Is pre-dinner snacking ruining your child’s appetite? Here are some tips to help.
We’ve all been there. You spent what feels like an eternity planning, prepping, and cooking a healthy meal for your kids that you’re excited to feed them when you look over and see them stuffing their faces with snacks from the snack cabinet.
*sigh*
We know how much kids love snacks! Snacking isn’t a bad thing, but when it starts interfering with their appetite in a way that prevents eating their meals, you might be looking for a change.
Here are 5 things that have helped us stave off the last-minute over-snacking.
1. Set a Regular Schedule
Kids benefit from routines, and this relates to mealtime, too. Sticking to a schedule helps to ensure steady energy and prevent hunger strikes at inconvenient times.
Learn your kiddo’s hunger-fullness window and ensure they’ve had a snack at an appropriate time before dinner. For our kids, that’s about 60-90 minutes before dinner.
2. Offer Low-Satiety Snacks
AKA not-very-filling snacks.
If our kids just can’t wait any longer, but we’re less than 30 minutes away from dinner, we will give them something light to eat that satisfies their need to munch but won’t blow their upcoming meal.
Usually, this is baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, celery, or bell pepper strips. This is also our pro-tip to get them to eat veggies – if they’re REALLY that hungry, they’ll eat them!
3. Ensure Snacks are Balanced
Late afternoon snacks should provide nutrients and sustained energy. Instead of just offering crackers or a banana, pair carbohydrate-rich foods with a source of protein and fat to add staying power. For example, crackers with nut butter or fruit with yogurt or nuts.
4. Offer Water
Sometimes thirst is mistaken for hunger. Or, your child may just be bored while waiting for dinner to be served. Try offering water when they ask for a snack close to dinner, as this may help curb snacking.
5. Suggest Other Activities
Especially for younger kids, it can be helpful to have some activities readily available for moments when boredom sneaks in right before mealtime. For example, a bin of Legos or an activity book you pull out just for this time frame.
If your child has a chore list, this can also be a great time to remind them that they could get one or two of those things done while they wait so they have more free time after dinner. You might encourage them to go outside and play or exercise your dog in the backyard. Or perhaps there are some simple tasks related to dinner, like setting the table, that they could help with.
Sometimes just finding ways for them to be physically active helps the time go faster and get their minds off unnecessary snacking.
Like this post? Send it straight to your email
Enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus, we’ll send you our free 5-day mini-course on Pediatric Nutrition!
Chime In: What other pro tips do you have related to preventing snacking from interfering with dinner? Leave them in the comments!
If you thought this post was helpful we think you should read these too:
