27/03/2023 13:51

Surely everyone knows the correct order of eating in England goes
Breakfast
Elevenses
Lunch
Afternoon Tea
Dinner/Supper
Have you never had a little piece of cake mid afternoon just for the thrill of it? 😉

My 2 children really couldn’t go from lunch at school at around 12 to dinner at 6/7 without something to eat. Especially on nights when they have dancing. Sadly since hitting 40 my metabolism is such that I tend to avoid snacks but I remember being perpetually hungry as a teenager.

GonnaGetGoingReturns · 27/03/2023 13:52

This is a joke right?!

All countries have a snack or know the meaning of it.

WeeBitOfWoo · 27/03/2023 13:53

I dont eat three meals a day. I m’snack’ loads.

So, today I had:
-a banana before the gym
-eggs & toast after the gym
-just had an apple & some peanut butter
-will probably have a few of ‘snacks’ between now and dinner at 7pm - a satsuma, a ryvita w/houmous & cucumber, maybe some yoghurt w/nuts & honey
-will have fish & veg for dinner

I always have nuts, fruit, a protein bar or cereal bar stashed in my bag when I go out and about.

That way of eating works for me. It keeps my energy up and means I don’t get hungry and eat crap or eat big portions of dinner. It’s also the best ‘diet’ for me as it keeps my weight stable (I’m not overweight).

Crumpetdisappointment · 27/03/2023 13:54

a biscuit to help your blood sugar

Crumpetdisappointment · 27/03/2023 13:57

i never really gave my snacks
we went out without food or drink 20 years ago, to the woods or the park with the dog.
before swimming, nope nothing.
walking home from school - nothing.

probably an apple between meals if we were at home and they were hungry

i should follow my own example!

GonnaGetGoingReturns · 27/03/2023 13:57

Strange OP I’ve worked with a Sri Lankan man who had snacks and I went to secondary school with a Sri Lankan woman whom I’m still in touch with who has snacks and bakes way more cakes than I do!

Having said that her parties and food it’s a big spread with lots of dishes so incorporates Sri Lankan samosas and pakoras.

She certainly loves her crisps, chocolate bars but came to the UK when she was 5, at our school (from 11) we had a tuck shop selling snacks but one old nun made and sold decorated cupcakes.

Crumpetdisappointment · 27/03/2023 14:00

at toddler group they gave out orange squash and a biscuit while the adults had tea or coffee,
i guess that is a snack
who knows.

SleepingStandingUp · 27/03/2023 14:06

AuntiePhoenixClaw · 27/03/2023 10:57

I am with you, we are a non snacking family it’s three meals a day and snacking is incredibly rare though as DS is an adult now he does occasionally, DH is white but also doesn’t snack. I was born and raised here but was raised with my families cultural attitude towards food.

DH is white but also doesn’t snack is there a correlation between skin colour and snacking?

BananaPalm · 27/03/2023 14:06

Dear OP, I really envy you. I'd love NOT to know what a snack is. Keep doing what you're doing, it's much healthier than the ridiculous snack-crazy culture...

pussycatinfluffyslippers · 27/03/2023 14:14

I never had "snacks"...
I don't understand why you need more than 3 meals a day.
Maybe some crisps or sweets if your watching a film/tv?
Or an apple or banana?
Not sure where the whole "snack" think has come from.

pussycatinfluffyslippers · 27/03/2023 14:19

JonesDrones · 27/03/2023 13:50

If you're asked to bring snacks, what that means is 'we don't want to feed your children'.

It means your children should have eaten their meal before you arrived.

What are they? Sheep or human? do they permanently graze?

Ponoka7 · 27/03/2023 14:24

BellePeppa · 27/03/2023 13:00

I didn’t eat snacks growing up back in the 70s (remember the Milky Way ad, ‘The sweet you can eat between meals’). I eat far too many snacks between meals now though :( (or maybe I eat meals between snacks).

In the 70's we were taking ourselves off to the baths etc. We were packed off with crisps, biscuits (a few Mums worked in Jacobs so there were broken biscuits abound) and often jam sandwiches. There wasn't the commercial snack range and income made a difference. A couple of less well off friends ate dripping on bread, or even cold toast, but they were small amounts of food to tide us over until meal times, so snacks. Crisps were about, but not that cheap, they were still in the treat category. As well as milky way, there was the "finger of fudge, just enough to give your kids a treat" and the milky bar kid.
Other cultures do have small meals/street food small portions which is our snack equivalent. A good percentage is deep fried.

midsomermurderess · 27/03/2023 14:24

Other countries do snacks too, not just us snuffling, piggish Brits. Almuerzo and la merienda in Spain, for example.

TellingBone · 27/03/2023 14:24

Wind 'em up; let 'em go.

Well done 😂

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