🍓 Why Kids Are Always Hungry in the Summer (And What to Do About It)
I LOVE having my children home for the summer!
But keeping everyone fed is a fulltime job.
With four kids at home- it feels like someone is asking for snacks every 30 minutes and if I’m not prepared, I end up feeling like a short-order cook slaving away in the hot kitchen!
As soon as school’s out and the days stretch long and sunny, it seems like appetites double overnight.
Does it feel like it for you too? —
☀️ Why Are Kids Hungrier in the Summer?
1. They’re Moving More.
From bike rides to backyard games to swimming and chasing fireflies, kids burn way more energy in the summer than during the school year. All that activity means their bodies need extra fuel.
2. Growth Spurts Happen in the Summer.
Studies show kids often hit growth spurts in warmer months. Growing bones, muscles, and brains need calories — especially protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs.
3. Longer Days, More Snack Windows.
When kids wake up earlier and stay up later, there’s simply more time in the day to get hungry. And with fewer structured meal and snack times, it’s easy for appetites to sneak up.
4. Heat Can Trick Their Appetites.
Oddly enough, while the heat might dull hunger in adults, kids’ cravings can swing the other way.
🍽️ What You Can Do About It
1. Offer Protein and Healthy Fats with Every Snack.
These nutrients help kids feel fuller longer.
Think hard-boiled eggs, nut butter with apple slices, cheese sticks, protein packed strawberry smoothies and grass-fed beef sticks.
2. Keep Quick, Nourishing Snacks and Meals Ready.
Prep easy options like strawberries and fruit, trail mix, homemade muffins, smoothies, and veggie sticks with dip/hummus.
Bonus: setting up a snack station with bins and the appropriate amount gives kids independence too without them eating a whole bag of grapes in one sitting.
For easy meals, I love having a freezer full of meat. Ground beef, ground pork, burger patties, bratwursts, old fashioned hotdogs, and precooked shredded pork are all easy go-tos to have dinner ready in 30 minutes or less. I also keep a stash of buns, ferments, and salad fixings to pull together a complete meal.
Pro-tip: if you forget to thaw your meat, fill your sink a quarter full of hot water and place package of meat in the water to thaw quickly!
3. Stick to a Loose Meal & Snack Routine.
While it’s nice to be flexible in summer, some structure helps prevent endless grazing. Aim for 3 meals and 2–3 snacks spaced through the day.
4. Hydrate Often and Add Cool Treats.
Sometimes thirst masks itself as hunger. Encourage water breaks and cool treats, especially after active play.
I like to add frozen strawberries to lemon water to encourage them to drink more water.
We skip most sugary popsicles and ice pops, but I do make our own with apple sauce, blended strawberries and fruit or even just berries frozen in water make for wonderful homemade cool treats to keep them hydrated.
5. Make Hearty Summer Meals.
Even light, warm-weather meals can be filling with the right ingredients. Load up on grilled meats, whole grains, beans, and fresh produce.
For meals make sure you are adding high quality meat like our pastured pork or grass-fed beef to each meal. Think adding cutup old fashioned hotdogs into the mac & cheese, extra meatballs into spaghetti, even ground beef onto salads- taco salad is a favorite around here during summer!
💡 Final Thought
Summer is a season of play, growth, and yes — good food.
Now that we have a few smart strategies and new ideas in place, you can keep them fueled for every sunny adventure without losing your mind (or your grocery budget).
Have a favorite go-to summer snack or tip? Drop it in the comments — I’d love to hear what works for your family!