AIBU - restrictive school snack policy, hungry child

[nemoni]

Our children's school (primary) has a policy of only allowing fruit and vegetables for snacks at school. Completely get the rationale - healthy eating, relatively easy to set parameters, no overly complex education needed around it etc.

The only problem is I have an active child - plays sport (on top of PE etc) 5 days a week and generally on the go. He comes home from school ravenously hungry, grumpy and tired. He's also going through a growth spurt. I'd like to be able to give him more carbohydrates, even protein, during the day as snacks, as I do on weekends, particularly on days he goes to after school sports sessions. I'm not asking for crisps/chocolate/jam sandwiches etc.

School so far saying no, no, no.

I think it's a cop out, it means they get to look like they're promoting healthy eating while not really promoting a balanced diet, kids are scoffing loads of dried fruit, and don't have access to a water fountain during school hours except at lunch. And don't get me started on school dinners.

Am I being unreasonable?! What parameters does your school set? How do they promote and support healthy eating? Thoughts welcome before I book a chat with the headteacher :)

[Cagliostro]

I do agree that portion sized have become massively inflated - kids meals in restaurants are often more than enough for an adult!

Agree with that

[GreenGinger2]

Blimey what restaurants do you eat in?

When I was a kid there weren't children's meals,you had an adult meal.

[ApplesinmyPocket]

At my village school in the mid 60s we had a choice of peanuts or peanuts-and-raisins for morning snack (that would never happen today.) At my girls' grammar we had a mid-morning choice of fresh iced buns or jam doughnuts. I used to look forward to these all morning! peeling the icing off the plain bun and saving it till last.

I can only remember two overweight girls in the whole school, but most of us had to walk or cycle there - my cycle ride was 8 miles a day in total.

I'm not saying it was better or worse! but it was certainly different.

[apringle]

Makes no sense to me that a school can dictate what parents feed their children (other than major allergens like nuts) - imagine if the government had a strict "no formula" policy for babies whose mothers are able to provide breast milk, even if they didn't want to! Mothers would be up in arms. You should be able to give your kid a healthy protein or carb snack!

[pollymere]

After school snacks are usually a good idea, and maybe a packed lunch rather than school ones which tend to be on the small side. I don't think any child needs more than a banana at breaktime, sorry. Make sure they get a decent breakfast. I've seen kids have a variety of after school snacks, no one seems to restrict what they eat after school.

[SpringboksSocks]

This is an issue close to my heart too. My DD has recently developed anorexia- at age eight. Of course I know this is really rare. However, eating disorders seem to be on the rise in primary aged children, and many professionals and parents are reporting a link between 'healthy eating' programmes and development of eating problems.

Yes, childhood obesity is a serious concern, but I think the healthy eating message needs to be balanced. Anorexia has a high mortality rate and kids only need to lose a little bit of weight to get very, very ill. I also agree with the poster who mentioned Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, and there are a whole host of other medical/developmental conditions that mean a one-size-fits-all blanket rule is a bad idea.

In my opinion there needs to be a bit of flexibility.

[georgiegirl]

I hate the modern day obsession with snacks. It just didn't happen when I was growing up in the 70s and 80s. No wonder so many kids are obese today. OK, this article is from the US, but snack culture is one of the main culprits for childhood obesity. well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/02/u-s-children-generation-snack/?_r=0
Well done to your son's school for tackling this huge problem.

[Lovelymess]

Such a tough one! I try to give a big breakfast and at my los school they have a snack at break time. Fruit provided or they can bring something (she's not mad on fruit so I put in a pot of crackers, cheese and hummus) she has school dinners but still really hungry she gets home 🤦🏼‍♀️

[ilovechocolate07]

In my experience children.who bring in big snacks leave a lot of their lunch. I see nothing wrong with a decent breakfast, fruit at playtime and then a good lunch. They really will not starve.

[GreenGinger2]

Wrong Georgie we had playtime snacks in the 70s and free full fat milk before on top before play. We had playtime snacks in the 80s and the kids I taught had them in the 90s.

[brasty]

Yes we had playtime snacks. Normally 1 snack for the day.

[user1475439961]

My dd school has fruit then raisins and a handful of mixed nuts everyday. Milk or water to drink-reception have toast too.

[eddiemairswife]

Is there anything wrong with a child actually feeling hungry, or is it a sensation unfamiliar to most of them?

[Willow2017]

We had snacks in 70s too we all had a 'leavie piece' for break time. And we had milk.

[grannytomine]

Why with the banana obsession? Not everyone likes bananas, my daughter gags if she smells a banana and she is a teacher and a head of department in a big comp so not a silly childish thing. I can't eat citrus fruit, gives me migraines. Some kids are allergic to nuts. Some kids need snacks to keep weight up if they are prone to being under weight. Schools should worry about teaching and leave food to parents.

[grannytomine]

Oh and I went to school in the 50s/60s and we had snacks. The school sold snacks to raise money so we all came to school with a few pennies to buy chocolate biscuits and we had them with our full cream milk, in winter the milk was all heated up and a local chocolate factory donated drinking chocolate powder and we all had hot drinking chocolate.

[DontBeBlueBeARainbow]

Get creative with fruit and veg, e.g.
Roasted sweet potatoes - carbs
Sliced avocado - fat
Carrot sticks - carbs
Pots of peas or edamame - protein

[MeandT]

Aha! Rainbow just beat me to it. Agree OP that by discussing with school, you might be able to find a path through the 'after school snack' difference. But a pea & mint dip with sweet potato wedges, green beans & carrots to dip would be within policy. As would hummus and veg sticks. Lots of interesting policy chat here but I thought some practical suggestions might come in handy I school won't budge!

[hippoinamudhole]

Are you sure his grumpyness isn't thirst? Especially if the only access to water is at lunchtime

A lot of the time thirst is mistaken for hunger

[MeandT]

Guacamole dip, canellini bean dip or salad pot of sweetcorn/peppers/avo/mixed beans all likely to be within policy but lower sugar content & more protein to sustain for sports. How adventurous are your DS eating habits?

[BathshebaDarkstone]

I used to take half a large peeled carrot for a snack in the 70s.

[eddiemairswife]

My best friend used to take half a peach, her brother had the other half. They alternated with the stone. Long time ago; peaches had a short season and were really juicy.

[paxillin]

Schools should worry about teaching and leave food to parents. Judging by the undergrads I teach, some kids would carry in such large and varied tuck boxes learning becomes a side issue in between gobbling. I agree with cantkeepawayforever's observation that inactive kids eat the largest snacks and the really active ones don't snack. True for undergrads, too.

[grannytomine]

paxillin, my experience is different. My grandsons snack alot, are very active and both very slim. Their sporty friends are the same, if they are burning alot of calories they have to get them back. I can't imagine how learning could become a side issue because kids eat a snack at break time, surely they aren't doing lessons at break time or it wouldn't be a break.

[GreenGinger2]

My skinniest kids would eat all day long if he could. He eats like a horse,struggles to put/ keep on weight and eats like a horse. He has the same body as his uber fit dad and grandad who at 80 still has a skinny body and washboard stomach.