Post by @mamaot_shannon

What is a “boring snack” from a pediatric OT feeding therapist + mom of 2? 👀 In our house, it’s a banana or a cheese stick. 🍌🧀 These are foods my kids can have pretty much ANY time they’re hungry. I offer them so freely that they have very little “treat” value, but they still provide nutrients and can help fill their bellies. So if my toddler refuses dinner, I’m totally fine providing a banana or cheese stick because those are our anytime snacks. It doesn’t matter how much they ate earlier or how recently they ate. If they’re hungry and we have one available, they can have it. BUT there’s an important boundary: If they refuse dinner, eat an anytime snack, and are still hungry, I’m not offering another snack or making a separate meal. I redirect them back to the meal that’s already been served. The goal isn’t to make them eat dinner. It’s to avoid creating a cycle where refusing the family meal reliably results in getting a preferred replacement meal. And this is especially helpful for toddlers and picky eaters because I know they have access to something nutritious without needing to make every meal a battle. Would you have “anytime snacks” in your house? 👀 And what food would make YOUR list? #toddlersnacks #pickyeating #feedingtips #toddlerfeeding #responsivefeeding