19 | Simple Stress-Free Snack Plan to Keep Your Family Emotionally Regulated

Grab your Summer Snack List here

Summer break is here—and so are the constant snack requests, mood swings, and energy crashes. In this episode of Intentional Motherhood, host Kelsey Redd—former mental health counselor and stay-at-home mom of four—shares why snack time isn't just about food... it’s about emotional regulation, energy, and setting your kids (and yourself) up for success.

Discover how nutrition impacts your child’s behavior, mood, and emotional regulation, especially during high-energy summer days filled with heat, travel, and overstimulation. You’ll also learn practical strategies for managing those endless snack demands without losing your mind.

🎧 In this episode:

• Why junk food leads to meltdowns and sibling fights
• How to fuel your child’s body for calm, sustained energy
• Kelsey’s go-to list of easy, healthy summer snacks
• How food, rhythm, and intention work together to support joyful parenting

🎁 Grab your free download:
Kelsey’s Healthy Summer Snack List is packed with real-mom-tested ideas that are protein-packed, low-sugar, and perfect for on-the-go summer adventures.
→ Grab your Summer Snack List here or at @creating.intentional.mothers

Whether you’re headed to the pool, running errands, or just trying to survive the afternoon slump, this episode is your reminder that nourished kids are easier to enjoy—and so is motherhood.

Subscribe now, share this show with a mom friend, and join the conversation! 

Connect with Kelsey:

Grab Your Guides

 @creating.intentional.mothers

Episode Transcript

Kelsey (00:09):
Hey friends, and welcome back to Intentional Motherhood,
the podcast where we talk aboutslowing down, showing up, and
creating a life with our kidsthat actually feels enjoyable.
I'm your host, Kelsey Redd,former mental health counselor
turned stay at home mom of fourlittle ones, and I'm so glad

(00:31):
you're here. It is summer breakand that means we are all home
all the time or go, go, go doingall the fun things, trying to
stay cool through the summerheat, staying fueled so that we
can have fun while we're out allday long, or dealing with snack

(00:53):
requests that are flying inevery twelve minutes, trying to
fuel the outings and activitiesthat can drain energy. And we
have to figure out a way to makethis work, right? So if that's
how you're feeling right now,you're not alone and this
episode is for you.

(01:14):
Today, we're talking about apiece of the parenting puzzle
that can get overlooked attimes, and that is nutrition.
Specifically, how healthy,summer friendly snacks can
actually help our kids stay moreemotionally regulated and help
us as moms keep our sanity.Because let's be real, summer

(01:40):
throws off all of our usualrhythms. There's no consistent
routine, school lunches that geteaten or not eaten, but at least
you know it's happening at acertain schedule. Everyone's
hot, overstimulated and hungryall the time.
And if your kids are like mine,they seem to be asking for

(02:01):
snacks nonstop. So here's whatI've learned through both my
counseling work and mymotherhood. Well fed kids are
easier to enjoy. And I'm nottalking about having a Pinterest
perfect snack and makingeverything homemade, But I am

(02:23):
talking about fueling our kids'bodies and our bodies in a way
that supports our energy andemotions, especially during
these high activity and on thego, fast paced summers. So the
problem is that when kids areeating mostly junk food, they

(02:47):
burn through those calories veryquickly and we start to see the
crashes.
If we're feeding our kids highprocessed, high sugar, high in
artificial ingredient typesnacks, we're going to see some
symptoms of that. And if youdon't know that this is related

(03:08):
to the food that you're givingthem, you might just be
wondering why are my kids socrazy right now? Why are they
struggling so much? We can oftensee mood swings, tantrums,
increased fighting withsiblings, and total shutdowns
when they're not being fed in away that supports their ongoing

(03:31):
energy and regulation. And ofcourse we can't control every
bite that we eat, but we can beintentional about what we offer
and how we set the tone forsnacks.
When we support our kidsholistically, just meaning their
whole body, mind, and spirit,they can show up with more

(03:52):
resilience, more cooperation,and we can have more joy in
parenting. And food is a bigpart of that. So actually to
make this easier for you, I haveput together a free download
that you can grab today. This ismy healthy summer snack list.
It's a total freebie that youare welcome to find in the show

(04:15):
notes below or on my Instagramcreating.
Intentional. Mothers in my linkin my bio. You can just go and
grab that list for free andit'll be delivered right to your
email. But this list is a reallife mom tested collection of
snacks that are easy to prep andpack, kid friendly, not loaded

(04:41):
with sugar or artificialingredients, and perfect for
pool days, car rides, natureoutside time, and just, you
know, surviving the afternoonenergy dip. So of course go find
that in the show notes or headover to my Instagram and tap on
the link in my bio.
It's totally free and it's madespecifically with summer busy

(05:05):
moms in mind. Here's yourreminder, mama, you're not
failing if your kids are askingfor snacks constantly. It's just
part of the summer life. Butwhen we offer the right kind of
fuel, protein, fiber, real food,we're helping our kids stay
regulated before the meltdownsbegin. I have one particular son

(05:32):
who just cannot stay regulatedwhen he's not being fed a
healthy diet of protein andcomplex carbs that are gonna
stay in his system a littlelonger.
He has the crashes so bad. Andwhen he gets hangry, he gets
hangry. Like we cannot reasonwith him. We cannot get him to

(05:55):
comply with the simplest ofcommands. And we have learned
from experience and trial anderror that this kid needs the
right kind of energy.
And that is why I wanted to makethis list for you and wanted to
give you some ideas because wehave had so many ups and downs.
And I have just learned that,man, what a big difference it

(06:19):
makes if I can just be preparedwith some go to snacks for my
family so that we can actuallyenjoy all the things we wanna do
on summer vacation while we'reout and about at parks or at
splash pads or at the pool, Andwe're not dealing with huge
meltdowns. It honestly breaks myheart when I see moms and kids

(06:43):
struggling and battling, havingthese power struggles, where
maybe some of it could have beenlessened had you not been
dealing with a really hangrykid. I'm sure you guys have
started to recognize these kindsof situations with your own
kids. And when we are aware ofthis, we can avoid so many of
these unnecessary battles.

(07:04):
Let's just nourish their bodiesso that they can enjoy their
childhood and we can enjoy theirchildhood and our motherhood a
little bit more. Thanks forbeing here today. If this
episode encouraged you or gaveyou some new ideas, would you
mind writing a review so thatmore moms can find out about
this podcast? Or maybe evenshare it with a friend, share it

(07:28):
on your social media, screenshotit, and tag me on your social
media so that more and more momscan find resources to help make
motherhood more enjoyable. Anddon't forget to go download your
snack list.
It's in the show notes or on myInstagram creating. Intentional.

(07:48):
Mothers totally free and totallywill help save your sanity. So
until next time, I'm Kelsey, andthis is Intentional Motherhood.