I thought I knew what hanger was before I had kids. But even now, with my oldest at six years old, I’m constantly surprised by how nasty a kid can be when they’re hungry.

Maybe they’ve been playing something they really enjoy, and just ignored their body’s hunger cues. Maybe they missed a snack because they can’t tell time and their adults were distracted (I know this has never happened to you). Maybe they just expect someone else to prompt them to eat, even though they might be old enough to remember to eat on their own. For whatever reason, if they don’t eat when they’re hungry, they quickly become gremlins. Like from the movie Gremlins. Real, uncooperative, nasty-attituded, whiny gremlins.

Add in the tension of family photos (things having to happen at a certain time, an adult coming to their home), and the hanger gets taken up a full notch.

So you offer them their favorite snack - nutella on graham crackers - in a last-ditch desperate attempt to make the gremlin happy, just as the photographer rings the doorbell. And a glob of nutella gets smeared across her cheek and into the hair that you washed and combed and put a bow in, just five minutes earlier.

Let’s rewind the tape and start again. This time, you’re properly armed with a stack of non-messy snacks that won’t color their teeth or leave their clothes stained (whatever they decide to wear). If only there was a list of photographer-approved snacks that you could use to help you…

Non-messy snacks for kids of all ages, for before and during photo sessions:

Ages 0-6 months:

• Milk or formula. Unfortunately there’s a real limited amount of snacks available for babies under 6 months. Just make sure you have an additional outfit picked out in case the snack goes haywire. (Side note: extra outfits are also a good idea for anyone in diapers or potty training, just in case.)

Ages 6 -12 months:

• milk or formula

• Cheerios or other similar cereal

• apple or pear slices with the peel removed

• bell pepper slices

• whole grain crackers and graham crackers (hold the spread)

• pretzel thins

• veggie straws

• Pirate’s Booty

• banana (yes it’s messy, but it’s usually very easy to clean and doesn’t stain)

• Puffs (Gerber and Happy Baby both have these)

Ages 1 - 3 years:

• Cheerios or other similar cereal

• string cheese

• cucumber slices

• apple slices with the peel removed

• raisins (watch the stickiness)

• yogurt, apple sauce, or fruit pouches (only if they are good at not squeezing prematurely)

• freeze-dried fruit

• granola bar bites (no chocolate or frosting that will melt in their little hands)

• bell pepper slices

• Teddy grahams

• whole grain crackers and graham crackers (hold the spread)

• pretzel thins

• veggie straws

• Pirate’s Booty

• banana (yes it’s messy, but it’s usually very easy to clean and doesn’t stain)

• rice cakes

• bread (as a last resort, a slice of plain untoasted bread will fill a belly nicely)

Ages 4 years and up:

• Cheerios or other similar cereal

• string or Baby Bel cheese

• grapes

• freeze-dried fruit

• granola bars (no chocolate or peanut butter)

• Teddy grahams

• whole grain crackers and graham crackers (hold the spread)

• pretzels

• trail mix

• veggie straws

• Pirate’s Booty

• banana (yes it’s messy, but it’s usually very easy to clean and doesn’t stain)

• rice cakes

• bread

Some surprising non-messy snacks to avoid before or during your photo session:

• Goldfish and other orange crackers (they get stuck in teeth and are pretty hard to edit out)

• Carrots (same reason as above)

• Green, red, yellow, or blue foods (same reason as above)

Some unsurprising snacks to avoid before or during your photo session:

• Blueberries, strawberries, watermelon

• Wet spreads like Nutella, peanut butter, hummus, yogurt, cottage cheese

• Chocolate

• Candy that can’t be eaten quickly and/or that will turn their mouth into that color

• Juice (stick with water or milk to avoid extra stickiness)

A couple of notes: I wouldn’t use the moments before or during your photo session to try to introduce a new snack. If these suggestions are not already on your go-to list, and you don’t have time to introduce them before your session, I’d just revert to whatever snacks your kids usually like - but maybe stay away from anything that’s too liquidy or sticky.

If your kid’s favorite snacks are on the avoid list, and they’re picky about what they eat (what kid isn’t), don’t withhold snacks because you don’t want them to get messy. That will just put you all right back where we started: hangry.

If being messy is the name of the photo game for your session, feel free to ignore all the advice above. Your session is yours! These are suggestions for when you care about the mess.

Also, obviously be aware of your kid’s allergies and what they can and can’t eat, as well as their chewing ability, before you offer them food. I am not a doctor or a nutritionist, and can’t tell you what to feed your kid. These are all only (hopefully helpful) suggestions!

Want to read more posts about prepping for a photo session?

How to metally prepare for a photo session

How I prepped my kids for a family photo session

A peek at the APP Prep Guide

Why you can’t get family photos done, even when you want to

Five tips for a stress-free newborn photo session