The snackbox technique

The snack box technique

If you let your child snack throughout the day you’re setting yourself up for mealtime mayhem when he refuses to eat all the healthy foods you serve up to him. And it doesn’t take a nutritionist to tell you that kids cannot live on snacks alone.

Some families use snacks as a way of distracting their children so they can focus on other things, from work to time without the kids. But this can end up as a vicious circle: snacks on the hour every hour put the kids off their main meals and the fact they hadn’t eaten properly has them whining for more snacks an hour later. Supernanny’s snack box technique helps find the middle ground by offering a limited choice of nutritional snacks throughout the day. Here’s how to do it…

Step 1: Boxing match…

Get your child to decorate an empty box (it can be an old shoe box or a craft store box) any way they like – lay on paint, glitter glue, paper and fabric scraps, feathers, the whole nine yards for them to choose from. box from a or use a kitchen jar.

Step 2: Snack selection…

Involve your child in choosing a selection of snacks. Keep the snacks healthy… your child will enjoy the reward ritual of the snack box as much as the snacks themselves, so they don't need to be full of sugar! Put a selection of two or three snacks (or more, depending on how filling they are and how old your child is) in the box, and give your child control over when he eats them.

Step 3: Snack attack strategy…

Use the snack box throughout the day and allow your child to choose when to take something out, except during the hour before mealtimes. Each time your child chooses a snack make it clear that once they’re all gone he won’t get any more – he’ll soon learn to pace himself.

Step 4: Stand firm…

Once the snacks are gone for the day, don’t replace them. Refill the box together the next day.