Islam orders us to take care of our health. Its must that we try to keep ourselves healthy or we will be punished for not doing so. Good health is Allah's gift and we should protect it.
Where ever you will go, you will see families eating three times a day. They all sit together and eat. While this is good to bring the family together but this is a very unhealthy practice. And I am amazed that no one has ever done anything to help people see its effects. With this I also see mothers telling their little ones to completely clean their plates. And I see a lot of people dieting in a very unhealthy way. They would eat little for two to three weeks and then give up and start eating to make up for all that was lost.
Anyway our bodies has a natural system of alarm when it needs food. You feel hungry and acid is released into your stomach which brings about a burning sensation. The feeling of hunger is also elicited by the thought or sight of food.
Making body wait for food till its family meal time, remaining hungry to loose weight or filling your stomach completely with food are not good for your health.
The best way is to eat whenever you feel hungry. But stop when you start to get the feeling that now your stomach is about to get full.
For children, its better to let them eat whatever healthy food they like to eat. Don't force them to eat food of your choice. Let them be happy. Keep fruits, raw vegetables, sandwiches and milkshakes for them to have when ever they feel hungry. And repeatedly but with love keep telling them that they should not eat if they feel they are full. But trust me you won't have to do that alot as most kids play a lot and ask for food when they are hungry. Its nature. Let nature take over.
This practice of eating when you are hungry and not to full your stomach is also good to keep your weight under control. You will loose all the extra fat and with clothes you will look really lean. Trust me on that. I have been practicing this on myself for quite some time now.
Also with this keep moving around. You don't have to do extra exercise. Just walk and do your daily chores. And remain happy. Just do what you want to do and enjoy it. You will remain healthy.
I know a lot of dietitians won't agree with me. They would tell you about vitamins and minerals and nutrients. This terminology thing will alone make a healthy man sick with confusion. I am not saying that science is not right. I am very much in the favor of science. I am just saying that not every one needs to get into the maze of science when there is an easy alternative. And also remember the science of diet has been commercialized a lot. Fact and fiction has been mixed for years to earn money. So all I am saying is that be careful, you can't buy good health from the market.
Please don't try to control what is not in your control. Let Allah do what you can't do. You will remain a lot happier this way.