Does anyone else do snack baskets over half term?

[LauraSaidIShouldBeNicer]

My 2 are 7 and 5 and all I hear is am huuuuuuungry. They always have free reign of the fruit bowl and have a good size breakfast lunch and tea.

In the half term I make them up a basket each filled with snacks for the day they can get themselves and once the basket is empty doesn't get refilled till the next day and anything left stays in for the next day. At first they used to eat everything but now they've got the hang of it.
The baskets are primarily fruit in today's basket we have.
An apple
Small bunch of grapes
2 tangies
Mini roll
Crisps
Belvita biscuits

I don't think those snacks are healthy at all. Chocolate roll and crisps in one day. It's no wonder some children have "small stomachs" if they're eating that between meals.

@Hornetfarmer

*Eightiesfan* because no-one needs to eat half their daily calorie allowance in snacks which are primarily sugar based. The habits you instill in your kids stay with them which is why overweight kids become overweight adults.

As an adult I couldn't eat three big meals a day and all of those snacks without becoming overweight. I think everything in moderation is fine. To me that is not moderation.

You have jumped very quickly to the assumption that giving children some treats over half-term will result in them ending up as overweight adults. Your metabolism does not allow you to eat three big meals a day, but everyone is different and children will have a much faster metabolism than an adult.

The OP has not suggested that this is an everyday occurrence, I cannot fathom why everyone is getting so worked up about this.

If you take your children out to eat, and I imagine a lot of parents are taking their kids for days out over half-them, they will most likely be exceeding and perhaps doubling their daily limit with one meal, would this stop you from buying them lunch? As a treat and not an everyday occurrence I have no problem with this.

Plus once they get to secondary school all bets are off as they will be spending their lunch money on chops, pizza, cookies, pastries etc.

@Natsku frozen peas are a treat here, mine love them 🤣. I remember as a child eating them before my mum cooked them.

(NB not really a treat but they do love them and often have them as a veg with their sandwich at lunch!)

[quote Fedupsotired]@Natsku frozen peas are a treat here, mine love them 🤣. I remember as a child eating them before my mum cooked them.

(NB not really a treat but they do love them and often have them as a veg with their sandwich at lunch!)[/quote]
I used to call them pea ice lollies when my DD was little (and then giggle about it), though she stopped considering them a treat after about 3 years old.

@Curiousmouse

I don't think those snacks are healthy at all. Chocolate roll and crisps in one day. It's no wonder some children have "small stomachs" if they're eating that between meals.

How rude! My dd eats extremely healthily thanks, three meals a day. Home cooked meals all from scratch. And she will eat a lot at each sitting until she is totally full, but gets hungry again an hour and a half later. I am very careful.about what I give her and btw she is also very physically active and seriously in to dance.

Are you saying I don't know the difference between a child who can't eat their dinner because they are full from snacking, and one who can never eat huge portions even at their hungriest? Because I do, and I know this because she didn't eat any more at meals when I was too strict about snacks and didn't have any, and in fact she then became slightly underweight. It was our family doctor who advised that she needed to eat more between meals.

And for your information, she never eats snacks before main meals and she has a very long day that starts at 6.30 am and finishes at 8pm. And she is still at the lightest percentile for her age even now so you can take your snotty judgey assumptions elsewhere thanks!

All dc are not the same and therefore have different calorie requirements.

I personally would only have one biscuit in a snack box and I bake snacks when I can, but I don't think the concept of a snack box is wrong at all.

I live in a European country where they are very strict about diet and snacking and even here all the children have two pauses during the day at school for a drink and a snack. Adults do not need to snack between meals but most children do, if they have an active lifestyle, and because they are growing.

😬😬😬 discussing what people feed their kids is always going to get heated. If you feed them crisps and chocolate your a terrible parent…if you feed them lentils and lettuce your starving them. Surely it’s all about moderation? You may feed your child chocolate and crisps, they maybe skinny and into sports but are you setting them up to make good food choices in the future? They may not be skinny and sporty forever.

We try not to do snacks, but with teens it’s hard, they go to school and their friends bring in food to share, suddenly their healthy packed lunch isn’t very appealing 😬. All we can do is encourage them to make the right choices but realistically when given the choice of a chocolate bar or a apple we know what they are likely to chose. I don’t like the idea of snack baskets, snacks here are mainly fruit and veg, maybe the occasional biscuit. Dd is underweight at the moment due to a possible food intolerance (she’s being tested for many things), she eats 3 big meals a day and will ask for snacks in between it those are mainly mini cucumbers, apples and maybe a biscuit. Her sister is overweight, skips breakfast and eats 2 small meals, she’s less active than DD2, I’m really careful not to have too much chocolate or crisps in the house and am trying to encourage healthier options.

