To not give my toddler snacks?

You can cook literally any veg in a sauce, though. Including these: courgette, broccoli, peas or sweetcorn (used to but now refuses) spinach, mushroom, even sweet potato, carrot. Why do you think you’re limited to
tinned tomatoes and onions, pepper if I can get it in.?!

No one told anyone off for giving fruit. I personally made a comment about too much, in the context of the balance between fruit and veg. Fruit is not particularly nutrient or calorie dense for snacks either.

If he is a healthy weight, meeting milestones and otherwise thriving I wouldn’t worry. You are feeding nutritious, balanced and filling meals.

At 4, I’d probably still offer a small snack such as a piece of fruit, cheese and a single cracker or a single biscuit mid-morning. But I wouldn’t allow all day grazing - it’s doesn’t encourage them to ever learn the feeling of being hungry and is terrible for their teeth.
7am breakfast, 10am small snack, 12:30pm lunch 5pm dinner. If dinner is later, e.g to fit with whole family dinner time, I’d probably add another small snack around 3:30-4pm (yogurt or a piece of toast etc.) after school / nursery.

I’ve never offered snacks, my kids just eat a shitload at meal times. Plus I cannot abide hearing kids beg for snacks, especially as what they mean is sugar.

However, I don’t actually think that three bigger meals a day are particularly healthy. They’re an arbitrary human construct, we should eat when we’re hungry.

Mine are all about snacks but they also generally eat meals well too.

I'd offer crackers, breadsticks, cheese cubes, rice cakes, yogurt, boiled eggs etc if she isn't as keen on veggies/fruit and keep offering those with meals.

If she doesn't eat anything else then I'd just assume she isn't hungry.

Ahhhh. Don’t know what but my iphone often changes carrots for catguts 🙀😂

Preschoolers often refuse snack time at nursery whereas the 2-3yo olds always want it.

Many 4yo are able to manage on the three meals a day pattern without extras if they eat well at meal times.

Not what I thought I said. I said if energy flagging. And no, I don't particularly approve of snacking.

What's wrong with fruit?

That's a snack then. You approve of snacks.

I would continue to offer fruit and vegetables as snacks, I suspect in time she will want to copy her brother and will go for it

You could consider putting out a snack platter for both of them including some things she will eat but she might get tempted to try some of the others - e.g. sliced fruit and veg plus cheese, boiled egg etc

Otherwise for a long time my kids thrived on second breakfast - they got into the habit of this on nursery days and it stuck, they would have breakfast at home and then again at nursery

Sounds like she eats quite well, to me.

DS is 5 & refusing lots of things he used to eat.

I don’t use “kiddies snacks” they’re treat food only.

Oatcakes, no sugar yoghurts, crackers, breadsticks.

He also loves goodies. Maybe a Freddie or KitKat.

id offer an afternoon snack and see whether it affects the evening meal at all. If it doesn’t then you know.

the NHS guidelines recommend it so why not try it? You’ve already said they don’t communicate hunger so can’t tell you or don’t know to tell you.

Giving some cheese, fruit with some sort of healthy carb is more opportunity for nutrients. Especially as their brains are using so many more calories just learning/figuring things out.

People have different eating patterns, ways if eating that work best for them.

Some people will have hunger geared for 3 set meals a day.

Some people will do better with grazing.

Some people may even prefer to have one large meal a day, and will be healthier in this.

For weight management and health, every child should be able to dictate how often they eat. They should be taught to listen to their hunger - not eat "just because it's time to" when they're not ready yet, and not be made to wait just because "it's not dinner time yet".

The school/workday is absolute bullshit for weight and health management.

This obsession with 3 meals a day at certain times is why so many kids have grown up fat. They're being trained to not listen to hunger signals - same with kids who get snacks forced on them when they didn't request it. Or kids who communicate they're hungry but get told no.

If we want a healthy population, for the majority of people the first step is allowing them to learn how to listen to their body and respond appropriately. Not ignore it and start eating for other reasons.

Catguts - best typo ever!

Boiled egg for breakfast, chill for lunch and stir fry for dinner? Most toddlers would push those plates away and refuse most if that! I’m really not sure what you’re worrying about? You don’t mention biscuits, crisps etc but instead fruit as snacks so
what’s the issue? She’s eating well!

If having 3 good meals they don’t need snacks

equally some are more hungry then others so as long as the snacks don’t interfere with their meals I don’t see the issue tho

your son does eat a lot of fruit. Fruit doesn’t keep them full for long and is the sweetness of it that isn’t always good for teeth

so I would offer a fruit snack then other more filling /protein

rice cakes
humous and veg sticks
Baby bel
pepperoni

catguts
hard boiled egg
slices of ham /chicken

Off topic but so odd to call a four year old a toddler. I have a two year old and four year olds are grown up sensible people in my opinion 🤣

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

a rare treat to see sound, evidence-based nutrition advice on mumsnet.

This. Only on mn would you get told off for feeding your children fruit 🙄

Grapes and strawberries are luxuries in my eyes. The only fruit we had were apples 😂