I’m wondering, how do you handle meals and snacks in your home?
Do you tend to be relaxed and let everyone eat when and what they want? This might be snacking throughout the day at different times and letting everyone choose whatever they feel like having at meals. As my 7 year old quotes me one time saying, “It’s not a free for all!”

Or are you really structured with your meals and snacks? Do you only allow eating at certain times, almost always the same day to day, and you choose what to eat? What’s served is served!

Or do you fall somewhere in between, some structure but it’s flexible? There is a general time frame for meals and snacks, but it might vary a bit day to day. And there is usually a variety of food served at meals so everyone can choose what they want to eat.

Sometimes parents tell me, they want to raise an intuitive eater, but it feels crazy to let everyone eat whenever and whatever they want!

I totally get that!

Open eating without structure, the “free for all”, might not be a fit for you if you deal with any of the following:

  • Your kids not eating meals due to snacking all day or too close to meal time.
  • You’re frustrated with food waste.
  • Your kiddos never try new foods because they always gravitate toward the same things when up to them.

And the ultimate one…

  • You are sick of being stuck in the kitchen ALL day making one snack after another.

These are all very common scenarios, and if they are impacting you, it’s ok to add in structure. In fact, many children thrive with more structure.

On the other hand, if this is working for you, by all means, keep doing it!

But raising a child who eats intuitively does not mean that they have to have access to all foods all the time. There is a gray area of balance where your kiddo isn’t forced to eat certain things or to eat at all, while you can still have structure in your home.

I find this works the best for my family ?‍♀️ It helps me stay more sane, in terms of organization, and not at the beckon call of my children for all day snacks.

Snacks are usually for a period of time but then they stop at least one hour before a meal. So my kids are generally (but not always) ready for the next meal, and when they’re getting hungry they know they can expect food soon.

The structure also exposes them to new foods, and encourages them to try things. This is created by having a variety of food available to eat with the rest of the family while not being forced.

We can have structure and not be restrictive.⁠ I like to think of it as more of a rhythm with food in our home. It’s not food all day, every day, eat whatever you want so you don’t feel restricted. It’s just a natural rhythm of knowing when to expect food will be coming again. And sometimes that’s a little more flexible and other times less.

But even within this structure, they are able to listen to their bodies and eat the types and amounts of foods they want and need.

Where do you think you fall on this spectrum? And is it working for you?  Comment below and let me know what you struggle with, or what’s working for you, in terms of feeding structure.

Thank you for joining me and letting me be a part of your journey in creating joyful eating for your family. I look forward to connecting with you soon!