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?

well people, our bodies and those of our kiddies are large periodic tables. everything must be present, without excess.

A glass of squash and a biscuit once a week, come on it's really not the end of the world.

So.... Where's our very concerned op gone?

Ninokuni, the NHS doesn't disagree with me at all.

hereagainalways, why would you think it did? It does, up to a point, but other fluids hydrate much better.

I've run a toddler group for six or so years now. We are volunteers, we don't charge although the donations from the parents and caters who come each week are what keeps us running. We offer hot drinks for adults, squash or water for children and biscuits for anyone who wants one. We also offer toast, but on a pay-per-slice system. We tried the fruit snack, it was a waste of precious funds as nobody wanted it, throwing away £5 of fruit every week isn't sustainable. People wanted to sit with a cuppa and a couple of biscuits and just chill out. Nobody is forced to have anything to eat or drink, it's a relaxed group so there's no set snack time and people grab what they'd like as and when the fancy takes them.

If you're concerned, don't let your child have the damn biscuit. If you're determined it should be changed, fucking volunteer and be the change.

Church or village hall tap water always seems to taste vile.... Metallic and limescaley! Doubt they have water filters

up to a point, Saz12. water is unlikely to do any harm, unless drunk in huge quantities, but there is a limit to how much actual help it can be, too.

www.child-smile.org.uk/parents-and-carers/birth-to-3-years-old/drinks-for-healthy-baby-teeth.aspx

Then it's time for you to support your claim, Blue. Cos, to me, that page says give your kids water or milk.

or you could drink a proper drink with your snack/meal, and clean your teeth afterwoods firefly????

Well just to throw the cat amongst the pigeons. It's been proven that aspartame isn't harmful.

Anywho it wouldn't bother me my dc having crisps and biscuits once a week at a toddler group... they'd have to fight me for them first though

mumontherun, maybe to bed?

Water doesn't rehydrate you? It destroys blood?

You can poison yourself with massive amounts of water drunk fast admittedly but my goodness that's up with the safest things I've read on here!

water is better. there's just no arguing against that. your children do not need squash because it hydrates them better they need to not have squash because its bad for their teeth.

Daftest! Not safe, that's really not safe advice.

Bed? Yes maybe. Tiring being goady I suppose

firefly, water is not better, that is just plain ignorant. Children die of water over doses every year,

at water does not hydrate!!!!!

so water isnt a proper drink? if you are saying you need to clean your teeth afterwards you are agreeing that squash is doing some damage?

you don't die of over dose of isotonic drinks - and that is the extreme cases. For every death there is probably a hundred thousand or more children who are simply not getting the right drink to hydrate them.

please do show me the stats for children dying of water overdosing.

That is why kids in Africa need donations for fresh water but not squash...

I wonder why the op hasn't come back?

no, wate is not a proper drink, it does not replace fluid in the body. it is better than nothing, and can be compensated for by eating more salt and sugar in the food eaten with the water, but squash is a better drink to replace fluid lost from sweat, etc

tap water is totally unnatural. Squash is far closer in chemical composition and osmotic potential to natural river water