This guest post is in response to a question I had for Brenda, the meal planning expert. Brenda is a mom, freelance writer and self-taught meal planner. Her blog, Meal Planning Magic, provides ideas on how to get organized in the kitchen, save a little money, eat healthier (and family friendly) and have a little fun along the way. She shares free weekly sample meal plans, cookbook reviews, forms for keeping it all straight, ideas, and inspiration!

The message seems to be everywhere. If you want to save money, eat healthier and feed your family right, you need to plan your meals before you head to the store. It seems so simple. Just grab your calendar, a few cookbooks or recipe box and your grocery list and you’re on your way, right?

Not so fast. There are a number of factors to consider when choosing the when, where and how of meal planning. By answering these 6 questions, you’ll discover whether your meal planning efforts are flourishing or failing (and how to change things).

1. Is the extra work worth the cost saving? First ask yourself, is cost savings on a particular item worth it to drive out of the way to purchase it? Is walking an option or do you have to get in a car to go to a preferred store?

Do the math and you may find that making a special trip may not be so good for your budget. Sometimes simplifying the process can make a big difference.

2. Does it fit your lifestyle and preferences? Coupon clippers and sale shoppers can save a lot of money on items they may normally purchase, however others find that whole process time-consuming and cumbersome. Still, some people like to buy what’s new or different no matter the price while others are impulse buyers willing to change their menu based on in-store samples.

Figure out how you like to shop and make that part of the process. All of this can work into your meal planning if you know and understand your style.

3. How close are the grocery stores? Does a trip to the grocery store require a day’s outing to the next town or are your options just minutes away?

The key is to shop in a way that fits the options that surround you. If you live in a small town, being efficient when you shop is key because if you forget it, it may be a few weeks before you can go back to get it. But if you are walking distance to a store, last minute visits may not be a big deal.

4. What’s my ability to store food? Consider your storage space before you start stocking up on items. If you have ample pantry and freezer space, shopping at a wholesale club may be worth it to you. If the luxury of storage is not yours, more frequent trips to the store work better.

5. Do I really have to sacrifice health for budget? The decision is not so black and white, but often items that are less expensive are not always the healthiest. There is a perceived notion that healthier foods cost more.

For many, the bottom line is what drives their grocery shopping. While others may be willing to pay a little more for higher quality ingredients that are also produced locally and are sustainable.

The good news: these days more food producers are taking note of public demand and are providing healthy foods that are also budget friendly.

6. Am I using my time wisely? When it comes to food shopping, it may seem as though you’re running all over town going from the traditional grocery store to the farmer’s market to the organic grocery store to the wholesale club. It’s enough to make you feel like you’re running in circles!

It doesn’t have to be this way. Check your farmer’s market website for updates or get on their email list so you’ll know what types of items and vendors will be at the market each week. And then decide if you really need to go each week. Additionally, consider starting a co-op with some friends or neighbors where you take turns going to the market or store each week. This works especially well for wholesale clubs that may not be conveniently located.

Meal planning really can be an easy way to help you get good tasting, healthy food on the table for your family. It just takes a little thinking ahead to get you started and before you know it, you won’t remember any other way!

So tell me, what is the biggest barrier you face when it comes to meal planning?

There’s been a lot of news recently about the growing snack habits of kids – and most of it is negative. A recent study published in Health Affairs found that snacking in U.S. children has not only increased from 1989 to 2006, but accounts for more than 27% of total calories (up to 3 snacks per day).

Now this wouldn’t be so bad if kids were snacking on a variety of food. Instead, snacks mainly consist of salty snacks, candy, desserts and sweetened beverages.

So recent news stories have added snacking to the long list of childhood obesity culprits. But I would hate to see parents make unnecessary changes because all types of snacking have been lumped into one negative stereotype.

So let’s look into what type of snacking is good for kids (and not so good).

Bad Snacking

When my daughter starting eating finger foods before turning one, I remember the afternoon snack fests. All the moms in my playgroup would bring a variety of snack foods – goldfish, crackers, pretzels and animal crackers (me too). Many of the kids would carry the little snack container and feast away. I didn’t think much about it until my daughter started to refuse dinner.

Bad snacking almost always consists mainly of “snack” type foods. While I have no problem with kids eating these foods some of the time, they fail as good snacks for two good reasons. First, they do a poor job of filling little bellies up for long. And second, they don’t help fill kids’ nutrition gaps, which is an important role of snacks.

The bad type of snacking also follows the “grazing model” of eating. This is where children get snacks in a bowl where they can just pick at it as they wish. For older children the equivalent would be letting them go freely into the pantry and picking out snacks anytime they want. (For more on this, see 5 Reasons Moms Should Rethink Food Handouts.)

