Attack of the Incessant Snack
How ending on demand snacking decreased food struggles and increased mealtime calm at my house
When little Ramsey started eating, he was constantly hungry. In addition to eating marathon meals, he would ask for food all day, everyday. I couldn’t leave the house without packing snacks. Heck, I could barely make it to the mailbox and back without a snack on hand.
My sister, who was understandably tired of snacks dominating every activity, gently suggested a set snack schedule to curb the incessant snacking. I brushed off the suggestion for months. I recognized the importance of routine and predictability for kids in other areas such as bedtime, but felt conflicted about adding structure when it came to snacking. It felt rigid and the idea of little Ramsey being hungry was uncomfortable for me so I kept doling out snacks around the clock on demand. I was on a snack merry-go-round.
When snacking takes over every activity: snacking on a boat, in a tent, on the beach, in a park, on a patio….
When Ramsey started preschool, my number one concern was not that he would miss me or that I would miss him. I was not overly concerned about him making friends or liking the teacher. My number one concern was that he would be hungry at school. Indeed the first thing he said after his first day was “Mama, I’m hungry!”
First day of school Ramsey <3
But with time, Ramsey was able to adjust to the school’s routine of one morning and one afternoon snack without suffering any apparent hunger trauma. Seeing that he could handle a snack schedule at school encouraged me to try one at home. We tried switching to one morning snack around 9:30 and one afternoon snack around 3:30 while continuing with 6:30 breakfast, 12:00 lunch and 5:30 dinner. Once we switched to set snack times, there was no going back. I liked the structure and predictability that set eating times gave both the kids and me. I no longer have to scramble to put together a snack 97 times a day. I also liked that it cut down on the constant dialogue with Ramsey of when we could eat again and what we would eat next.
Kids snack more now than ever. A study comparing kids’ snacking from 1977, 1989 and 1996 showed a significant increase in snacking during that time. A 2010 study confirmed the same trend. Snacking further increased during Covid-19 lockdowns. Kid specific snack food is a growing industry and manufacturers have learned the power of placing these foods everywhere. (A fact that has saved my butt from time to time I must admit.) The kid snack market made 58 billion dollars in 2020 and is expected to grown to 110 billion by 2028 per one review. We live, more or less, in a culture of constant snacking.
Constant grazing can make it difficult for kids to learn about appetite regulation as those who graze all day may never feel truly hungry or truly full. Kids may also come to ask for food for a number of reasons other than physical hunger. They may ask for food at times because of physiological reasons: they are bored, see someone else eating, want your attention or see a food they like or don’t usually have at home (i.e. any time you bring your child to a grocery store). Having set times to eat encourages kids to eat when physically hungry and not when “psychological hunger” hits. Being able to regulate your appetite, recognizing when you are hungry vs full, is an important lifelong skill paramount to having a healthy relationship with food and being a mindful eater.
Things to keep in mind with a snack schedule
Talking about meal schedules with kids:
Talk about the eating schedule in a straight forward way that minimizes feelings of struggle or conflict. One phrase that I love is “the kitchen is not open right now”. It’s matter of fact and doesn’t just feel like a parent saying “no” for the umpteenth time that day. “Dinner will be soon” and “let’s save that for snack time” are helpful phrases when children are asking for food between set eating times. For older kids, posting the eating schedule in the kitchen can help get everyone on the same page.
Creating snacks that keeps kids full:
Kids’ snacks tend to be heavy in carbs. High carb foods like crackers, bread, cereal, puffs, pouches and fruit are easy to serve and generally loved by kids, but serving a snack that is all carb can lead to kids feeling hungry between meals and snacks. Try adding foods that are high in protein, fat and fiber. Adding protein foods such as egg, bean, meat and dairy will help kids feel more full. Including high fat foods such as cheese, nuts and avocado will also increase fullness because fat slows down how fast the stomach empties. Fruit and vegetables also help with fullness as they are high in fiber and water.
Snacks can be “mini meals”:
Think of a snack as a mini meal and try to include a variety of food groups. A good goal is 2-3 food groups at a snack. Kids can fall into a pattern where they eat a lot at snack time and then pick at food when it’s meal time. This isn’t a problem as long as a variety of healthy foods are served at snack time. It’s easy to fall into the habit of serving all the nutrient dense foods at meal time and serving less nutrient dense foods for snacks. This could mean a kid isn’t getting the right nutrients if they start eating 80% of their daily calories at snack time. Serving dinner’s leftovers is an easy way to accomplish this without extra prep work.
Keep the water flowing:
Even if cutting back on the number of snacks a day, never cut back on when water is available. Water should be available to kids throughout the day including between feedings. Try to limit fruit juice as much as possible as it can take the place of more nutrient dense foods. If your child drinks milk, consider limiting it to times when they are sitting at the table to eat.