Of course there is a balance to be struck! Where I live there are far fewer obese adults than in the UK but it's normal to feed their dc snacks! Sometimes snacks that are quite sugary!

I will stop ranting now but it ^is^ very personal when you have put a lot of love and effort in to feeding your dc the right things day in, day out and someone makes a smug judgey remark when they know nothing about you!

Personally, I don't think we should judge the past week by normal standards. It's been one of the most miserable weeks ever, weather-wise, and actually unsafe to go outside for two days. We've had to cancel two trips because of the weather (one to a forest adventure park, one to the seaside), although we did manage to book an hour's soft play instead. So yes DS has probably had more snacks/treats this week than he usually has and yes a number of our activities (movie with popcorn, baking cupcakes) have revolved around food. But really I'm just impressed that we've managed to get through the past week without too much cabin fever.

I don't do snack baskets, because I tried it, & the resultant 'MUM HE'S STOLEN MY SATSUMA' arguments were enormously wearing.

I just did a well stocked fruit bowl, free access to the veg drawer in the fridge, & anything genuinely junky was bought, with pocket money, on a planned trip to the shops to be eaten there & then.

However, I've now got hulking teenagers who certainly wouldn't dream of buying fruit with their allowances. That's for Starbucks with their mates or crisps on the way home, right? Apples & carrots pffff. Mum always has those knocking about...

So I'm not entirely convinced that creating a dichotomy between 'healthy 5 a day, help yourself' & 'chocolate & crisps are rationed goodies' was my best ever parenting moment.

Maybe I should have policed managed snacks better when they were little.

However, I've got:

Ds,17, who eats everything & is overweight. He's trying hard to lose it. But he adores junky food & buys far too much of it before/at/after school. He's a bit old for me to put him on a lunch box full of carrot sticks, & has an allowance from xh which I can't control.

Dd1,15, who isn't fussed about food unless it's placed in front of her. She absent mindedly grazes on fruit or cereal or toast at all hours. Happily eats dinner. Her weight is fine, but her eating habits certainly aren't great.

Dd2, 13, who is very into sport, very health aware, & has never developed much of a taste for snacks anyway. She can go through the fruit bowl & the fridge like a biblical plague of locusts, though, & is noted for getting unbelievably hangry if dinner is late. Very fussy eater.

Objectively, dd2 is the healthiest of the three in terms of her diet. But they all grew up with identical house rules. I'm not sure this is a game you get to win, tbh.

Eightiesfan the majority of adults in the UK are either obese or overweight (65%) as are 35% of 10and 11 year olds. I am not suggesting the OP' children will become overweight but I do think our general attitude to food and a normalisation of low quality and low nutrient food as a significant part of our daily diet accounts for the statistics we see currently.

@CorvusPurpureus

I don't do snack baskets, because I tried it, & the resultant 'MUM HE'S STOLEN MY SATSUMA' arguments were enormously wearing.

I just did a well stocked fruit bowl, free access to the veg drawer in the fridge, & anything genuinely junky was bought, with pocket money, on a planned trip to the shops to be eaten there & then.

However, I've now got hulking teenagers who certainly wouldn't dream of buying fruit with their allowances. That's for Starbucks with their mates or crisps on the way home, right? Apples & carrots pffff. Mum always has those knocking about...

So I'm not entirely convinced that creating a dichotomy between 'healthy 5 a day, help yourself' & 'chocolate & crisps are rationed goodies' was my best ever parenting moment.

Maybe I should have policed managed snacks better when they were little.

However, I've got:

Ds,17, who eats everything & is overweight. He's trying hard to lose it. But he adores junky food & buys far too much of it before/at/after school. He's a bit old for me to put him on a lunch box full of carrot sticks, & has an allowance from xh which I can't control.

Dd1,15, who isn't fussed about food unless it's placed in front of her. She absent mindedly grazes on fruit or cereal or toast at all hours. Happily eats dinner. Her weight is fine, but her eating habits certainly aren't great.

Dd2, 13, who is very into sport, very health aware, & has never developed much of a taste for snacks anyway. She can go through the fruit bowl & the fridge like a biblical plague of locusts, though, & is noted for getting unbelievably hangry if dinner is late. Very fussy eater.