Both of these snack habits, eating mainly snack-type foods and grazing, fail to help children manage their hunger. They never really fill up, and never really get hungry, so they are more likely to get more, or less, food than they need.

Good Snacking

So after making the realization with my daughter early on, I made some changes to her snack habits. Like her main meals, I began serving her snacks in her highchair. When we were on the go I tried my best to stop, sit somewhere and enjoy the food without distraction. Of course, at parties and play dates we would both graze, but that was more the exception than the rule.

So good snacking is the opposite of bad snacking. There is structure to it. That means eating at the table or some designated place. There is timing to it. Trying to get it right between meals so hunger is managed nicely. And there is nutrition to it. Make nutritious and tasty snacks that fill kids up.

In her books, Ellyn Satter calls snacks “mini-meals” which is how I’ve come to think of them. That means they consist of a couple of different food groups with a combination of protein, carbohydrates and fat. This might be whole wheat crackers and a cheese stick or apple slices with peanut butter or carrots with hummus or yogurt with almond slices. (For more on this, see Top Ten Nutritious Snack Combination for Kids.)

But other, less often times, it is goldfish, animal crackers or some snacky type of food. For example, once a week I plan my daughter’s midmorning or afternoon snack with a trip to the grocery store where she gets a free cookie (she calls it the “cookie store,” thanks Vons!).

And research suggests that more frequent eating occasions can be better for children. A recent review published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition reveals that infrequent meals and snacks (including skipping meals) is associated with excess weight in children.

How to break bad habits

A recent article in the New York Times discussed how snacking in school-aged children has gotten out of hand. With all the activities kids have these days, parents are equipped with snack foods that can be consumed by kids in a moment’s notice. Some parents quoted in the article say they aren’t sure how to stop bad habits like the afternoon trip to the vending machine.

I think it’s important to talk to kids about their snack habits and what you plan to do about them. Tell them you want to better plan their snacks so they are timed around the main meals. Tell them you want more nutritious eating but will be sure to still include their favorites.

But more than anything, let them know that you are in charge of what is served at meal time. They may not like it at first, but once they know you are serious they will accept it.

So what are your kids’ snacking habits? Having any challenges? Are snacks away from home a major problem?

References

Piernas C, Popkin BM. Trends in snacking amount U.S. children. Health Aff. 2010 Mar-Apr;29(3):398-404.

Koletzko B, Toschke AM. Meal patterns and frequencies: do they affect body weight in children and adolescents? Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. Feb;50(2):100-5.

Lately my (almost) 3 year-old has been whining for food and drink constantly. When she gets up in the morning or after a nap she asks for “milky.” When it’s mealtime she screams for “apple juice!” And lately she wants a waffle pretty much all day long.

It can seem harmless to give a child the food they ask for, especially when it’s nutritious. And for those dealing with picky eaters, the temptation to give in is even greater (they finally want to eat!). But giving children the food they want, when they want it, has real consequences every mom should know about.

Here are 5 reasons you might want to rethink those in-between-meal food handouts:

1. It crosses the division of responsibility: If you’ve been reading my blog for a while you’re familiar with Ellyn Satter’s Division of Responsibility of feeding – parents decide the “when,” “what” and “where” of feeding and children decide the “whether” and “how much” of eating.

When your children take over what they eat, they are taking over your job. And when you restrict or overly encourage their eating, you are taking over their job. The bottom line is young children have no idea how to plan well-balance meals but they are masters at regulating their food intake.

2. They can become grazers: When a child is constantly eating all day long, they are less likely to be hungry at mealtime. This can easily translate into poor behavior and less food intake at the kitchen table. For more on planned meal and snacks see Why Children and Parents Thrive on Planned Mealtimes.

Studies show that children who eat regular meals have better diets than those who don’t. Think about it. Do you eat better when you are grabbing food here and there or when you are sitting down to regular meals?

3. Children learn to eat for reasons other than hunger: I’ve noticed that when my daughter is really bored she’ll come to me for food handouts. I simply remind her that her next meal is coming soon. And I always inform her that she can have that particular food another time.

This isn’t about forbidding certain foods (which is a bad idea), it’s about maintaining structure with eating. The goal is to keep feeding separate from emotions like boredom, frustration and sadness. This way, kids learn to deal with life’s ups and downs without using food. After all, studies show that overweight children eat in the absence of hunger more than normal weight children.

4. Kids don’t always know what they want: My daughter will often ask for one thing to eat and even yell “no” to what I serve her. Then after she realizes this is it for the meal, I see her chowing it down saying that it’s “yummy.” As children get older they will be able to choose snacks on their own, but when they are young it’s more than they can handle

Instead, I give her a say in the matter by asking her to choose between two items (like between a waffle or cereal for breakfast). This way, she feels like she has more control over what she’s eating even though I’m still in charge.

