Summer Eating: Tips to Keep Your Child’s Nutrition on Track

Many parents find that their child’s mealtime routine goes out the window at the start of the summer break. It can be exhausting to maintain the structure of your child’s snack and mealtimes without the school schedule to form the foundation. With summer break comes unlimited access to snacks, and with endless snacks comes the inevitable “I’m not hungry” at dinner time. But since everything else in your child’s routine changes in the summer, so should your approach to meals.

What’s wrong with snacking all day?

While unrestricted snacking might not seem like a big problem, it can lead to feeding difficulties in the future, especially for children who are already selective eaters. Children are often provided with the same snacks throughout the day, which can lead to something called “food jagging.” Dr. Kay A. Toomey, the founder of the SOS Approach to Feeding, describes food jags as when children “prefer to eat the same food prepared in the same way every day or at every meal” (Source). The primary problem with food jags is that children will eventually get burnt out on the food, removing it from their diet. This is particularly concerning for children who already have limited foods.

Another potential problem with frequent snacking is that snacks rarely offer the same nutritional variety as a meal. Often, snacks are meant to be easy to prepare and serve, and may contain many starches while lacking in proteins and fruits/vegetables. Unlike snacking, meals tend to incorporate a variety of food groups. If a child is not hungry during meals and is instead snacking many times during the day, they are likely not eating a balanced diet. Below you can find some strategies to help you get out of the “snack rut” and promote the best eating habits all summer long.

Map out mealtimes

Consider scheduling your child’s meals and snacks ahead of time. You can use their regular routine as the scaffolding to build a meal and snack plan that fits into your summer schedule. Typically, children should eat five to six times a day, or every two and a half to three hours (Source). Forming this schedule will ensure that your child is getting enough food while also ensuring that they have an appetite for all of their meals. 

Plan ahead

Beyond planning times for meals and snacks, you can plan exactly what foods will be offered. This can allow you to meal prep and save time and energy throughout the week. Each meal and snack should contain a minimum of the following:

• One starch (ex: bread, noodles, rice, crackers, cereal, potatoes, corn)

• One protein (ex: meat, fish, soy, nuts, dairy, dark beans, legumes)

• One fruit/vegetable (ex: apples, oranges, bananas, berries, melons, carrots, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, dill pickles)

• A drink in a cup (milk, milk alternative, or water)

Be Proactive

If your child has other caregivers such as grandparents or a regular nanny watching them over the summer, communicate scheduled meal times and snacks with them. Take the time to talk about the plan and problem-solve together so that keeping a meal time routine is simple and straightforward.

Eat Snacks at the Table

When snacks are readily available, it is all too easy to grab them on the go. While this method has convenience, it lacks structure, and often results in satiating hunger outside of regular mealtimes. Eating snacks at the table brings awareness to how often you are snacking and reduces distracted eating, which can impact awareness of your hunger signals.

Include Kids in Food Prep

Including kids in meal preparation has many benefits, including exposing children to new foods and tactile sensory experiences. Kids can learn how to prepare their own snacks and have opportunities to get creative with making foods of their own. Check out Raddish Kids for kid-friendly recipes to try at home.

Designate Snack Storage

Having a specific drawer in the fridge or bin in the pantry for snacks can allow children to have more choice and independence when selecting snacks. This can be a great solution on a busy day when you need snacks in a hurry.