How many meals/snacks does your grade school child eat daily?

[sbgrace]

I'm trying to make a poll. But I'm wondering how often other children eat. I'm particularly interested in kids around the ages of my sons.

[Whereneverever]

Breakfast, lunch, supper for meals, an am tea time where we have a light snack, drink tea or hot chocolate and cover recitation and poetry, ect, an after nap/quiet time snack that is usually just fruit, and a small bedtime snack while they listen to a book being read.

[SKL]

My kids are a little younger, but they "need" 3 meals and 1 snack because of how our day is scheduled (there are 6-7 hours between lunch and dinner).  They are currently getting an additional snack because their teacher lets the class bring a snack to eat at mid-morning.

 

I think if the day is short enough, 3 meals can be enough at school age - that's what I got as a kid and I never thought that was insufficient.  :)

[JudoMom]

Breakfast, lunch, 3:00 snack, dinner.

[Dmmetler]

Three meals, a mid-afternoon snack, and usually something small a bit before bedtime, which leads to eating about every 3 hours or so during her waking hours. DD has some issues with feeding (sensory and motor) and smaller meals more often work better for her.

 

 

 

[RkyMtnMom]

My boy (3rd grade) would act like he was dying if he only got 3 meals a day. ;)

 

I have a 6th grade girl, a 3rd grade boy and a 1st grade girl and we have a normal meal schedule with a snack in between each and then the occasional bedtime snack depending on what time dinner was.

[MomtoCandJ]

Dd eats 4 to 5 times a day. Breakfast, lunch, snack at school (I'm not sure when this snack happens), after school snack, supper (sometimes a bedtime snack, depends in what time dinner was.

[Jennifer in MI]

Dd - grade 2 - eats breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, snack, dinner.  

 

Her meals are a little smaller than someone her age though.

[Ali in OR]

3 meals, mid-morning snack, afternoon snack. Meals aren't huge.

[Amethyst]

I put other. I didn't want to put that they are grazers cuz that made it sound like we don't have set meals. We do have breakfast lunch and dinner. But I don't have particular times for snacks. Eat when you feel like it. Although lately the kids complain that there is "nothing" to eat in the house because I've not been bringing in the junk to the house. Plenty of fruits and veggies to eat though!

 

But if you're interested in how often your child should eat, I'd tell you that I'm not at all big on the idea of limiting when kids eat. I actually think that promotes over-eating. As an example, my dd13 who is in public school now says that because she has to eat lunch at 11:00 with no snack before or after, she feels that she should  eat as much as possible because she knows she won't eat again for quite a while.

[MissKNG]

Small snack when they first get up, breakfast, snack, lunch (generally heavier), two afternoon snacks, dinner (generally lighter).

 

Seems like a lot but these girls are up between 5:30/6am and generally go to bed between 8:30/9pm. And they are put to bed, I don't know when they fall asleep. And they are super super, duper duper high energy all.day.long.

[Janie Grace]

I have sons near your sons' ages (1st grade and 5th grade). They eat 5 times per day -- breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner. 

[hmvaughan4]

My boys are 7 and almost 4. We have breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If they're hungry in between, they ask for a snack. Most days, they are fine with only the three meals.

[Mom-ninja.]

Per my kid's GI doc the minimum he needs to eat a day is 3 full meals and 2 snacks. I'm also supposed to take advantage of beverages for getting calories in. What can I say? My kids love water.

 

Anyway, my 4th grader eats all the time. All the time. He'll eat 3-4 yogurts a day as snacks. I usually put sliced almonds in his yogurt as well. I make smoothies mostly every day as "snacks". For me that would be a meal.  :lol: 

 

We let our kids eat as much as they want as they are all on the thin side.

[AimeeM]

We do the normal 3 *main* meals a day, but have an open kitchen - the children can snack as they please. I'm not really sure how to answer since I have no clue, lol.

The child I'm tutoring is about your boys' age and she eats, at my home, usually breakfast lunch and at least two snacks before going home at 4.

[Mergath]

My dd eats three meals and, if we're having a later dinner, has an afternoon snack if she wants one.

[AdventureMoms]

My 5yo eats 3 meals and 1 snack - usually in the afternoon. She skips the snack about 50% of the time, and sometimes a meal too. My 2.5yos often eat 2 meals and 2 snacks because they are too tired to eat lunch. So they have a light snack and a nap, then a snack after nap. As they outgrow naps they are eating better meals and I hope to move to a more consistent everyone eats 3-4x a day deal. Mine are all a healthy weight - none are rail thin - and I find they eat more healthy food with time between meals.

[MinivanMom]

My school age children eat 3 meals a day.  They don't normally have an afternoon snack unless they have an activity in the evening that will delay their dinner, and that doesn't happen very often.  My preschooler and toddler eat 3 meals a day plus an afternoon snack.

