Children take more food breaks than they did two decades ago, according to Allison Morrow, a registered dietitian at Children’s Medical Center of Dallas. At each snack attack, she says, children probably eat the same amount of food and get the same number of calories as they always have — but the higher number of snack breaks adds up to more calories a day.

Research shows that snacks add 30 percent more calories to a child’s daily intake today than they did in 1977. Youths of all ages snack more often. With 13 to 14 percent of children and adolescents overweight, we can blame eating between meals for part of the trend.

And yet, Morrow says, “snacks serve a purpose in children’s diets. For some children, it’s impossible to consume enough calories in meals. The task for parents and others who care for kids: Offer healthful snacks that children like. If they see chips, cookies and sodas, kids will gravitate to that. Parents should bring better food choices into the home,” Morrow says.

You’ll have more luck if you let your child make choices. “It’s important to give kids control. You can say, ‘Have fruit today; choose what you want,’” says Morrow. Your children probably won’t give up a soda-and-chips routine without protest. Still, the sooner you start, the easier it will be.

• Young children like small fruits, such as grapes and apricots. Cut fruit into small pieces to prevent choking. Keep an eye on kids as they eat.
• Make an extra dinner portion that children can heat up in a microwave for a snack after school.
• Jazz up yogurt with granola, raisins or berries.