To think this is an appropriate after school snack for a 4 year old

[Twolittlebears]

My DD is 4 and has just started school. She has to take a snack for afterschool club which lasts until 5.30pm. I've been sending snacks like:

• a piece of fruit and 1/2 pitta and hummus;
• fruit and 2 x rice cakes with peanut butter;
• cut veggies and hummus and 2 x oat cakes types things.

AIBU to think this is about right or too much for a 4 year old.

For background: we have been working to make sure DD eats appropriate portions. She was previously 99th centile for weight and after careful management is now 75th.

They sound about right to me. My 4 and 7 year old would have similar (if not more).

Yes giggle but your dd is tall and slim and active. OPs dd was recengly overweight so is clearly one of those people who will happily eat more than they need (no judgement OP, Im one of those people too).

Folks, that’s three snacks, not one!

What centile is your dd on for height, op?

The snacks sound fine to me. And much healthier than a granola bar, which is sugar and empty calories...

Is that one snack or 3 examples?

Oh FGS that's clearly 3 days, not one!
Sounds pefectly fine OP, v healthy

Well both mine eat a similar snack after school, possibly a marmite sandwich on wholemeal bread- I know bread is the antichrist before anyone says anything, a meal, fruit, dessert, like homemade crumble and custard, milk and crackers, crab pate before bed. My eldest is so thin that my parents wonder whether we feed him and my youngest is a bean pole and they argue that they would've been considered thin even in the 50's when they were children so it's not a case of 'we've lost sight of what a thin child looks like'.

It’s more than I would give, though it depends on what she has later. I’d give fruit or hummus etc, not as well as. But my DC would never have eaten their dinner if they’d had that at 4 ish

I wouldn't send the peanut butter - I thought it was usually banned these days

As an example of 3 different snack ideas I think it's fine. My dds used to have a snack buffet at their Swedish afterschool club that consisted of natural yogurt, fruit, bread/crispbread and cheese, sliced veggies, and spreads such as fish egg or brown cheese.

I was confused about the snacks as I couldn't quite believe some of the responses- i thought these posters who replied it's a lot believed it to be the whole list in one go as how could you think a piece of fruit with half a pitta was a big snack.

I think it depends on what she eats for lunch and also for dinner and what times? I would say that probably wouldn't be enough for my 5 year old, but she doesn't eat loads at lunch (school dinners) and then we don't eat dinner until about 6:30-7pm. So her after school snack is basically a cold meal: an apple, some cheese, crackers, and a yogurt, or a wrap with salami and cheese and a piece of fruit, maybe some more cheese after that. But we also don't have any concerns about weight (she's 20th centile anyway and pretty stick thin).

Sounds fab, OP. I took that to 3 snacks for 3 different ideas.

I was confused about the snacks as I couldn't quite believe some of the responses- i thought these posters who replied it's a lot believed it to be the whole list in one go as how could you think a piece of fruit with half a pitta was a big snack.

I always just assume that these people are posting in a hunger-induced delirium as a result of their spartan diet.

Seems OK to me but I suppose it all depends on context of a full days so what you serve for evening meal too.

Our after school club served carb heavy snacks with processed cheese and lots of margarine.

It seems fine to me. DD will come home and eat a 2 egg omlette and toast before heading back to afterschool clubs an hour later. I think it also depends on how late you cook the main meal and the fact that all children are different.

I agree that both of them seem like double snacks.

@Goldenbear no I don’t think that food makes a child overweight. However I can see how the op’s dd became overweight if she was given double snacks as a pre schooler.

I’m aware it’s 3 different snacks but she’s 4, she doesn’t need that much.
One thing would be enough. My son is 4 and would just have raisins, 8yo DD has a banana. Both pretty much bang on 50th centile for weight and height.
If your child is on the chubbier side it’s because they’re eating too many calories, it’s a simple as that. Peanut butter and hummus are both high in calories

That’s exactly the sort of thing and amount that my 4 year old would have after school. He’s always been smack bang in the middle of the healthy weight range.
I can pick him up with a mini wrap stuffed with chicken, cucumber and cream cheese and by the time we get home he’ll probably have some fruit or yoghurt. We have dinner at 6, which he’ll eat well at and then usually has a little something and a glass of milk before bed!

That's about the amount i put in for ds, I find fruit and veg on its own is a bit gassy and makes him (and me) even hungrier so to balance it I put in a bit of a carb related snack so same as you, a snack size pitta with a chunk of cheese or a small buttered brown bread roll, as a treat ive run out of other stuff I'll do a party size pizza.

I think your snacks are fine.

Doesn't sound like alot to me! They are often ravenous the minute they leave school and 5.30 would be a long long time to wait with just a piece of fruit, the least filling snack in the world imo.

I'm assuming that's 3 different snacks for 3 different days you've listed? If so then that's absolutely fine. I'm not sure why PPS think it's a lot? I have two DDs of 7 and 3 that would eat that much as a snack to keep them going if they weren't getting dinner till later. They're not at all overweight and both are of small to average height.

Your snacks sound fine to me. Kids have different appetites and as long as their weight is ok and the snacks healthy then I can’t see a problem.

Any of those snacks would mean that 3 year old DGD wouldn’t want her dinner but she has a small appetite. She’s always been on the 50th centile so although she seems to eat ridiculously little at times, it must be right for her.

A piece of fruit and half a hummus pitta is two snacks?! Some of you would pass out from shock at seeing how much my kids eat after school (they are all v thin btw).

That's the kind of amount I would serve to children when I was running after school clubs (we made them food, they didn;t bring in their own) We'd serve toast (one or two slices - depending on how hungry they were) with jam or marmite, a piece fruit and a drink of milk or water. We'd often have breadsticks, or crackers as well on offer if they wanted more.

I don't know what your DD does at ASC, but the one I ran the children were often pretty active and we did lots of outdoor games, so they needed something to keep them going. But even if your club is largely indoor activities, it is a long time for a child to go from lunchtime to getting home at sixish without a bit more than just a piece of fruit to eat, so I think your snacks are fine - tasty and nutritious.

That's absolutely fine! Fruit isn't massively filling in my opinion so the 'extra' (according to some people on here) bit is perfect. Honestly, with the dry bits or fruit, if she doesn't eat it you can always have it later so it's not wasted. Does she finish her snacks? Have you asked her if it's enough? Some people's children on here survive on a single quaver and apple slice