Mom Who Meal Preps For Her Kids Says To Eliminate The Word 'Snack' From Your Vocabulary — 'If Your Kid Asks For A Snack, They're Hungry’
Instead of letting her kids snack all day, this mom has 'trained' her kids to eat full meals.
pics five | Shutterstock Snacking is often a debate among parents when it comes to children's nutrition. However, one woman shared the hack she uses to limit the amount of food her kids eat in between meals.
In a video, mom Andrea Kirven, who goes by Drea on TikTok, showed viewers the specific meals she makes when her children are on summer break from school. She shared that without her meal-prepping tactics, she knows her children would snack and eat everything in the house, which she is hoping to no longer have to deal with.
A mom explained that she meal preps for her children to prevent them from wanting to snack.
"It's summertime, and y'all know these kids are not about to be using their in-school stomachs, let me show y'all how I fix that problem in my house," Drea began in her video. She revealed that since her kids were young, her grocery bill would go up in the summer compared to the school year.
To save money, Drea informed viewers that she meal preps for the entire week on Sunday mornings. She said that while it takes a lot of discipline to stick to the plan, the outcome pays off. "Every Sunday morning before I go to church, I wake up, come downstairs, and prepare six veggies and six carbs for the week."
At the start of the week, Drea prepares meals to ensure her children have enough food to avoid asking her for snacks. Showing herself putting together the prep, Drea laid out a bunch of containers with designated portion sizes for each category of food to make sure her children received the right nutrition.
The mom described her shopping and cooking process for the week.
"I also change up the way that I grocery shop. During the school year, I only shop once a month. During the summer, I shop once a week," she explained. "Why do I shop every week? You wanna train your kids that what we got in this house is all you gon' have, and if you decide to eat it all, you gonna starve."
She informed parents that they should cook their veggies and carbs first, as this will be the easiest thing to prepare, and both can be completed in under 30 minutes. "Please do not overfeed your children," Drea warned. "Make sure you're giving them the correct healthy portions."
Drea also pointed out that it's helpful to know what meals are going in the meal prep containers at the beginning of the week so that when you need to go to the grocery store, it'll be easy to buy the ingredients and prevent yourself from overspending.
For the last part, Drea cooks the meat since it takes the longest. All in all, for all six containers, she estimated it took her around two hours to prepare. Once she's done, she places them in the fridge to cool off.
The mom shared how she shops for snacks when her children ask for them.
"Now, this might not be what you want to hear, but check it out," Drea said, showing her grocery cart full of the foods that she'll usually buy when she goes into the stores. "First thing I need you to do is eliminate the term 'snack' from your vocabulary."
She added that when kids ask their parents for snacks, it means they are actually hungry for an actual meal, and should be fed accordingly. "You should feed them real food. You can air-fry some chicken and potatoes for a small meal."
In the instances when her children do want snacks, Drea will ask them what three snacks they would like for the next two weeks that she considers to be "unhealthy." Once she gets their list, she will go out and purchase what they want, but she only allows her kids to eat them in moderation. "[The snacks] are put into their own individual bins and then separated by serving size," she continued, showing the small mason jars she uses to divide up the chips, crackers, and other snacks she bought from the store.
She went on to say, "Each bin should last the kids two weeks. There are enough snacks in here for one per day. If they eat them all up ahead of time, sounds like a personal problem."
The mom's summer food solution was not only healthy for her kids but also a money saver for her.
While the need for snacking can vary from child to child, Drea's hack for making sure her kids are not only eating full and healthy meals, but also allowed the option to snack in a way that won't cause them to overeat, seems to work for her family, and many people in the comments were eager to try it out for themselves.
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"This will also help with childhood obesity, I’m liking this idea!!! I might have to just try this out because my kids will eat up every dam thing," one TikTok user wrote. Another parent agreed, writing, "I feel like I needed to see this today. As a mom of 7. My kids will eat snacks and not want to finish their meals. I’m going to try this."
In addition to the health benefits of eating actual meals that are nutritious and balanced, and snacks in proper portion sizes, Drea is teaching her kids healthy eating habits that will last them a lifetime. According to Medical Health Associates, that's an important lesson to ensure they develop a healthy relationship with food that will last them into adulthood.
They are also learning the value of food. Meals are portioned for the week, and although they get input into what is made, what mom prepares is what they eat. The same with snacks. They have options, but there are no deviations, which creates an understanding of value and choices.
Snacks should complement rather than replace regular meals. Encouraging a combination of well-balanced meals and healthy snacks can provide the necessary nutrition to support a child's growth and development.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