[Gentlemommy]

Typically, but not to the minute...

8 am Breakfast

10 am Snack (usually fruit or Greek yogurt)

12:30 Lunch

3 pm Snack (usually veggies and dip)

6:30 Dinner

8:30 bedtime

[AmandaVT]

We're pretty similar to gentlemommy - 

 

8am - snack. Dry cereal or some crackers or similar

 

930 or so - breakfast. Usually oatmeal and fruit

 

1230 - lunch. Today was black bean veggie soup and 1/2 a quesadilla with olives and cheese

 

3pm - snack during quiet time. Today was grapes, rice crackers and hummus

 

6pm - dinner. Veggie stuffed manicotti tonight with "ricotta" made from tofu to add some protein and lower the dairy fat, corn on the cob

 

630 - 1 dark chocolate hershey kiss for a small treat

[TheReader]

My 8 yr old has crazy fast metabolism, and then when his blood sugar is low he gets crazy grouchy, so we make sure he eats roughly every 2.5 hours.  He eats an egg when he first wakes up, a snack between that and lunch, then lunch, then a snack about 2 p.m., another snack about 4 p.m., a single fruit or something between then and dinner, then dinner around 8 p.m., then probably a fruit or something between then and bedtime (bedtime is 10:30-ish). I don't count how many times he goes and gets fruit from the fruit drawer, though, so possibly even more than that.  So that's 3 meals + 3 substantial snacks + at least 2 light snacks + however many other fruit he grabs. Plus he drinks milk/chocolate milk (with protein powder added) during the day as well. 

 

he eats a lot. Today was -- boiled egg; scrambled eggs w/potato & sausage; peanut butter & nutella sandwich on wheat bread; 3 glasses milk; assorted fruit. We aren't to dinner yet.....

[Ellie]

I voted for 4. I prepare three meals a day. I don't do formal snacks--the idea of actually sitting everyone down for a snack during the day is like o_0 to me--but I added a 4th "meal" to include random snacks we might have eaten over the course of the day.

[Joyofsixreboot]

My kids are big eaters. 3 meals plus 3 or 4 snacks

[Jayne J]

3 meals and a snack, generally.

7am breakfast

10:30ish snack time

1pm lunch

6ish dinner

 

DS has recently started eating insane amounts at every meal and still claiming hunger soon after,--he gets a big kid snack most nights after his sisters go to bed, so he does get one extra snack most days.

[Amethyst]

 I'm also supposed to take advantage of beverages for getting calories in. What can I say? My kids love water.

 

 

Ugh. As a dentist, I would just like to caution you (or anyone else since it looks like your kids like water) about this. If you're going to use beverages to add calories because it's medically necessary, please have them brush their teeth afterwards. I'm usually trying to convince my patient's to cut out the sugary drinks and just drink water!

[daffodil]

3 meals and an afternoon snack.

[myfunnybunch]

My kids eat 3-4 meals/snacks. They eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus they usually (but not always) help themselves to a snack in the afternoon.

 

Cat

[Mom-ninja.]

Ugh. As a dentist, I would just like to caution you (or anyone else since it looks like your kids like water) about this. If you're going to use beverages to add calories because it's medically necessary, please have them brush their teeth afterwards. I'm usually trying to convince my patient's to cut out the sugary drinks and just drink water!

Yeah, I'm not a fan of juice at all. We don't do juice. When they don't drink water they drink milk of some kind. Mostly almond milk sweetened with stevia. Does stevia contribute to dental decay? Anyway, they usually drink water after drinking milk anyway.

[Caitilin]

My dc, ages below, eat three meals, and often but not always have a snack in the afternoon. Fwiw, I do not run an open kitchen.

[DianeW88]

We eat three meals a day and my kids can snack when they're hungry.  I don't monitor their snacking.

[LucyStoner]

5-6 per day for my 10 year old. 2-3 of those are small snacks. About the same for my 4 year old.

[BigMamaBird]

Our kids get the standard three meals and then a snack at 10 and another around 3ish.  That's if they don't go to Grandma's.  If they go there they manage to talk her out of everything in the cupboard!

[texasmama]

We eat three meals a day and my kids can snack when they're hungry. I don't monitor their snacking.

pretty much this

[BrookValley.]

My 6-year old eats all the time. We have three set meals. He eats a snack (or two) before breakfast, a snack between breakfast and lunch, a couple snacks before dinner, and usually something after dinner/before bed. So altogether, 6-8+ times per day. He's about 5th percentile for weight (he has no GI or other issues, he's just tiny, like my husband and his family). I have no idea where he puts it all!

[Lisbeth]

We eat three meals a day and my kids can snack when they're hungry. I don't monitor their snacking.

Same here. We have thin genes and high metabolisms.

[Veritaserum]

Three meals, three snacks.

