These playtime snacks are not practical?

[UndertheCedartree]

The school newsletter last week had an article trying to encourage parents to send in healthier snacks for their DC at playtime.

I find this is such a minefield as my DD isn't always hungry at playtime so whatever I send needs to be able to last being in a school bag for a few days and still be edible.

This rules out many of the suggestions such as vegetable sticks and houmous, yogurt and crackers and cheese. These should all be low fat too which I don't buy anyway. Also suggest fruit salad but again, this will go off and many whole pieces of fruit get bruised etc. And then as at many schools, nuts aren't allowed so that rules out sending in whole nuts or naked bars.

Some of the other suggestions I found quite strange such as toast, crumpets and bread.

They used to have a tuck shop selling healthier snacks but it stopped in Covid and now can't start up again because the school is now cashless. I did suggest parents paying in advance for fruit and vegetable snacks like they get in Infants but the school have said logistically this is not practical.

Anyone have any good suggestions for robust healthier snacks? I appreciate what the school are doing but ultimately if my healthy weight and healthy eating DD has a pack of snack a jacks or mini cookies a couple of times a week, I'm not that bothered.

Why do they need to last a couple of days in a bag?

Why can’t you just send in a new snack every day? There are not many none nut healthy snacks which are going to last a few days. You get health bars they tend to have lots of dried fruit which is really bad for teeth.

Why do they need to last? Just shove a banana / apple / orange in.

Oatcakes? They come in packets. Unsalted rice cakes? In a bag? Or an apple, apples last forever.

Or give her a piece of fruit, if she's not hungry at break she can have it as an after school snack.

Do they even need a snack at playtime in juniors? Id just send in an apple. No need to overthink. Job done.

Sending in a new peice of fruit to be sacrificed in a school bag just to look like being healthy is soud destroying.
They end up bruised and then the kid won't eat them.
What about a mini pack of breadsticks?

I used to send carrot sticks or apples and cook them for dinner or slice them up when they got home, if they didn't get eaten at school.

"Healthy" eating in schools drives me potty though. Why do children need low fat snacks?!

Seriously?! An apple. A banana.

Chop up uneaten fruit for fruit salad for pudding? The low fat rubbish I'd just ignore and send normal versions.

They are impractical suggestions and almost meals for kids. Crackers and cheese would be lunch for mine at that age.
I'd get a small plastic box and put in something like a couple of mini bread sticks and dried fruit. Or those weeny cubes of flapjack. Won't spoil or bruise. I don't really get the hysteria over a biscuit at break time.

My son (year 3) takes either a pack of mini cookies or a cereal bar for break time.

I’d be really annoyed with the low fat suggestion too. Kids need fat in their diet!

What about those little fruit pouch/smoothie type things? Healthy, no nuts and non perishable.

I take those organix bars made from squished fruit to work, the banana ones and the chocolate ones are my favourites.

I keep one in my lunch box for a couple of days at a time sometimes because someone will bring in cakes or I’ll pop to the shop instead, so having a wrapped bar that doesn’t end up as crumbs, has no nuts and is reasonably tasty is a godsend. Plus I feel virtuous for eating a fruit

Yes they have dried fruit in so they may stick to teeth but honestly what kid wants to eat a dry oatcake or rice cake, or a bruised apple?

Because she isn't always hungry at playtime but if I send in homous and carrots for example it has gone off by the time she gets home from school so causes food waste.

I could but most will get thrown away as she doesn't always eat them.

Since when are snack a jacks considered unhealthy?

I would send things like popchips, rice cakes, breadsticks, cereal bars, dried fruit pots (you can get them from Tesco), yoghurt coated fruit snacks etc.

They come home battered and end up in the bin if not eaten.

Unfortunately, she wouldn't eat just a plain rice cake or oat cake. I don't know what she does with her bag but even apples are bruised and battered after a couple of days.

Sometimes she does get hungry at playtime.

Sending in a new peice of fruit to be sacrificed in a school bag just to look like being healthy is soud destroying

gosh that’s very dramatic. Although I’m envious of your life if this is classed as soul destroying for you. 😁

op, I also don’t understand why they need to last, fruit ans veg doesn’t go off after one day. if they did we would all be shopping daily. A little Tupperware dish with sone fruit, like an apple or a banana, or some veg, will last up to a week if not more.

on top of this you have raisins, cereal bars, dried fruit, it does read like you’re trying to find reasons to just keep giving her cookies

Yes, exactly! Breadsticks could be good, thanks.

How do they expect children to sit down at playtime and eat carrot sticks and hummus? I do wonder if anyone in education has actual, real experience of children sometimes.
Just give them something they can eat quickly, whilst playing - cereal bar, banana etc.
Also think low fat for children is ridiculous, they need the fat content at primary age!

Get a banana box :) bet there's an apple equivalent too.