Throughout the day, many kids are eating a steady stream of snacks while they participate in sports or activities, attend club meetings, ride in the car, or act up in the store. And, according to a recent University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study, the increase in caloric intake from snacks may not only cause unhealthy weight gain and tooth decay, but can also establish poor eating patterns early in life.

If snacks are a part of your child's day, consider the following when it comes to snacking:

Mind the amount
The UNC Chapel Hill study found that the largest increase in snacking had occurred in 2 to 6 year olds who were consuming an extra 181 calories during snack time compared to two decades earlier.

"In the 1970s, there was rarely any snacking for this age group," according to Barry Popkin, PhD, who led the study with nutrition doctoral student Carmen Piernas.

For most children, Popkin recommends one snack a day. Between preschool, sports, and car trips, it may be tempting to hand out a steady stream of snacks. However, take the time to see how many snacks your child is consuming in a day. You might be surprised how much they are eating beyond meal time.

Skip the salt (and sticky)
"I once brought 'old-school' orange slices to a baseball game and the kids all looked at me like they got gypped," said Nancy Erickson, mother of two who lives in upstate New York. "It was ridiculous."

Popkin and Piernas found, that when it came to snacking, children were more likely to drink fruit juice than milk, and turned to salty or fatty snacks, like crackers and chips, rather than choosing a piece of fruit or some vegetables. They also found that candy has become more of a part of children's snacks.

The study recommends that parents stock up on healthy snack foods that include the fruits and vegetables that kids need to stay healthy and limit the consumption of junk food or candy for young children to avoid unhealthy weight gain and possible tooth decay.

Be in charge
Parents often find themselves in the predicament of their kids being offered snacks while they attend programs, activities and sports throughout the day. Parents, like Mandy Downey, a mother of one, question snacks at short meetings, like Cub Scouts, when dinner time is right around the corner.

"The snack issue always gets me riled up," said Downey. "It's like another parental competition, like 'who can provide the grandest snack bag.'"

While it may be hard to stand up and recommend to the group that snacks not be offered, especially right before or after dinner, remember that you may be the person who voices what many of the other parents might also be thinking. And, if it comes down to it, the snack can be graciously refused or saved until later.

Snacking is leading to continuous eating for some children, said Popkin. Snack choices are often full of sugar and fats, and many kids are not hungry and are often eating for other reasons.

By Janine Boldrin, a freelance writer and mother of three.