How did Tip #4 go for you? Are you on your way to becoming a food role model? Did you find after looking at your diet that you had some room to go? If so, I would love to know how and what you did to achieve this!

Here are links to Tip #1, Tip #2, Tip #3 and Tip #4

Tip #5

Absolutely No Grazing!

This one might sound a little harsh, but nothing will kill your kiddos appetite at meal time more then them already being full.

We are all guilty of doing this.

Well, I for one will raise my hand to admitting that I do this.

A healthy snack here and there to pacify the time. It seems harmless enough. A little bite to eat to keep them quite during a quick trip to the store, in the car while stuck in traffic or just to get a moment of silence to be able to think for a second. It has gotten so bad that Little E knows exactly were all my emergency snacks are hidden and stored and feels free to grab them anytime she wants.

Let’s be clear, there is nothing wrong with healthy snacks.

The problem is having too many healthy snacks throughout the day.

Then they are full and will push away, play with or even throw their food during meal time. Not fun! And let’s face it, super frustrating.

There is a simple way to fix this problem. Absolutely No Grazing!

All you have to do is make and set their meal and snack times and follow through on it. Here is an example of a meal and snack time schedule that I like to follow –

Breakfast – between 7:30-8:00 am
Snack #1 – 10:00 am
Lunch – 12:00 pm followed by nap
Snack #2 – 3:00 pm
Dinner – 6:00 pm

Of course you are going to know your little one best, so adjust if needed. Some days we don’t do the second snack because she doesn’t seem hungry or we have a late lunch and nap.

When you first set this schedule, you might get a little push back. A couple tantrums asking, pleading, whining for their snacks. But be strong. It took me 2 days and 3 break-downs to get on this schedule and the result was amazing. Little E went from throwing her food at my husband during every dinner, to devouring all of her food and then even asking for seconds.

Here is a list of healthy snacks that are on heavy rotation at my house:

  • Chopped fruit with Full Fat yogurt
  • Whole wheat tortilla with hummus and shredded carrots
  • Fruit and veggie purees in reusable pouches
  • Sliced cheese with whole wheat crackers
  • Steamed edamame with olive oil and sea salt
  • Healthy Smoothies
  • Dried fruit mix – raisins, blueberries, cherries and pineapple all mixed together
  • Peanut or Almond butter on whole wheat bread

Action Plan

  • Set a meal and snack time schedule that works for your little one.
  • Explain to your kiddo what and why you are making a schedule and stick to it.
  • Ignore the fussy behavior you might encounter.
  • Note any and all results during meal time.