Claire asked 3 years ago
I know he has lunch and something in the afternoon at nursery, but seems to really want snacks on the way home. Do I hang on and not give the snack? Finding it hard to figure it all out.
Riverside Cares Staff answered 3 years ago
Hi Claire,
Thanks for your question. Children have small tummies and so offering snacks between meals is usually fine. It’s important to try not to make snacking habitual (e.g., not something that always occurs in the car or pushchair). If your little one seems hungry, this could be a great way to get more fruit and veg into his diet, particularly veg. Offering sticks of carrot, cucumber or pepper for him to munch on would be a great snack. If this is tricky in terms of preparation, then the NHS recommends some good ‘on the go’ snacks like plain rice cakes, bread sticks, or a slice of malt loaf (https://www.nhs.uk/change4life/food-facts/healthier-snacks-for-kids/100-calorie-snacks/#packaged-snacks). Seeing snack time as another opportunity to help your child to consume a wide range of healthy foods is a good way to approach this.
We do hope this helps,
Emma and Jill