I am at my wits end with my girls. They don't ever really want to eat a meal but just snack all day long! I do make them sit at the table to eat but then they just eat a couple bites and an hour later they are hungry again! I use the word snack lightly because it is usually healthy choices like yogurt or banana but they never eat the whole thing so I feel like I'm just wasting food. I just wonder if anyone else is having the same problem and any way ideas to help.
Your girls are eating the best possible and healthiest way. We really should eat 6 "meals" a day not 3. As long as they are sitting at the table and treating these "snacks" as meal time, you have nothing to worry about.
If they never finish a whole yogurt or banana them let them share , as long as you keep the banana in the skin it will keep overnight in a ziploc bag , the same for the yogurt , push the lid back down and put it back in the fridge.
Also try and limit snacking if you want them to sit and eat at meal time , don't let them snack when a meal is an hour or less away , then put them up a small meal , I find my kids eat better when the plate is not overlaoded with food , just 3 or 4 of each food item.
Hi L.! My daughter was doing the same thing. Especially at dinner time. So what we started doing is:
Set her down for dinner at the table with us.
Let her eat until she feels full (or loses interest or whatever it is)
We make her sit at the table with us until we're all done. She doesn't just get to get up & play.
Then we let her know, there will be no more snacks or trets at all until she finishes dinner & we'll wrap it up & put it in the fridge.
When she sais "Mama, Emi hungry" about an hour later, I reheat & stick to my guns.
I hope this helps! It works great for us. :) Good luck
my daughter is the same. I have a friend who is a nutritionist and she says it's fine because it's the healthiest way to eat. My daughter even wakes up in the middle of the night to eat once. We also eat very healthy and she is very active. I think it's fine. I would rather her eating all the time on healthy things than loading up on empty calories, or over-eating. When it comes to the food being thrown away, don't do that!! Save it and if they won't eat the leftovers then throw it into the blender and make a smoothie. They will definately drink that and it can be more filling than a snack.
Hi, L.!
Lucky you! Your girls are eating the way we all should!
Keep doing the great job you're doing, providing them with the healthy snacks when they are hungry. But if the problem is that you want a set schedule to make it easier on you, just decide what times you will feed them, and they have to adjust to your schedule. So even if it's every 90 minutes or 2 hours, it's when it's convenient for you. That's when you give them something, and they can eat or not, as they wish. Plus, you can schedule your (and your husband's) meal times in with it, so the girls are getting one of their "snacks" at the same time you eat your meal.
And then add the rule that they have to be seated at the table every time they eat!
If you want them to stay at the table with you longer, try to find something other than just food to keep them there - conversation, word games, I Spy, etc.
Good luck,
J.
