We've been wrestling with how to handle candy/snacks with Charlie.

He loves them of course, but they are almost all highly processed and/or filled with sugar (unless you make them at home, or buy special candy/snacks). We used to be pretty generous with this stuff, but after a while Charlie started begging for lollipops and cookies instead of his regular food... and his appetite for regular food also went down.

So we've had to make a big effort to cut down on the amount of cookies and snacks that we let him have. One example: we used to bring him with us to the corner deli all the time, but he begged for candy and the owner gave it to him for free! So we've stopped going there with him every day, and only stop by once a week or so... usually on Friday, to celebrate the weekend!

I'd love it if Charlie's snacks are mostly fruit; he does seem to love blueberries, oranges and strawberries so maybe this is an achievable goal! I do want him to eat normal snacks now and then, so that he learns how to handle candy/snacks in moderation. Otherwise if we're too strict now, he might not learn how to eat snacks in moderation. That's something I wrestle with as an adult, so it'd be great if he didn't have to go through that!

How do you guys manage the amount of candy/snacks that your LO eats a day?