I would be making the snacks pieces of fruit and vegetables, cheese sticks and celery sticks and other foods that are normally on the dinner plate. Once she stops having the sweet and salty stuff she will find that what she is eating is far tastier and she will be getting all the nutrition she needs without having to be pushed to eat a ‘regular meal’ as you say.

Have you tried finger foods? Meatballs, muffins, rissoles, dolmades, sushi, boiled eggs etc. These can be a meal though they look like snacks. Fruits like bananas, apples, nuts, dry fruit are also filling and nutritious foods and will help keep your little one full and content. If she likes soup, you can add a handful of rice and some veggies to make a wholesome meal for her.

I went through a similar issue with both of my boys when they were toddlers as they are both grazers (even now at 6 & 11), they will eat their meals but choose to graze on healthy snacks. They would only eat a complete meal if they had a growth spurt or had slept a solid sleep. Also, don’t pile up too much. Give a small portion of things for their meal. And make it colourful with the different veggies. Make ot fun.

I would be careful about how frequently and the quantity of snacks you provide, it could be that she is feeling too full or just not hungry at meal times. Usually it’s monkey see, monkey do. Your child will see you eating foods and then you can share some of what you’re having. Another option would be is providing something more substantial like leftover dinner, etc during the time that she is hungry and wanting a snack. She will soon catch on that the other stuff is pretty tasty too.

It’s so easy to incorporate veggies into ‘snacks’.
Cauliflower can be added to apple muffins, both zucchini and beetroot can be added to chocolate cakes and brownies.
I make veggie chicken patties for burgers or meatballs, or nuggets I use chicken mince, grated zucchini and carrot, shredded spinach and sometimes cooked rice (like porcupine meatballs). i use paprika, parsley, onion powder, minced garlic, mustard powder, a little cumin, celery salt and white pepper. If I crumb them, i put the parmesan from the pasta aisle in the bread crumbs and add the herbs and spices to the flour dredge.
Everyone in my house loves them.

I did the opposite to you I focused on feeding my baby/ toddler/ child meals instead on snacks. There is a if you don’t eat the meals you get no chips, cookies, chocolate, lollies rule. So snacks weren’t given to replace meals. Any child that is filled up with junk snacks won’t eat meals and will prefer to eat all that rubbish instead.

We invested in some wonderful and creative cookbooks for children. The recipes are easy to follow and the meals are colourful and most importantly they are fun. Presentation is important with meals and usually children like food that is presented in a fun way. Maybe have a look for some cookbooks. We also have regular meal and snack times.

My daughter went through a really fussy stage of eating and a friend of mine recommended Dr Kyla, a Paediatric Dietitian on Instagram who has a program called toddler mealtimes and I’m so happy I found her. Even if you decide not to look at the program, she posts great little pieces of advice for fussy eaters. I highly recommend having a look as it gave me the confidence and reassurance that I wasn’t doing anything wrong. I just had to persevere and keep offering the regular meals and slowly introduce things that she was not a huge fan off without pressure. I also found ensuring each regular meal was a sit down family meal with no distractions was a must.

Sitting down at the table and eating regular meals together may help encourage and set an example. Watching what you are eating too may get the child wanting to try other things. It can be a difficult time when they are little but things generally do improve as they get older.

My 15 month old took a while to find a love for food. I eat with him for most meals, or he sees me try what ever he’s about to eat. Sometimes it’s just a few bites he’ll eat before he wants just veggies and fruit, but trying it is a win. Letting him explore the food and allowing him to try it a few times before I give it a break helps. What he hated at the start of the week he loved at the end

My child is very fussy and i have had a battle for 4 years now however i do not offer biscuits, chips etc. My daughter will only eat about 8 different types of food. I continue to offer her new foods and talk to her regularly about trying them but she has no interest. When it is meal time she does not get any treats, she needs to eat her meal first and then a treat is given. If i was in your shoes, I would be removing the biscuits and chips as an option, a bit of tough love perhaps as it sounds like your child is filling up on junk food and then not wanting her dinner etc. You could even introduce a reward chart etc as encouragement to eat dinner or even a fun activity at the end of the week if she does eat her dinner. Good luck with this