About toddler group snacks?

[youcankeepyourhead]

I wanted to mention/discuss with you my concerns about some toddler groups snack options.

I went to a group last week - at snack time, they gave the children: crisps, biscuits and juice (squash that's full of sugar). I changed the juice for water and gave my child the snack I'd brought with me (cheese sandwich and quartered grapes)

It does not teach the children healthy eating nor does it show a good example to parents. I believe that these groups should be offering fruit, raisins, rice cakes, milk or water.

Am I the only mum who thinks these unhealthy snakes are unacceptable? So my question is, do you think it's acceptable for these groups to offer our children unhealthy snacks?

I think it depends on the type of a group you're attending.

If it's a private one, then it's really their call and you have the choice of taking your own snacks or not going.

If it's a children & family centre/Surestart one then YANBU as part of their remit is to encourage healthy eating and an awareness of childhood obesity. Ours provides some combination of fresh fruit/veg, rice cakes, bread sticks or toast & cheese cubes.

Raisins are rubbish BTW (from a healthy eating POV) - absolutely full of sugar.

So, you switched fat, sugar, salt and empty carbs for fat, sugar, salt and empty carbs?

Go you!

it is isotonic to body fluid, so is absorbed not just peed away straight away. And milk is indigestible to many races after weening, and should not be offered without explicit permission. My children don't digest it.

Blue that is among the daftest things I have ever read on here (the bit about water/squash - I'll give you other bit).

why is it daft eurochick?

a child can't just absorb water into their blood, they will dilute their blood and destroy their blood cells! they can absorb FLUID, water with sugar and ions in, that doesn't dilute their blood, and will rehydrate them.

A small amount of water can be absorbed, maybe, if they haven't been sweating, etc, but most of it will just be removed by the kidneys as toxic waste!

Between three children; I have never encountered a playgroup that provided snacks . Tea / coffee for the parents (that you had to pay for and then make yourself), but not so much as a digestive to go with it and nothing for the kids.
But tbf, the sessions were usually for a maximum of two hours and didn't tend to span a mealtime, so I can't see why they'd have been necessary anyway?

Bloody hell, one biscuit won't kill them will it

Christ on a bike it's a biscuit and a drink. Once a week. Jut go elsewhere if you don't like it. These groups are usually run by volunteers and non-profit making.

I think the socialisation for the kids, the chance to play with new toys and the adult company are worth the cost to the health of the child that a solitary biscuit is going to cause.

I have never, ever IRL heard of anyone moaning of the biscuit at the toddler groups I go to, and I've been to a lot of toddler groups during the past five years.

blue14 that is bollocks.

why is it bollocks firefly?

I don't mind my children being offered water, but I would prefer them to be offered squash, if it available. Water won't harm them, but it won't quench their thirst or rehydrate them either.

Milk on the other hand, would make them feel sick.

I run a playgroup as a volunteer and will admit to providing snacks that are easiest and most cost effective.

We err on the side of healthy - breadsticks, plain popcorn, crackers, rice cakes, some plain (ish) sweet biscuits - with a choice of water or squash to drink. No fruit or chopped veg for the simple reason that it's too expensive, doesn't last and is time consuming to prepare. At our end of term parties the toddlers get crisps and cake and juice and chocolate to take home. So shoot me!

I love running our playgroup but at the end of the day I'm a volunteer, giving up a morning of my time week in week out for no pay and tbh the health quality of the snacks is not my top priority. Toddler groups are about social opportunities for the kids - a halfway house between home and preschool/nursery, in a way - and, ideally, a nice friendly social outlet for the adults too. I get lots of comments about what a friendly welcoming group ours is. I'd be a bit if someone honestly felt that my role was to 'teach children healthy eating and to set a good example to parents'. My role is to provide a safe friendly atmosphere where toddlers and carers feel relaxed and happy and can enjoy themselves. It really shouldn't matter what the snacks are.

how can you say water wont rehydrate or quench thirst? i only drink water. I would be interested to see the medical evidence that backs up your claims!

We've had a similar issue raised at the after school club, but it's simple finances. We can buy a bottle of squash (though the kids have the choice of water - most of them like squash because they've had water all day at school) and a big box of crisps super cheap and it doesn't go off if less children than anticipated turn up. It's run entirely by volunteers (even though it's fully registered and run like a 'proper' out of school care) and they simply don't have time to be chopping fruit. Pre packaged fruit is too expensive. If we put prices up to offer better snacks then the children who benefit the most from the group wouldn't be able to come as their parents could no longer afford it.

Also if it's once a week then it does no harm imo. As long as there is the option to take your own and have water I don't see the issue.

well look it up then firefly, it is basic science

Blue Whaaaaaat? Is there some new science showing water does not rehydrate that the world has missed?

Sounds fab, tell me more. What about wine? Is that better? I bloody knew it! 2 litres of water a day... Pah! My big fat arse

water is full of sminerals, that is why u have limescale and red stuff in the tub
calcium, sodium, potassium, copper, magnesium, sulfur....

I looked it up, Blue. The NHS disagrees with you.

Just read blue's posts. 'Water doesn't hydrate'. I've heard it all now!!

I don't get the angst over children's diets to be perfectly honest. A biscuit or packet of crisps once a week isn't going to hurt. Everything in moderation!

the thing is squash (as every dentist will tell you) is very very bad for children's teeth. either it is full of sugar which rots their teeth or its sugar free and full of aspartame which isnt very good for their insides.

i think i'll continue to take my chances with my water thanks.

by the way im not perfect. my kids do have squash and juice but generally have water.

I used to run a toddler group, we always had chocolate cake 😱😱 (and fruit, very dilute squash, breadsticks or something similar) and you could always eat your own body weight in biscuits 😁

YANBU. Our group only offers squash and Wotsits at snack time so I always take along my own.

Whilst I think everything is fine in moderation it's nice to have a choice.

Kids (and adults) don't need isotonic drinks under normal circumstances. We have adequate minerals/salts/sugars (eg from food) to enable us to drink plain tap water without issue. Obviously we cannot have large quantities of RO water (chemically pure H20), but that's not what comes out the tap anyway.