Limiting Kids Snacking

[MainMom]

I would tell my kid that if they eat a good lunch/dinner they can have one snack after. Otherwise it’s no. If they continued to whine I would sit down with them and the rest of the family would continue on and the child would miss stuff until they quit whining. Is it fun for me to miss stuff? No. But it’s also not fun to deal with the whining for a week. Nip it in the bud.

 

[Magical2017]

We each get one snack per day. I almost always end up sharing mine with him and he frequently shares his with me. Neither of us tend to have huge appetites at Disney because of the heat and we like the same things so sharing works great for us. We also buy a popcorn bucket and I never say no to popcorn refills, that way we pretty much always have something to munch on.

I do make the occasional exception to this "rule" because it's vacation! We ALWAYS share a Sleepy Hollow fruit and nutella waffle every time we are in MK and it does not count toward our snack count. He also has his own spending money and can buy an extra treat here and there but has to run it by me first. Sometimes I say yes, sometimes it's a no and other times I weigh pros and cons of him blowing his money on junk food. He's 11 and very used to me saying no or talking him through guided decisions so I've never had him meltdown over a snack or treat at Disney.

Same here!

Based on advice from Disboards, we discussed the snack situation before leaving home, and reminded the kids before we went to the parks each day. For our family, we purchased a sweet treat per day, and brought in a few snacks like pretzels and raisins. They pretty much ordered burgers or nuggets and fries with lunch each day, or got popcorn refills, so we stocked the fridge in our room with plenty of fruits and veggies.

 

[FlyingBelle]

I find my kids get hungry at Disney because of all the walking, being off schedule, and on the go-go-go! When the kids were around 4 we had them start carrying their own fanny pack with a small water bottle, sunglasses, and snacks. They're older now, so they are on to a backpack/purse, but the same concept.

I pack them crackers, individual packs of olives, pretzels, individual peanut butter, fruit cups, granola bar, etc. I don't care if they don't eat at the restaurants, so long as they are eating throughout the day and drinking enough water. For snacks - we'll get fruit and cheese plates (Land pavilion has a good one) and powerade. We do usually get one ice cream or a churro a day - because it's vacation!

By carrying their own snacks, they just pull something out when they are hungry. The first time we did it - it was a game changer for me and my sister! No more bugging us for every snack in sight!

 

[MickeyWaffles]

We buy one “treat” (ice cream, cupcake, Rice Krispie treat etc) a day at Disney, but I also bring some small, healthy snacks to give them throughout the day. They burn a lot of energy at the parks so I like having healthy snacks available to keep them going.

My kids are little but we make a big deal about the treat they get to pick for the day. By making it a big deal, we also avoid requests for more later. If they want another treat we’ll say something like “you already had your treat today, wasn’t it soooo good? What do you think you’ll have tomorrow?” and then go do something else.

Also, at the beginning of our trip I buy a few packs of the Mickey lollipops. They also can have one of those a day, especially nice when waiting for a parade, a longer line, etc.

Also, every kid is different but my kids would rather do a ride, show or character meet than have a treat, so it is pretty easy for us to redirect their attention elsewhere. We have to say “no” more to merchandise requests in the shops than about treats. We say no, and then redirect their attention elsewhere by doing something fun.

 

[Pumbaa_]

As others have mentioned this isn’t a restaurant topic but a parenting topic. Feel free to restart it on the family board