Help! My Kids Are Grazing On Snacks All Day
Having the kids in the house all day during COVID-19 pandemic is probably creating a bunch of little grazers, am I right? “Mom, I’m bored. Can I have a snack?” Or if you have a toddler like me, it’s more like “Mama, snack?! BANANA! RAISINS! CRAAAAACCCKKKEEERRRSSS!!!!” It’s a lot of fun.
So, What Should You Do?
First off, don’t put too much pressure on yourself because these are unprecedented times, and we’re just trying to get through the day in one piece. But, you may find that these suggestions help you structure your day and feel less chaotic.
The thing about grazing – meaning eating very frequently throughout the day- suppresses the appetite and never allows the child to become hungry enough for a full meal. Without a good appetite, they won’t explore those foods you want them to try at mealtimes.
On the other hand, kids can become overly hungry without snacks. And we all know what happens if we go too long without eating….We become hangry! Kids can have an even harder time dealing with that. So we want them to be hungry for meals, but not famished, so they can calmly focus on the task at hand.
Kids need structure in their day starting around toddlerhood. It changes a little as they get older and as you start giving them more responsibility. So I’ll break it down by age group.
Toddlers and Preschoolers
For little ones with smaller bellies, they need to eat about every 2 to 3 hours. Set up a feeding schedule that works for your family that includes 3 meals and 2 to 3 snacks per day. You choose what is offered, but you can give them two choices so they have some say in the matter. Say “no” to food requests in between these scheduled times, except for water.
Here is an example of a meal and snack schedule for a younger child:
| 8AM | Breakfast |
| 10AM | Mid-morning snack |
| 12PM | Lunch |
| 3PM | Mid-afternoon snack |
| 5PM | Dinner |
| 7PM | Evening snack (optional) |
Of course you can be flexible from day to day as needed, but try to stick to the schedule as best as possible.
Always offer the snack even if they don’t eat it. If they ask for a snack outside of snack time, it’s okay to say, “The kitchen is closed right now, but we’ll be having a snack in 30 minutes.” Snack time should be about 15-20 minutes long (give or take). It’s okay to end snack time if it’s taking longer than 30 minutes because we don’t want it to turn into grazing.
School-Aged Children (6-12 years old)
School-aged children need 3 meals and 1 to 2 snacks per day. Typically, these kiddos would have an after-school snack, and possibly an evening snack. Be flexible during this COVID-19 time, but you can try to keep a schedule similar to what they would normally be on such as:
| 8AM | Breakfast |
| 12PM | Lunch |
| 3PM | Mid-afternoon snack |
| 5PM | Dinner |
| 7/8PM | Evening snack (optional) |
As kids get older, you can let them choose their own snacks. To encourage healthy choices, have fruit accessible (like a bowl of fresh fruit on the kitchen table or counter) and pre-washed and sliced veggies at eye level in the refrigerator ready to grab. Other items to keep at eye-level in the fridge include yogurt, string cheese and hard boiled eggs. In the pantry, keep canned fruit (in 100% fruit juice), unsweetened applesauce, dried fruit like raisins, freeze-dried fruit, nuts, trail mix, and whole grain crackers and cereal.
Many parents have asked me what to do if your child won’t eat dinner to hold out for snacks. To deal with this scenario, schedule snacktime about 2 to 3 hours after dinner time and let them know they will have to wait until snack time to have a snack. They can decide to eat dinner or not, but it will probably be less appealing to wait if they know they can’t have their snack immediately after dinner ends. Also, treat snacks just like you would meals. They are not treats. Avoid using snacks and any other kind of food as a reward to get your child to eat dinner. It’s not sending the right message, which is that snacks or desserts are better than their dinner foods. We want to send the message that all foods can be enjoyed equally.
For snack time before dinner, allow 1 to 2 hours in between so the snack doesn’t ruin their appetite for the meal. Adjust as needed if you find your child isn’t hungry at dinner time. But also consider that your child might not be the hungriest at dinner time due to eating larger meals earlier in the day. Either way, allow your child to listen to their hunger and fullness cues.
Adolescence (12-17 years)
Older kids are ready for more responsibility when it comes to managing their schedule and meals. Of course, they still rely on you for meals and guidance, but you can relinquish some control. Encourage them to manage their snacks so they can still come to their meals hungry. Again, have healthy options available and help them plan their snacks when needed.
Where Should Snacks Take Place
Snacks should be eaten in a designated eating area, usually at the kitchen table or countertop. Be consistent that this is the only place that food is eaten. There are a few reasons why this is important. For one, who needs crumbs all over the house? No, thanks. Also, choking is a risk if they’re not seated properly or if they’re goofing around while eating. And it’s important to sit with your child while they eat to make conversation (even if it’s mostly babble) and create a positive feeding environment that kids want to show up for. I know it can feel hard in the moment, but it should get easier if you (and all caretakers) are consistent and as your child learns the rules of snacktime. Of course, there will be times when you’re not at home for snack time (outside of quarantine). Be flexible, try to stick to the schedule and keep safety in mind (proper seating, no running with food, etc.).
