Every day used to be the same. Five hungry kids running through the door yelling, “I’m starving!” before their backpacks even hit the floor. By the time I turned around, the pantry looked like it had been robbed. Crackers gone, granola bar wrappers everywhere, and nobody even wanted dinner anymore!
One day, I realized they weren’t being dramatic. They were just actually hungry! So instead of fighting the constant snacking battle, we changed one simple thing. We started eating dinner earlier. Like, right after school earlier. Yep, you heard that right. We eat dinner at 3:30 in the afternoon, and it’s been a total game-changer. The kids eat real food now instead of filling up on random snacks, and they even ask for seconds. If they get hungry later, we let them have a small snack before bed.
If an early dinner doesn’t work for you, try this. Keep a plate of veggies already cut up in the fridge. Carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers, whatever your crew likes. There’s something about a plate full of ready-to-eat snacks that makes kids grab it without thinking. It sounds small, but it works! Having healthy stuff ready makes it easier for them (and me) to make better choices.
And let’s be real, our kids learn from watching us. If they see us snacking on fruit or drinking water instead of grabbing chips, they’ll start doing it too. You don’t have to be perfect, but you do have to show them what healthy looks like in real life.
Here are a few of our go-to snacks that actually get eaten around here:
• apple slices with peanut butter
• greek yogurt with blueberries and cinnamon
• cucumbers and hummus
• popcorn
• grass-fed meat sticks
It’s not about doing everything right; it’s about making little changes that stick. Try bumping dinner up a bit or cutting up veggies ahead of time this week. You might be surprised how much smoother your nights feel.
Follow along @felishalynchxo for more real-life mom wins like this!