Does it seem like your child picks at her food during meals, but whines for a snack an hour later? Do you worry that giving in to snacks will lessen his appetite for meals?

Young children and school aged children need snacks because they cannot eat enough during meals to sustain their high energy needs. But timing and content of snacks are crucial.

Snacks should be offered long enough after a meal so that the child experiences what hunger feels like. If her tummy is always full, she won't learn the cues of hunger and satiety - which could contribute to a weight problem later in life. Giving a snack several hours after a meal also helps children to learn that they must wait to eat again if they refused to eat at mealtime. You won't be tempted to cave in to demands for food if you can reassure your child that a snack will be coming along before too long.

Snacks should be offered mid way between meals, ideally so that the child eats something about every 3 hours. Ideally, a snack should have both protein and carbohydrate, such as cheese and crackers. Other ideas:

• Apples or celery with peanut butter
• Cut up fruits with low fat yogurt to dip them in
• Dried fruits and nuts
• Non-sweetened cereal and low fat milk
• Veggies with low fat cottage cheese or cheese
• Popcorn with grated cheese (no butter)
• Hummus with whole-wheat pita bread