In addition, try to keep the screens off. Snacking while watching TV, playing with an iPad, or any other distraction can take the attention off of one’s hunger and fullness cues and can encourage mindless eating. There will be special occasions when you allow this, but I’m just talking about most of the time.
The Benefits of Planned Snacks
Like I mentioned earlier, snacks help your child get to their next meal. The goal is for them to show up at mealtime hungry, but not famished so they are able to sit calmly at the table and enjoy this time together. You know what it looks like when you’ve let your child become too hungry (yikes!). My husband would say the same about me (but who the heck likes to be hangry!?). But you do want your child to be hungry enough to take interest in the meal and explore new foods and tastes.
Snacks are also opportunities to offer nutrients that may have been missed at meal time. You can view snacks as mini-meals. Think about what the child hasn’t had yet that day and what they will be offered the rest of the day. Then, try to fill the gaps at snack time.
Snack time can be a great opportunity to offer non-preferred foods. This is because we (the parents) tend to be more relaxed at snack time than at meal time, so the pressure is off. Kids eat better in no-pressure environments.
Planning a Snack
For a balanced snack, aim to include some carbohydrates, protein and healthy fat. Some foods provide more than one like nut butter, which provides both protein and healthy fat.
Protein, healthy fat and fiber-rich carbohydrate sources like whole grains, fruits and vegetables give the snack “staying power,” which means it helps the child get to the next meal with less snacking requests (woohoo!).
Another way to think about it is to aim for 2 to 3 food groups. Food groups include grains, fruits, vegetables, protein and dairy. So a balanced snack might be:
- Whole wheat toast (grain group, provides carbohydrates and fiber)
- Peanut butter (protein group, provides protein and healthy fat)
- Strawberry slices (fruit group, provides carbohydrate and fiber)
SO, this snack has 3 food groups (grains, protein and fruit) and provides carbohydrates, protein, healthy fat and fiber. See below for more snack ideas!
Here are food sources that provide carbohydrates, protein, fiber and healthy fat.
- Carbohydrate sources:
- Grains, fruits, vegetables, milk and yogurt
- Protein sources:
- Beef, poultry, eggs, beans, nuts and seeds. Milk and milk-based products like cheese and yogurt provide protein, as well.
- Fiber-rich foods:
- Fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds and whole grains (like bread, crackers, oats and cereal). Aim for half of grains to be whole grains.
- Healthy fat sources:
- Nuts and seeds, nut/seed butter, avocado, olives and vegetable oils.
Snack Ideas
*This is a general snack list, so follow standard choking precautions for children 4 years and younger.
- Whole wheat toast + almond butter and sliced berries (sprinkle some chia seeds for added nutrition)
- Whole grain crackers + peanut butter
- Mini bagel with nut/seed butter and raisins
- Whole grain waffle + dried fruit and pumpkin seeds or chopped nuts
- Trail mix (nuts, seeds, pretzels, whole grain cereal and raisins – *adjust as needed for choking precautions)
- Cut up fresh veggies + hummus or guacamole
- Guacamole + plantain chips
- Whole wheat pita bread + hummus
- Pita bread + cream cheese and sliced tomato
- Rice cake + nut/seed butter
- Fruit and yogurt smoothie (you can add veggies, nut butter and oats as well!)
- Whole grain cereal + milk
- Whole grain muffin + fruit
- Whole grain crackers + cheese
- String cheese + fruit (*cut up string cheese for younger children so it’s not a choking hazard)
- Hard boiled egg + fruit
- Greek yogurt + fresh or freeze dried fruit
- Cottage cheese + fruit
- Granola bar + fruit
- Roasted chickpeas + whole grain pita bread and tzatziki sauce
- Low sodium turkey or chicken slices wrapped around apple slices (*remove apple skin for younger kids)
- Low sodium turkey or chicken slices + whole grain crackers and cheese
- Popcorn and nuts (*choking hazards for younger children)
Take Home Points
- Planned snacks are beneficial
- Avoid grazing in between scheduled meals and snacks, except water
- Practice sit down snacks as often as you can
- Treat snacks like mini-meals
- Aim for 2 to 3 food groups for a snack
- Make sure it has some fat, fiber or protein to be satisfying and help it last until the next meal
- It doesn’t have be perfect all the time
What are your child’s favorite healthy snacks? Share your ideas in the comment section below!
Sources:
Satter, Ellyn. Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense. Bull Publishing Company, 2000.
Satter, Ellyn. “Child Feeding Ages and Stages.” Ellyn Satter Institute, 2019, www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/.
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