Bedtime Snacks for Kids - Do or Don't?

I’ve shared workshops on nutrition for kids and picky eating for 7 years. Rarely do I complete a workshop without a parent asking me about bedtime snacks – are they a ‘do’ or a ‘don’t’?

In short – either option can work. But, you must make a choice.

Often I see families offering bedtime snacks only when their picky eater doesn’t eat well at dinner. This is the ‘don’t’. It’s a ‘don’t’ because it tends to backfire. Kids quickly figure out that if they don’t eat at dinner (where they usually are presented with more challenging foods), they can get a bedtime snack only a short while later that includes favourite foods.

Unfortunately, you’re reinforcing the behavior that you don’t want. You’re inadvertently rewarding kids for not eating their dinner.

Instead, make a new family rule – choose either:

A.    There is always a bedtime snack

B.    There is never a bedtime snack

If you choose to never have bedtime snacks, kids will quickly learn that if they choose to not eat at dinner, they’ll need to wait until breakfast the next day to eat again.

If you choose that there is always a bedtime snack, make sure that there is at least 1 hour between dinner and bedtime snack.  And, at bedtime snack offer foods from 2 – 4 food groups. What foods groups you choose depends on what your child has eaten the rest of the day. Choose food groups of which your child hasn’t eaten much. For example, if your child ate lots of grain products and dairy/alternatives throughout the day, then choose to provide food from the meat/alternatives group and some fruit or veggies. This way you are helping your child meet their nutrition needs throughout the day.

Sometimes choose to offer favourite foods. And, sometimes choose to offer a challenging food. Why? As I mentioned previously, clever kids will catch on if challenging foods are only offered at dinner and favourite foods offered at bedtime snack. They’ll choose to not eat at dinner, knowing that they’ll have favourite foods soon (the opposite behavior from what you want).

Oh, and one last tip: brush teeth after bedtime snack. 

Kristen Yarker, MSc, RD helps moms and dads support your picky kids to get good nutrition today…and instill a life-long love of healthy eating. After 7 years of moms asking for help with their eating too, Kristen created 40 Days to a Healthier, Happier You women’s weight loss program. Find out more at www.KristenYarker.com

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