Anyone who has growing little ones can attest to the fact that they can never seem to get enough to eat. The process of growing takes lots of energy, meaning kiddos of all ages are prone to frequent snacking. If you feel like you’re in a never-ending cycle of doling out cookies and carrot sticks, the solution may be to simply reorganize your pantry. That way, your kids can serve themselves, and you can focus on providing them with the right fuel for their bodies.
The key to making this hack work is to make sure the snacks from your latest kid-friendly Trader Joe’s haul are easy for your kids to see and access. For toddlers, this may mean placing shelf-stable juice boxes and individual bags of goldfish crackers in clear bins on the lower shelves. For pre-adolescent kiddos, this might look like baskets of slightly more sophisticated fare like homemade crunchy roasted chickpeas you made together or mini boxes of cereal they can prepare independently.
While making sacks more accessible may seem like a terrible idea for kids with less impulse control, the point of this system is to foster independence and make it easier for your children to meet their own needs. That may look like only putting a certain number of snacks in their basket or bin per day or mixing healthier snacks in with things you’d consider treats. This way, you can ensure your child is getting the right nutrition while simultaneously fostering their independence.
Creating a kid-friendly pantry that works for you
There are many reasons why you might want to make snacks readily available to your children, from fostering a healthy relationship with food to making it easier for older kids to grab a tasty high-protein snack from your last Costco trip while you care for their younger siblings. Whatever the reason, it’s important to realize it may take a little bit of trial and error before you discover a system that works for your family — and that communication is key to that process.
As mentioned, clear containers at eye level are great for this as they allow your kiddo to see exactly what’s available to them. Show your kids the containers and let them choose the snacks to keep in them, then teach them where the containers will be stored in your pantry. Not only does this set expectations, it gets your kids involved in the task so they feel like they have choices and control, which can help them feel excited about using this new system.
In addition to choosing the right containers and getting your kids involved in filling them, it’s essential to make sure their snack bins are always in the same place. Kids learn best via consistency, so you’ll need to make refilling their containers and putting them back part of your daily routine. Additionally, if you realize you need to move their bins for better organization, let them help you relocate them so they don’t get confused. Toss in those snacks, and your kids will be ready to go.
