Snacks!

[bumblebee39]

To think they are basically unneeded and a modern invention to make us spend money?

I rarely snack, but my older DC "expects" snacks between meals, especially when she comes out of school, and these are often basically an extra meal.

I think I spend half our food budget on snacks for the kids. Both are fairly slim and quite tall but are they actually hungry or am I just being duped?

Tia xx

I think a lot of kids are hungry when they get out of school

Depends what you mean by “snack”. If you mean “snack foods” like cereal bars etc, YANBU. If you mean “a small amount of normal food” like an apple or a piece of toast, YABU.

Surely a snack can just be an apple or some crackers or something? So not expensive, it depends what you buy. I agree with you that a lot of things sold as snacks are overpriced, unhealthy and unneeded (not that I don't ever eat them!)

Everyone needs so many calories a day.
If your child is having "basically an extra meal" after school, then presumably they are eating less for their evening meal than they otherwise would? If you're spending half your food budget on snacks, then perhaps you need to rethink what you are offering?

I do think we very much have a snacking culture where every activity is met with the need to eat

There again if you think your child is snacking more than they need then surely the onus is on you to say no or to change the available snacks?

I have a fast matablism (always have) so am hungry often. I eat more little & often rather than just at three times a day. If you’re hungry have a snack!

Me too cleo I don't like to eat big meals so I spread my food throughout the day (don't eat packaged 'snack' foods though for the most part, just regularly food).

I just don't understand how she can say she's "hungry" or "starving" after breakfast, fruit as a snack, school lunch and pudding then I'm met at the gate with "is that it" if the offering is just a cheese string or some crisps which I think is reasonable, instead she thinks a "snack" should be a sandwich, crisps and a milkshake or whatever which just seems like a whole other meal.

Are their school lunches just really tiny? She does eat adult portions at home (normally with extras like a slice of garlic bread or bread and butter, and/ or second)

I think the snack foods are the issue. We were stopping at the supermarket after school which I think is when she asks for more, whereas now I'm shopping whilst she's at school and just taking 1 or 2 things with me, like a cereal bar and a smoothie or whatever

I remember being starving after school! I was also never given snacks at break and was starving then, also.

I get extremely hungry between meals but DH won't even notice it. Different people have different metabolisms.

Here we go

My daughter normally has a sandwich as soon as she comes home for school and that's her tea as she has a hot meal for lunch. She will normally have a cake bar for pudding and then some fruit. She did go through a phase of 'snacks' so they were banned, as soon as we started allowing a snack she was wanting something every 5 mins! At the weekend she is allowed something in the middle of the afternoon as normally we have a lighter lunch but after school it isn't allowed.

If my child was hungry I’d offer them something healthy/small to eat - some cheese & crackers, apple, slice of toast. I remember being starving after school and it’s a horrible feeling! I wouldn’t allow chocolate or processed food as a snack. If they’re really hungry they’ll have the healthy option!

Well if you're giving her milkshakes (sugary), cereal bars (sugary), smoothies (if shop bought often as sugary as a milkshake) and crisps as a snack no surprise she's asking for more, it's basically junk, try humous carrot sticks and a piece of cheese, maybe a couple of crackers and a small glass of plain milk, she'll eat it if she's actually hungry

Yeah school lunch can be tiny, particularly in certain age groups. Like for example the portion size goes up for year 5 but your year 4 is actually the size of a fit and healthy year 6. With sport and swimming after school they are starving

Secondary mine just don't have the time to eat the main meal and its too long from breakfast to "lunchtime" so they've ended up getting two snacky items (bacon roll, pasta pot) and break and lunch and a proper meal (with protein and 5 portions veg) at tea, but even then it's a really early tea.

It's because you're offering junk food as snacks. Any child would say yes to those.

@MrsStrowman

Selective reading there missing out "cheese string" but remembering to write "crisps"
I try not to offer fruit as its what she has at break. Usually something like fridge raiders or a cheese dipper or a sandwich (either chicken, ham or tuna)
The milkshakes are sugar free and the smoothies are small and just have natural sugars

fridge raiders or a cheese dipper both v high in salt, low in nutrients.

Surely a granola bar or something would be better and more filling?

I'm met at the gate with "is that it" - hang on, she can't even make it home first? Would suggest she has more for lunch in that case. Also teach her some manners (misses point of thread entirely).

I was always starving after school. In primary went to after-school club and we were always offered juice and biscuits and toast. I then had dinner at home too, often something like lasagne or shepherds pie, and as a teenager I could easily demolish another four slices of toast, pudding and fruit on top of that.

School lunches are not very big and the snacks you're providing aren't exactly filling either. What about something like scotch eggs, cocktail sausages, beans on toast? Crisps and cheese-strings aren't the most nutritious things on the planet, they're just junk food.

I don't think breakfast, fruit, school dinners, a cheese-string and dinner is much at all for a growing child, tbh.

Not granola bars if you are worried about nutrition because if the sugar content. You have to look carefully for one that isn't.

I'd have thought milkshake isn't a bad idea if it's low in sugar.

@adaline that's not what she has, she has dinner and supper at home but just "expects" something on the commute home too or complains she is "starving"
I've tried having hot stew ready on the hob but she whinged saying it took too long and she was "starving"

I think it must be that the lunch is not enough for her. I will start bringing a sandwich with me so more nutritious and might fill the hole and avoid this obsession with getting processed crap from the shop...

It doesn't help that many of her peers are met at the gates with boxes of chicken and chips and the like... As well as her seeing other kids on the bus eating dairylea everything and milkshakes and mars bars. It feels like a battle when she wants to "fit in"

@GreenFingersWouldBeHandy
She doesn't actually say "is that it" it's just her demeanour kind of crumples like she's bitterly disappointed but doesn't actually comment just takes the offending item, eats it and then says she's still hungry 🙄

Sorry that was meant to say @GreenEggsHamandChips not @GreenFingersWouldBeHandy

Fridge raiders - full of saturated fat and salt also very processed , cheese dippers again lots of salt and little nutritional value. You asked and people are explaining to you the snacks you are giving have little nutritional value so you may as well not give them as they won't satiate hunger. Even cheese strings why does everything have to be processed? Make her wait until you get her home and give her something nutritious, filling and home made it might make her respect food more if she's helping to make get own smoothies for example than just slurping then out of a carton, if it's not instant you have it because you actually want/need it rather than just mindlessly chomping in the back of a car

@bumblebee39

I think you probably did mean GreenFingersWouldBeHandy. I totally get it. I have two that head straight to the larder after school and heaven help anyone who just in their way!!. Thankfully we lived near the school at primary and we are quick home at secondary. Personally I don't see much wrong with a packet of quavers or skips as part of a balanced diet....

School lunches really aren't very big, I would imagine that's the problem. If she's active, going from breakfast to 3pm on a piece of fruit and a school lunch probably isn't enough for her!