Do your children eat set meals or graze all day?

[faith4u]

This has been something that I am struggling with. We have always done set meals but I find now my kids are grazing all day. The thing that bothers me is that they get so busy and then want to eat late at night and I know that isn't good for them.

So I was just wondering what guidelines you set down for your children. Do you have a cut off time of eating? I have been letting them eat late but only fruits.

Thanks!

[fruit]

My kids to love to graze all day especially right before bed.I let them because thay are growing and there bodys need it so i want them to eat whenever hungry.
Its healthy food so i dont see any big deal about it.I could understand a problem if it was junk like cookies,icecream,chips ect.
But when it comes to kids and fruits and veggies ,my opion the more the better...

[Lunar*Fey]

I'm 15 and I like to graze all day. I know it may not be good for me to eat late at night but I often do anyway...I don't think it is a problem because they are young and growing. Are they raw? if they are then I would just let them eat whenever they feel hungry. but that's just my opinion.
:)

[eachpeachpearplum]

Both my kids (6 & 2) sit down to an all fruit meal in the morning but really just graze throughout the day. I leave food on the counter they can help themselves to at any time - fruit, nuts, dehydrater foods.

My daughter does sit down after school at lunch time but that is her choice and it is really just more of the same grazing foods. I like her to sit for messy foods so my furniture does not suffer - too much!

But from miday until bedtime (6-7pm) they can have what they want. "Dinnner time" is the lightest.

So basically they eat when thay want and I try to get them to check with their tummies and for them to decide what it wants. Both are high raw!

EPPP :)

[Ariella]

hi

i have been struggling with the same thing. my son gets busy during the day and forgets to eat and wants to eat really late at night or right before bedtime. so am trying to think of a plan to help rectify that. right now i dont have set meal times other than in the a.m. we have a green smoothie for breakfast. the rest of the day he can have what he wants. i also have a bowl of fruit on the table. we dont do to much dehydrated stuff but when i do i have that out where he can reach it when he wants it also. so that is what we do. i figure it is best to just let them eat when hungry, that way they are in tune with their bodys cues and not to a time of day saying it is time to eat.

Hope that helps!

Ariella

JUICE PLUS+
www.juiceplus.com/+dj73561

my journal: www.ethicalcentral.com/main

[faith4u]

Thanks everyone!

Nope, my kids aren't raw. They are gradually eating more and more after seeing and hearing me talk about it. I am trying not to push, just educate.

Unfortunately my oldest (almost 13) ends up eating so much at night and then isn't very hungry for much in the morning. That starts the cycle all over again. Unfortunately, my husband struggles with the same thing. It is a hard habit to break. My daughter is addicted to toast and most fats. Now that she has hit "that age" she is starting to show it on her body. I don't want her to obsess about it so I haven't said anytihng to her.

If they were all raw I wouldn't worry about it at all.

Thanks again for your help it was very encouraging to hear from all of you.

[IamLoved]

Hi

Just thought I'd pop in here since we are different from everyone else.
My children (5 of them) have sit down meals three times a day. We are quite structured. They help themselves to whatever fruit they want in the morning and sit at the table eating it. They usually have a snack midmorning (more fruit or a green smoothy). Lunch is a fruit and veggie plate or some raw concoction I make for them. They don't get a snack in the afternoons because then they don't eat supper. Supper is usually pretty light. They eat the most in the early part of the day. No food after supper.
Thats how we do it!
:)

[NFrawRUNNER]

Thanks everyone!

Nope, my kids aren't raw. They are gradually eating more and more after seeing and hearing me talk about it. I am trying not to push, just educate.

Unfortunately my oldest (almost 13) ends up eating so much at night and then isn't very hungry for much in the morning. That starts the cycle all over again. Unfortunately, my husband struggles with the same thing. It is a hard habit to break. My daughter is addicted to toast and most fats. Now that she has hit "that age" she is starting to show it on her body. I don't want her to obsess about it so I haven't said anytihng to her.

If they were all raw I wouldn't worry about it at all.

Thanks again for your help it was very encouraging to hear from all of you.

I feel your pain!/ struggle...I am having the same dilemma...They are in school right now so the three (non raw) meals are at set times then they want to eat after dinner, etc...so I made a rule that "snacking" in between meals or after dinner could only be a fruit/veg...and they have to ask! Hey, I have 5 kids...they would eat me out of house and home if I'd let them...I would LOvE them to be "more raw" but they are not...it's a work in progress...anyway, hopefully this summer that will change...School will soon be out and we can focus more on RAW....
:) Maybe there are some of us moms that would like our kids to be "more raw" that can have family meetings and start a "JULY CHALLENGE" with our kids???? :confused: I have the summer off so I can be around them 24/7....anyone interested? E-mail me or maybe I'll start a new thread if any of you respond here????
Di

[Helen Of Tennessee]

My grandson, who is almost 3 and about 90% raw, grazes all day long.

Everyone in our family eats so differently that we all fend for ourselves. 3 of 5 are vegetarians. One who is not a vegetarian is high raw. One who is a vegetarian eats very little raw. One (me) is a vegetarian pretty high raw and our grandson eats the best! So we all fix our own meals. My grandson has his own shelf in the refrigerator where he can just reach in and grab something like grapes, raisins, carrots, etc. I'll cut up watermelon for him, make him smoothies, salads and such.

Also with our schedule, we're never all home at the same time for a sit down meal. Maybe twice a month we can have a sit down meal.