[sbgrace]

Ugh. I just don't know what to do! We do 3 meals and a snack. I actually don't think my kids eat enough for whatever reason. I even have one who will admit he often stops eating before he's really full, because he'd rather play or whatever. The issue? The pediatrician thinks said child is overweight. She told me to do 3 meals a day, no snacks. On the converse, his twin is tiny. The geneticist would like him to have 6 meals/snacks a day. The problem is he is awake a maximum of 12 hours a day...not enough hours for him to be hungry 6 times. Meanwhile, I feel like I need to cut calories in the child who admits he doesn't eat until he's full! 

 

I'm mind boggled.

 

 

[dancingmama]

We eat three meals. Ds takes a snack to school and he has a snack after school. He seems to have hit the stage of the hollow leg though and is eat more and more often. We have open kitchen and they can snack as they please but that is typical.

[Heather in Neverland]

15yo- 3 meals and usually 1 snack before bed

9yo- he's my strange one. Eats very little breakfast and a very small lunch but from 3pm onwards doesn't STOP eating!

3yo- 3 meals and 3 snacks

[quark]

We eat three meals a day and my kids can snack when they're hungry.  I don't monitor their snacking.

 

This is us as well. I voted 5 as an average but it often depends. Three main meals are the norm. He snacks on fruit, cheese and the occasional treat. Usually has a small snack with or without milk before bedtime. He used to have a blood sugar issue in the mornings so I suggested that bedtime snack. Issue is now gone. Throughout the day, we both usually have a water bottle available wherever we are sitting/ working.

 

DS was putting on a bit of weight last year (5th grade) but I chalked it up to puberty. It started a little early for him. He seems to have lost that weight this year. He eats the same amount as last year, no big difference that I can see. Activity level (about 30-40 mins dedicated exercise per day) hasn't changed that much either.

 

[SKL]

Ugh. I just don't know what to do! We do 3 meals and a snack. I actually don't think my kids eat enough for whatever reason. I even have one who will admit he often stops eating before he's really full, because he'd rather play or whatever. The issue? The pediatrician thinks said child is overweight. She told me to do 3 meals a day, no snacks. On the converse, his twin is tiny. The geneticist would like him to have 6 meals/snacks a day. The problem is he is awake a maximum of 12 hours a day...not enough hours for him to be hungry 6 times. Meanwhile, I feel like I need to cut calories in the child who admits he doesn't eat until he's full! 

 

I'm mind boggled.

 

My kids (who are 3 months apart in age, so essentially twins) are also very different physically.  When they were tots, one of them was probably too skinny while the other was a chunk.  I fed them exactly the same.  Limited quantities of nutritional "Superfoods," and unlimited fresh fruit/veg, usually buffet style.  So Miss Skinny could get more bang for her buck, while Miss Chunk could chow down without putting on weight.  I did (and do) serve fat free milk to both of them.

 

Now that they have more developed food preferences, I can be strategic based on what kind of foods they like.  Miss Skinny likes cheese, her sister does not.  So I buy a lot of cheese and am liberal with it.  Luckily most of what Miss E likes is quite healthy (beans, veggies, etc.)  Sometimes I do have to say "no" when she asks for a 3rd helping of some white carb.  ;)  Or actually, "you've had a lot of bread already, but if you're still hungry, you can have an apple or some carrots."

[dancingmama]

We keep only healthy snacks in our house and they can eat as much or as little. So their snacks are not cookies, chips, etc. their snacks are plain apples, grapes, oranges, carrot sticks, fresh broccoli, etc.

 

Our meals consist of very little white starchy foods. I usually make enough for one serving of it for each of us but they can have unlimited veggies. Stopping before you are actually full is a good skill to have actually. It takes 20 minutes from bite to feel you are full and we should all eat that conscientiously. I wouldn't worry about cutting calories but about providing good, healthy eating habits. My son is 11, with health issues, and barely at the 2% line. But our doc said, someone has to be at the 2% otherwise the 2% would be zero. Made me wonder if docs pushing the bottom of the scale to eat more is what is causing the American weight to drift up. Anyway, we feed him a variety of healthy foods and he eats until he is full. He's healthy, and growing. Don't worry so much about how much but about. Now, if your tiny twin has dietary issues, can you see a nutritionist? Have you ruled out food allergies? Is he on the weight/height scale? Or just low on it? Does tiny run in the family?

 

Both my kids have always been slim and looking at family history you can see why. I was barely on the graphs myself. Perhaps tiny twin is just tiny or perhaps there is an underlying medical reason or the doc may be off the mark.

 

As comparison, my 11 y o is 58 inches and 60 lbs. A year ago ( at age 9/10) he was 54 inches and 54 lbs. He hit a growth spurt and grew, grew, grew.

[mytwomonkeys]

my son is in 4th grade & i'd say he grazes. if meal time is close, i tell him to hold off.