Quick Serve Kids: A Snack, Perhaps?

As a parent, where do you stand on the whole snacking thing?

Depending on which book you read / what your pediatrician says / what works for your family, you might do square meals or more frequent, smaller meals. One famous pediatrician even recommends leaving out an array of snacks out for a toddler, say, in a muffin tin, so that she can eat on the go all day.

But that wouldn’t work for us. First, we’re rarely inside the house for long periods of time. And I never wanted to be one of those parents whose cars and sofas are full of crushed Cheerios and crackers. (Not that crumbs are that awful. And not that our house and car are clean. But anyway.)

So we’re pretty much a three-meals-and-afternoon-snack kind of family—but it seems we’re going against the trend. A recent study by Business Insights says snacking occasions are forecast to increase 3.6 percent in the United States, compared to overall eating occasions, from 2004 to 2008.

The same report says fully 10 percent of Americans now forgo regular meals in favor of grazing. Wow!

Look for fast feeders to jump on the trend, catering to snacky consumers with a wider array of snacks and scaled-down meals. The move is aimed at us grown-ups who sometimes want a smaller meal.

But think about this: Snack-sized adult items might make decent substitutes for kids’ meals.

McDonald’s is catering to the trend by introducing several new Snack Wrap varieties. Pleased with the results of its summer 2006 launch of the Ranch Snack Wrap, McDonald’s recently rolled out more snacking options for customers, like the new Honey Mustard Snack Wrap. The chicken snacks now are available in both grilled and crispy choices. McDonald’s already had other snack items on the menu, including the Snack Size Fruit & Walnut Salad, Fruit ‘N Yogurt Parfait, and Apple Dippers, among others.

The grilled version of the Honey Mustard wrap is pictured here. It’s got chicken breast meat, cheddar jack cheese, lettuce, and a sweet and tangy Honey Mustard sauce, wrapped inside a flour tortilla. It’s offered for a promotional period at $1.29 at participating McDonald’s restaurants nationwide.

And at 270 calories, 18 grams of protein, and zero trans fats, it’s an option I’d consider for Baby A. What do you think?

Overall, this trend could create a much wider variety of dining options for clever parents and their kids. Now if only the chicken could be hormone-free….