Author Rachel Garlinghouse says her four kids would snack all day every day if they could. Aside from the fact that snacking is expensive — especially during the summer when they’re home from school — snacks are inherently full of additives and preservatives. As her kids’ heads bent into the pantry shelves, she heard the dreaded words: “There’s nothing to eat!” As all parents know, hungry kids are grouchy kids. Pair this with complaints from her kids that Rachel never had their favorite snacks — aka junk food — and it became exhausting. That’s when Rachel came up with a simple and genius plan: four meals a day. As a Type 1 diabetic, she knew the importance of balanced meals and snacks — carbs with fiber, protein, and healthy fats — in order to keep blood sugar (and mood) stable. When her kids would load up on snacks, that usually meant chips, crackers, fruit snacks and sugary drinks. That means their blood sugar would quickly rise and then drop, making them feel hungry and their brains feel fussy. Serving four meals a day actually saves Rachel money. If you think about a kid eating snack after snack — which is often individually packaged foods — it can be financially draining, especially with four kids. A sandwich and some veggies is a lot cheaper to serve. Planning is essential when you’re serving up four meals a day, so Rachel made up a meal rotation schedule and used it to make a grocery shopping list. Every week is different, but all the meals are foods her kids will actually eat. She quickly found that a weekly taco bar was a great idea. Now her kids are no longer “hangry” and screaming for snacks throughout the day, and Rachel is saving a ton of money.
