January 6, 2025

Does Your Toddler Only Want Snacks And Not Meals?

By Rebecca Appleman, RD

Children can have very different eating habits than adults.

• Are you fielding repeated requests for snacks from your child?
• Is your child reporting constant desires for snacks even though they just seem to have eaten?
• Does your child seem to prefer snacks, or desire them throughout the day?

It’s common for toddlers to be drawn to snack foods. Luckily, we can easily understand why:  snacks are often in fun packages and toddlers can hold them easily in their little hands. We also often provide these snacks while our toddlers are playing or in a social environment so an overall positive association is created with these foods.

There is nothing overtly wrong with any of this. Snacks are still food, so your child is getting some much needed calories and nutrients.

The only issue that can arise, however, is that your toddler might end up refusing meals and only expressing an interest in snack foods. Toddlers need both snacks and meals. Finding the balance can be challenging. Here are some strategies to encourage better eating and snacking habits:

• Set Meal And Snack Times – Keep a basic routine for meal and snack times; such as breakfast at 7:30am, lunch at 12pm and dinner at 5/5:30pm (or whatever works best for your family). Snacks fall somewhere in between, for example, at 9:30/10am; and 2:30/3pm. Depending on what time your child goes to sleep, a small night snack may also be part of their routine. It’s never a great idea to approach mealtime or food in general with rigidity, but keeping a basic structure will help to organize you and your toddler. It will allow them to regulate their appetite by noticing their hunger and fullness cues and prime them for metabolic efficiency – the digestive system works most efficiently when there are breaks between eating. It will also serve as a guide for how you can respond to snack requests – for example, if your toddler comes to you at 4:30 asking for a snack, you can say ““it seems like you’re hungry and dinner isn’t ready just yet. Let’s have some appetizers and I’ll try to get dinner ready earlier.”  Then, put out easy options such as sliced raw veggies, fruit, small cubes of cheese, dried or fresh edamame, dried or fresh chick peas, or nuts, if tolerated. Some families like to have a very simple chart that depicts the progression of meals and snacks throughout the day. Parents can point to the chart to explain what meal/snack time is coming next and to help them understand the expected routine. If your toddler asks you for a snack but you just ate breakfast, you can say “it’s still play time but we’ll have a snack when we’re done building our tower.”
• Expand Your Definition Of “Snack Foods” – What is normally thought of as meal food can absolutely serve as a snack option. For example, if there are leftover meatballs from dinner the night before, that is a great snack on its own, or alongside a handful of whole grain crackers. If you have mashed or roasted potatoes from an evening meal, warming them up and sprinkling a little grated parmesan cheese on top makes a great snack as well. There are endless options here, once you expand your concept of what a snack means and accept that any food can be eaten at any time.
• Think Of “Snack” As A Time To Eat Rather Than A Category Of Food – What makes any food a snack is simply that it occurs between your meals. Meals should contain more calories and be overall more dense and nutritious than your child’s snacks. Essentially, snack means a time to eat between meals, not any specific type of food to consume, so if you have a good available to give your child during “snack time” even if it is traditionally a meal food, that is perfectly acceptable as a “snack.”
• Consider The Snacking Location – Since meals are generally at the table, and a stationary focused experience, and snacks are often times in the car, the stroller, while playing or otherwise on the move, mealtime can often leave something to be desired for your toddler, as they often prefer to be moving and not seated. So, try serving snacks at the table or kitchen island and make snack time a focused eating experience and not a distracted one.
• Let Your Kids Pick And Participate – Since meals are the parents choice at this age, it’s nice to let your children be the snack pickers. That said, guiding them by asking them to pick an option from the fridge and one from the pantry ensures balance and adequacy. Some examples could be – apple slices and peanut, almond, sunflower or cashew butter; a cheese stick and whole grain crackers, berries sprinkled with shaved coconut, guacamole or sliced avocado and tortilla chips, 1/2 baked sweet potato warmed with a sprinkle of cinnamon, a yogurt cup, tube or squeeze pouch and a small cookie; cucumber slices and yogurt covered raisins; granola bar and fresh berries. Toddlers also love meal prep. Simple tasks like washing fruits or arranging veggies can make them more excited to eat what they’ve helped prepare. Allowing your toddler to help in the kitchen gives them a sense of independence and agency in contributing to their nourishment and can spark their interest in eating different foods.
• Include At Least 2 Food Groups At Snack Time – Having a balance of nutrients contributes to fullness and satiety. Additionally, incorporating fruits, veggies, and protein as part of their preferred snacks can help Toddlers feel more satisfied. For instance, pairing a toddler sized handful of goldfish crackers along side apple slices and a dollop peanut butter not only adds nutrient density but also introduces more complexity to the texture and flavor of their snack lending to increased satiety.

Remember, when it comes to feeding children, the most important thing is that they’re eating at all. Snack time is a part of that, and a perfectly acceptable way for them to receive nutrients. Using the strategies above, you can make snack time a bit less random and demanding, and feel more comfortable giving “snacks” by expanding the definition of a snack and becoming more comfortable with the idea that you’re helping your child get what they need to grow.

For more personalized nutritionist support, please reach out to the team at Appleman Nutrition, today.