Our dietitian Sarah Noone on keeping the kids filled up with healthy snacks now that they are at home all day

Are you finding yourself overwhelmed with feeding your kids right now? Are you dreading the fact that your kids are going to want to eat all day long while you are at home ? Kids wanting to snack all day can be exhausting, they can also eat you out of house and home.

If being home all day is a new normal for you and feeding your kids 3 meals and a million snacks (I mean 2 ) is getting to you, you are certainly not alone.

What can be done:

The best way to get around frequent snacking is by making sure that the snacks you provide are filling. This means ensuring there is a good balance of protein and fibre so the snacks are sustaining and add to the quality of childrens’ diet. There are plenty of foods that will be in your cupboards that contain fibre and or protein such as cheese and apple slices, low fat yogurt and nuts, nuts and raisins or vegetable sticks with humus.

Also try to offer planned meals and snacks consistently throughout the day. A good rule of thumb is to offer snacks a few hours after one meal ends and about one to two hours before the next meal begins. Postponing snacks until a few hours after a meal helps prevent kids from having no appetite and refusing food at a meal and then begging for more food as a snack just after the meal. On the other hand, putting a stop to snacking immediately before meals encourages a healthy appetite at mealtimes.

Some further tips for smart snacking include:

• Offering meals and snacks at predictable times.
• Offering nutrient-dense foods that are otherwise lacking in the diet and will improve your child’s nutrient intake.
• Trying to get the kids to snack at the table and avoid TV, playstations etc during eating times to avoid mindless eating.
• Having a bowl of fruit on display on the kitchen counter and yogurt in the front of the fridge, so your children notice the healthy options first. Keep the options you want them to east less of out of sight.

Five quick and easy snacks:⠀

Whole grain toast, nut butter and fruit⠀

Veggie matchsticks (cucumber or carrot can work well) and humous

Cheese cubes and grapes ⠀

Banana or Apple and nut butter

Small pot of yogurt with some chopped fruit