#Study reveals why snack time really counts for most Americans

If your house growing up had great snacks, board games and a trampoline – odds are you had the “cool house” on the block.

A new study asked 2,000 Americans about their childhoods and what they thought the best houses were made of.

For nearly half of respondents, as long as the pantry was stocked with good snacks, that was the go-to house for having fun.

Next in line for what was needed to be the cool house was having access to video games and cable TV (tied at 38%).

And 33% of those surveyed said visiting someone who had different toys than they did was another sign they were at the cool house – tied with having board games on hand.

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of RXBAR, the survey found 67% of parents surveyed said they want their house to be the “cool house” for their kids and their friends to have fun at – and this is already the case for 63%.

In addition to looking at what made the cool house, the survey also asked respondents about their favorite childhood memories.

Results found nearly eight in 10 respondents said snack time was their favorite activity as a kid.

Another 81% of those surveyed said finding their favorite snack in their packed lunch was the best feeling.

Sixty-two percent of respondents also reminisced about swapping snacks in the cafeteria with their friends at school.

The best childhood memories came from food for 63% of those surveyed, so it’s no surprise that 75% of the parents polled said snack time with their kids is one of their favorite activities now.

“Food brings people together and creates memories that last a lifetime,” said Jim Murray, President of RXBAR. “For kids, there’s nothing better than a favorite snack but it’s important to mix things up every once in a while and have a variety of snacks to choose from.”

Thirty-seven percent of those surveyed also said their own parents’ snacking rules affected how they make their rules for their own kids.

And in terms of household rules, the top rule respondents had at their childhood homes was that they had to have their homework done before they could play.

Other common household rules back in the day included not being able to watch TV until their homework was done, eating all their vegetables before leaving the dinner table and no dessert until they finished their dinner.

But in their homes today, respondents seem to be more easy-going.

Nearly three-quarters said they have fewer household rules in their homes today because they grew up in a strict household.

“No matter what your house rules are, it’s important to live a healthy and balanced lifestyle,” added Murray. “A great way to keep a balance between having fun and being healthy is having a variety of snacks on hand.”

TOP SIGNS OF A COOL HOUSE


Good snacks – 49%


Video games – 38%


Cable TV – 38%


Pool – 34%


Different toys than I had – 33%


Board games – 33%


Big backyard – 31%


A dog/pet to play with – 29%


Siblings to play with – 27%


Trampoline – 24%

TOP HOUSE RULES


Homework has to be done before playing – 43%


No TV until homework is done – 37%


Eat all veggies before leaving the table – 35%


No dessert/sweets until you finished dinner – 34%


Limited TV time on school-nights – 30%


Finish all my food on my plate even if I didn’t like it – 29%


Finish daily chores before playing – 28%


No snacks right before dinner so you wouldn’t be too full to eat – 27%


Be home before the streetlights turned on – 27%


No eating in bedrooms – 25%


Shoes off in the house – 24%


No snacks after dinner – 21%


Drink one glass of milk a day – 20%


Not allowed to drink a flavored beverage with dinner so I wouldn’t get “full” – 19%


Not allowed to go on the internet without permission/supervision – 18%