Rule #1: They Can Only Eat Designated Snack Foods
For as long as my kids could ask for a snack or whine "I'm hungry," I'd unknowingly trade my control of their nutrition for their personal preferences. "OK, what do you want to eat?" I'd reply. Or I'd make a suggestion, they'd say no, and I'd keep going down the list until they settled on something they liked. And now that they're a bit older, they've had free rein over the pantry and refrigerator: whatever they could reach, they could eat.
To take back control, my gut instinct was to throw out the Goldfish crackers and pretzels, the sugary raisins, and the bulk supply of cheese cubes in order to become a strict supplier of celery sticks and orange slices, but Satter warned that it's more nuanced than that.
"A snack that is filling and also that will keep your child satisfied should include some starch, some protein, and some fat," she said. "If your child is really hungry or if he has to wait quite a while until the next meal, an apple or some carrots just won't do the trick."
That proved true with my kiddos. Whenever I'd pride myself on giving them a healthful snack of, say, mixed berries, they'd be back at my heels not 15 minutes later asking for something else to eat.
Whenever I'd pride myself on giving them a healthful snack, they'd be back at my heels not 15 minutes later asking for something else to eat.
So I've begun pairing fresh, raw vegetables with peanut butter, hummus, or cheese. I'll offer their beloved dried fruit snacks – like apricots, figs, and raisins – with nuts and sunflower seeds, or I'll toss some combination of all of those things into a bowl of cereal. I'll give them fresh fruit with a side of yoghurt. I'll do turkey roll-ups or a half-sandwich.
It has taken a bit more work on my part.
Where I once just scooped a dollop of applesauce into a bowl, I was now thinking about two- or three-part snack combinations. The harder adjustment, however, was having to flip the script on who gets to choose the snack foods.
I first tried a firm, "this is what we're having, no exceptions" approach, but I've since settled on a multiple-choice method in which I give my kids two or three choices to pick from.
Sometimes, those choices are as thrilling as cucumber slices with string cheese or cucumber slices with Triscuits. Sometimes, they pout. Sometimes, they won't eat the half of the snack I preferred. Sometimes I am too busy or tired and fling a slice of salami on the table and vow to do better next time.