What was previously considered a meal is now consumed as a snack. I have one friend that every time I see him he's eating. His locker is loaded with soda, chips, cookies. Kids have always eaten junk food at home, and now they are eating it at school, too. We wonder why kids are getting fatter when we feed them all that junk food.
Snacks can have their place in a diet, nutrition experts say.
The purpose of snacks is to fill in the nutrient gaps that are not met at meals, says registered dietitian Anna Maria Siega-Riz, another researcher on the snacking study. So if you hadn't had enough fruit or milk during the day, you might grab an apple or a yogurt or cheese stick in the afternoon, she says. Popkin says snacks are important for toddlers and preschoolers because their stomachs are small, and they need to keep their energy level high. They need a morning and afternoon snack, but there is no reason it can't be a glass of milk and an apple, he says. Plus, some older kids come home from school really ravenous, no matter how much they ate for lunch, says leading children's nutritionist Ellyn Satter.