If you’re finding yourself battling a snack monster and trying to get your little one to eat more at mealtime—you are not alone!
In this post I’m covering some simple and practical tips to help you navigate snack times with more confidence and turn your mealtimes into a success!
Q: My toddler loves snacks but barely eats at mealtimes. How can I get them to eat more at meals?A: While snacks are great for keeping your little one fueled, they can sometimes interfere with their appetite for meals.
Here are a few tips to help improve intake at meals:
- Snack Smarter: Balance snacks by pairing a carbohydrate food with a source of protein or fat. You can even make them resemble a mini meal!
- Timing is Key: With an age-appropriate meal and snack structure, you can avoid your little ones filling up on snacks and not coming to the table hungry.
- Make Meals Fun: Some kiddos eat with their eyes first! Make meals exciting by adding fun shapes, vibrant colors, and even a bit of creativity! Use cookie cutters to shape sandwiches or veggies into fun shapes, or try inclusion where they can help prepare meals with you. When food feels fun, it’s more likely to be eaten!
- Stay Calm and Consistent: If they’re not interested in the meal, don’t stress. Simply offer a balanced meal and let them decide how much they want.
Q: What if they keep rejecting foods they once liked at meals?
A: It happens to the best of us! Your little one is still learning food and building their taste preferences. If your child is not interested in a food they previously liked, that’s okay! Try to offer it again another time in a different way – for example, if they used to love mashed potatoes but now refuse them, try roasted potatoes or potato wedges instead.
Q: What if they still prefer snacks over meals?!
A: You’re not alone…but it might be time to turn the tables by making meals feel like snacks and vice versa. Serve smaller portions and normalize snack foods and mealtime foods showing up at different times of the day. Snack-sized containers, bento boxes, or muffin trays with a variety of healthy options can be a fun way to mix things up! I’ve linked a few of my favorite toddler feeding items for you to try here.
✨Reminder:
Mealtime is about balance, not perfection. If you’re struggling to enjoy the feeding journey with your little one and looking for more personalized guidance and practical application to turn your mealtime stress into success, Apply to Work with Me Inside The Mini Me Method! With my step-by-step guidance and support you will be able to simplify your life around food and put your feeding worries to rest for GOOD.
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