Rein In All-Day Grazing of Preschool Snacks

What You Need To Know

Does your little one eat only to say they’re hungry minutes later. Should you feed them or is it creating bad habits with food? Here’s what the experts have to say on the matter.

• Preschoolers sometimes use the word “hungry” to express other feelings such as sadness and/or boredom and will begin to establish a food/feelings connection instead of hunger.
•  That displacement can be hard to undo and doesn’t address the underlying reason for the original feeling.
• Most are born with the ability to gauge our body's need for food, but over time we sometimes ignore these signals, which can contribute to weight gain.
• Kids who snack frequently, especially on sweets, are more likely to get cavities.

How You Can Help

If your child complains of hunger, take a minute to gently ask questions to see what's really going on: "Would you like me to come play with you for a while?" If your child quickly forgets about a snack, you'll know he or she was in search of something else. If the complaints continue, your child is probably hungry.

• Explain what hungry and full mean to help your child better regulate food.
• If your child often leaves a lot of uneaten food, try serving smaller portions.
• Draw attention to how you eat more slowly as you become full. Pass on seconds if you're no longer hungry. Say, "This is delicious, but I'm going to stop because I'm full."
• Kids who are hungry at mealtime are more likely to try new foods and eat the healthy foods presented.
• Kids who graze are often snacking on higher calorie food and drinks, putting them at risk for excessive weight gain.
• Preschoolers are easily distracted so make sure they sit at the table to eat.

Remember that kids watch what others say and do. If parents and siblings all model healthy eating habits, a preschooler will have good examples to follow.

On very active days, it's normal for kids to be extra-hungry and need more than usual to eat, so be flexible with food.