Objectively, dd2 is the healthiest of the three in terms of her diet. But they all grew up with identical house rules. I'm not sure this is a game you get to win, tbh.

My DD is 15 and is similar, seems to get by on toast, grapes, those instant porridge pots and walkers sensations crisps. Shes not technically underweight but nearly. We did home cooked 3 family meals a day with loads of veg (I'm veggie and cook everything from scratch) but we can't really police her diet anymore. She dies like pulses so often make Dahl/chickpea soup/Italian bean stew and she eats that. I was skinny with a really crap diet as a teenager and now I'm healthy weight, slim low BMI low blood pressure adult who's pretty good with nutrition. But I've never made a fuss over the kids food, because that way issues lie.

I'm not sure this is a game you get to win, tbh.
Wise words there

This thread has been absolute gold and was just the tonic after my home has been torn apart by storms! I hope that Snack Baskets will go down in Mumsnet history.

Special thanks to anyone that used the word "abuse" to describe some tangerines and a mini soren loaf. 😂

Social Services will be adding the words Snack Basket Abuse to their database as something new to be watching out for. Watch out any of you who have ever offered a child a piece of fruit AND a biscuit within a 24 hour period. I have no words for the horror you are inflicting on your children.

"It started small, your honour. A Farley's Rusk here. An Ella's Kitchen there. But it snowballed. By age 4, they ate a packet of mini cheddars a day... in... in.... oh god. I can't even say it..... in the time between lunch and dinner" 😭

God bless MN - the hand wringing and competitive hysteria over a few bits of chocolate and some crisps in holiday reminds me why I love this place

OP - it’s fine. They’ll be fine. Hope they’re enjoying their holidays (and their snack baskets)

No

I think this is a good idea. You can guarantee if I'm having a rare day inside with dd's over the hols, as soon as my bum touches the seat to enjoy a hot cuppa they ask for a snack. I love them but I'm their snack bitch 😂 as long as it's healthy I don't see the issue. I suppose it also helps them understand the amount they're eating if they can see it all in one place.

Surely the way to look at it is would your children be eating all those ‘extras’ if they were at school , if the answer is no then obviously they are only eating it because it’s 1) there and available 2) boredom eating . If you do the same in the main 6 week holiday that’s a lot of calories and sugar extra to their meals .

@SpidersAreShitheads

I know this doesn't work for lots of families, but I've never put limits on snacks. We have a range of different foods in the house, and the DC can have what they want if they're hungry.

They rarely snack, and even have to be prompted sometimes to check if they're hungry if they've had a light lunch and dinner is going to be later.

They're both a healthy weight and have a really balanced approach to junky/snack food. I think because it's always available it just doesn't have the same appeal. This approach works really well for us and seems to have created healthy eating habits.

I, on the other hand, can force down a family-sized bar of chocolate during an ad break. I jest. Sort of.

The same here. Because it's not limited they don't ask much unless as I said in previous post, they see me sit for more than 30 seconds.

Actually I've rememebered when we were young kids at home we did have multi packs of crisps in the cupboard, plus Jacobs Club bars etc - couldn't have much chocolate as DB was allergic to cows milk.

But we had Nutella, honey etc too and were encouraged to have this on toast and also had crumpets, muffins etc as well as fruit and also honey. So we did have 'snacks' for holidays but they were spaced out at e.g. 11am and mid afternoon. So scrap what I said yesterday! Everything in moderation is a good idea.

In school they have a snack at break and fruit in the afternoon so they do snack in school too.

In today's basket we have
Tangies
Grapes
Banana
Pepperami
Nutrigrain bar

Yes my children are now obese from yesterdays snack fest

I haven’t got money to waste on over priced over packaged stuff like Bellvita biscuits, Pepperami and cereal bars. Not for two of them, and when I am at home.

Mine got carrot sticks, toast, glass of milk etc. Alongside apple, banana or satsuma. If very hungry. Not laid out as if a snack was inevitable.

So they are probably eating 3 extra items per day . I personally think you would be better just directing them to the fruit bowl or keeping them busier so they don’t keep asking .

@SirChenjins

God bless MN - the hand wringing and competitive hysteria over a few bits of chocolate and some crisps in holiday reminds me why I love this place

OP - it’s fine. They’ll be fine. Hope they’re enjoying their holidays (and their snack baskets)

Yes it's funny and I hold my hand up to having a good rant BUT my God if you have ever tried to get an underweight child to eat, and have spent nights worrying about it, suffice to say it is an issue which is very emotive. I know this thread is about snacks and not about anything deeper, but it goes deeper ifyswim!