5. Liquid calories can displace other nutritious foods: Kids will often ask for drinks, like milk, juice or sweetened beverages, instead of water. A recent study published in Infant, Child, & Adolescent Nutrition describes how milk-drinking toddlers became iron deficient by over-consuming milk. While milk and juice can play important roles in the diet, too much can displace other nutritious foods and can even cause nutrition deficiencies.

It’s a good rule of thumb to encourage water as the thirst-quencher between meals (water is an always-okay food handout). On the other hand, make juice and milk a regular part of meals and snacks. Offer juice once a day and milk 2-3 times depending on their age.

Do you have to be food nazi? None of this means you need to be ultra strict about what your kids eat and when. There are times when I’ll give my daughter what she asks for especially when it’s close to snack or mealtime. When she asked for a food item more than usual, I make sure to give it to her for one of her mealtimes.

I simply discourage eating between meals and snacks which come so frequently anyhow (every 2-3 hours). My response to her requests are “you’ll get it at your snack later.” And there are always exceptions like parties and get-togethers where food is all around. I would never exclude her from trying the different items like all the other kids and adults.

I believe providing children with structure at home frees them up to do their job of listening to their hunger and fullness signals. And hopefully they’ll keep doing it for the rest of their lives.

References

Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense by Ellyn Satter, MS, RD

Bond SA. Excessive cow’s milk consumption and iron deficiency in toddlers. Infant, Child and Adolescent Nutrition, Vol. 1, No. 3, 133-139 (2009)

Dinner is only a couple of hours away but that doesn’t stop your kids from hounding you for some food, milk or juice. You can’t remember the last time they ate. Did they snack? You’re unsure because they’ve been grazing all day long. So you give them what they want and are disappointed when they only take two bites of dinner.

Having consistent meals and snacks goes a long way towards solving family food dilemmas. Here are 5 reasons your family will benefit from having regular meals and snacks without food in between.

1. It helps parents provide variety: As the parent, you are the decision maker when it comes to what, when and where your child eats. Having regular meal and snack times better equips you to feed your child all the nutrients they need to grow and thrive.

For example, when I offer my daughter a snack between meals I know what she had for breakfast and what she’ll have for lunch and dinner. This helps me offer her an appropriate snack. If it’s bean burritos for dinner I offer her veggies and dip. If she doesn’t have dairy for lunch I serve whole wheat crackers with cheese. So instead of making decisions on the fly, I have a flexible plan to ensure I’m offering her a variety of food.

2. It helps kids regulate their hunger: Ellyn Satter, MS, RD, author of several childhood nutrition books, explains how offering children food every 2-3 hours helps regulate their hunger. Balanced snacks, better thought of as mini meals, help children get from one meal to the next without getting too hungry or being too full.

Satter says that balanced mini meals are best when they contain all three of the macronutrients: protein, carbohydrate and fat. This combination helps satisfy little ones and holds their hunger for longer periods. For example, cheese and crackers provides protein, carbs and fat as does veggies dipped in hummus. Look for an upcoming post on how to plan appropriate snacks.

3. It helps solve the “mom can I have” problem: It’s in most children’s nature to try to take over your job of what and when to eat. They will try to get the food and drinks they like whenever they can get it. The problem with this strategy is kids don’t know how to plan their meals (yet). While it’s their job to decide how much to eat of what you offer them, it’s not wise to put them in charge of mealtime choices.

Having planned meals and snacks gives you the perfect response to their requests. You can say that their next meal or snack is coming real soon. And when they request a particular food you can tell them you’ll keep that in mind for future meals. Remind them that it’s your job to decide when and where they eat and they can decide whether or not to eat it.

4. It makes dinner more enjoyable: When my daughter constantly grazes before dinner she’d rather be anywhere then the dinner table. Sometimes I let this go, especially when we go to afternoon parties or visit her grandparents. My goal is to give her a snack at least 2 hours before dinner so she shows up to the table with an appetite.

When young children come to dinner hungry, but not ravenous, they are more likely to eat at least some of what is offered. They also behave better when they aren’t starved or already full.

5. It helps fight obesity? In one of Ellyn Satter’s most recent books, Your Child’s Weight: Helping without Harming, she explains how a lack of consistent meals is a possible contributor to childhood obesity. She says parents who are more laid back with feeding, and don’t offer regular meals and snacks, bring about feelings of food insecurity in their children. So kids overeat when they have access to food because they can’t count on reliable meals. But when children are offered a variety of food at consistent and frequent intervals, they are better able to regulate their hunger and get what they need.

When you think about it, it’s hard to get full and satisfied when you graze on food vs. sitting down to a balanced meal. Having regular meals and snacks may take a lot of planning, but the pay off is well worth it.

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