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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

These playtime snacks are not practical?

205 replies

UndertheCedartree · 10/05/2022 17:33

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.

OP posts:
MargosKaftan · 10/05/2022 19:26

My dc is in year 4, I just don't bother with a break time snack. We do send her with a packed lunch, so at a push she could take her fruit out of that, but doesn't. Most dcs don't need a break time snack if they are having a decent breakfast.

Longingforatikihut · 10/05/2022 19:27

Banana-armour banana box. It will save the narner and give you a few days grace in the bag if not eaten.

Lucienandjean · 10/05/2022 19:28

Get a very small Tupperware box, which should protect whatever you send from disintegrating, at least.

Into it, you could put: mini bread sticks, plain crackers, plain popcorn, a few tortilla chips, a slice of cheese, flapjack, dried fruit, a not-fragile biscuit, or some trail mix. I think most of those would potentially last a couple of days in a school bag.

Southernupnorthen · 10/05/2022 19:28

An Apple in a small Tupperware. Job done.

It is really a non-issue.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 10/05/2022 19:29

This might be an expensive option but my ds likes those compressed fruit things like bear yo-yos in his packed lunches. He’s got real food issues with anything that even appears to be no 100% fresh (he has ADHD).

or a mini packet of dried fruit? Even raisins.

Original poster
UndertheCedartree · 10/05/2022 19:29

Violinist64 · 10/05/2022 18:40

Why do they need snacks at playtime? When I was at primary school back in the seventies, admittedly when dinosaurs ruled the earth, nobody took in snacks routinely. Some children would have sweets from time to time and very occasionally l would have an apple. Drinks were water from a fountain if you were thirsty. My own children (at primary schools in the nineties to noughties) very rarely had snacks at playtime and water in a bottle was only becoming a “thing” towards the end of their time in primary school. How did we all survive? In reality many more children are obese now than then and l get the impression that the rate of tooth decay has risen since my own children were small - all three of them have really good teeth and are slim. If children are having three good meals a day - and I realise that far too many do not - then they do not need snacks at playtime, or to eat between meals in general except for a treat, especially as most children are nowhere near as physically active as in years gone by. OP, if your DD does not eat her snack most days she obviously does not need it.

I was at school in the 80s and 90s - we always had tuck shops at school to buy lots of unhealthy snacks! We also always had crisps and kit kats in our packed lunch! Much, much more snack food than my DC have had growing up. My DC are both slim and with no fillings. And certainly as active as I was if not more as a longer walk to school! Yes, most days she doesn't need it but some days she does.

OP posts:
SwayingInTime · 10/05/2022 19:32

Expensive but mine go crazy for baby foos

Original poster
UndertheCedartree · 10/05/2022 19:32

LouLou198 · 10/05/2022 18:59

Mine get offered an apple, banana or nothing at all. I haven't got time to be faffing with homemade snacks everyday. Snacking isn't really a good habit anyway. The low fat thing is nonsense, children need it!

She would be happy with an apple or banana but up to now it gets battered if not eaten. But hopefully the tubs suggested will solve that problem.

OP posts:
LowlandLucky · 10/05/2022 19:33

Be a rebel and send her in with a packet of crisps😁

Beansontoastagain · 10/05/2022 19:34

I send mine with Yo Yo fruit rolls. They count as 1 of their 5 a day and can withstand a good week of being bashed around in their school bags.

twocatsandtwokids · 10/05/2022 19:36

Pretty sure younger kids are supposed to have full fat items! Our school snack policy drives me mad…. Fruit only for break-time but every day my daughter comes home describing in great detail the cake she had for lunch pudding 😂

Hankunamatata · 10/05/2022 19:38

I wrap fruit in a cloth or kitchen roll and put it in its own small plastic container so doesnt bang about and get damaged. Stick ice pack in lunch box too. When I pick up I just pop it in the fridge if not eaten. Apple or tangerine can easily last days.

cubangal · 10/05/2022 19:39

If they don't eat it at school then they can have it as a snack after school surely ? Then send a new snack the next day.

Hankunamatata · 10/05/2022 19:40

UndertheCedartree · 10/05/2022 19:24

No, but they wouldn't be allowed to eat it and it would be brought home - although I'm basing that on nursery when I forgot and sent a Naked bar in.

Show quote history

I made nakd bar mistake a couple of times too

ChocolateHippo · 10/05/2022 19:42

I'd send breadsticks in a small tupperware box, with a couple of chunks of cheese in one of those tiny screw top tubs. If she's really hungry, the protein will hopefully help her stay focused until lunch. Or an apple/banana (in appropriate box!) and some cheese. Then the only thing you'll be throwing out at the end of the day is the cheese.

If the banana is not eaten, you could do some small banana pancakes for pudding/breakfast and send the rest as a snack.

itsgettingweird · 10/05/2022 19:42

The boxes of raisins.

Loveatortie · 10/05/2022 19:51

Good lord,thank fuck mine are in their thirties. No idea how they survived their school years😂

hiredandsqueak · 10/05/2022 19:51

individually wrapped croissant or pain au chocolat?

Terriblecreature · 10/05/2022 19:53

Raisins or the little packs of dried fruit (mango apricot etc)

ittakes2 · 10/05/2022 20:23

Fruit leather bars.

Original poster
UndertheCedartree · 10/05/2022 20:29

Getoutofbed25 · 10/05/2022 19:01

I would just read the information ( or not) and continue sending in what I want my child to have. Schools don’t have the staff to police this stuff, no one in school cares what snack your child is having as long as it’s not totally unreasonable like a sharing bag of Doritos 😂

Seriously tho schools need to show they are doing this stuff. Send what’s practical for you and your child,

Yes, I totally understand that. And school have made it very clear they will not be 'policing' it in any way. It's fair enough for them to promote healthy eating just a shame the NHS 'change for life' that I guess they have to follow is so rubbish!

OP posts:
Original poster
UndertheCedartree · 10/05/2022 20:31

PortalooSunset · 10/05/2022 19:08

We had one of these www.amazon.co.uk/Fruity-Faces-Inflatable-Fruit-Case/dp/B001F4XUE8 to safely give an apple a day out at school with dc! It basically acts as bubble wrap. Or they'd just grab something out of their lunchbox.

My DD has school dinners most days but on a packed lunch day she can eat something from her lunch box at playtime if she wants. Those cases look good!

OP posts:
Original poster
UndertheCedartree · 10/05/2022 20:32

elbea · 10/05/2022 19:14

I think you are looking to make issues where there isn’t one. Put a piece of fruit in a small box and it won’t get bruised. I don’t know what you are doing to an apple/orange that it is become inedible in a few hours.

I'm personally not doing anything to it!!

OP posts:
Original poster
UndertheCedartree · 10/05/2022 20:36

SleepingStandingUp · 10/05/2022 19:13

Surely primary school kids aren't carrying their bags around enough to bruise an apple in one day? Take it out and give on the way home or once home. DS occasionally has the same apple in his bag for a few days as he forgets to eat, it's perfect edible in day two or three.

Show quote history

She doesn't always have a snack before dinner either. So the apple could be in there 3 days. But anyway, I don't know what she does, only the end result!

OP posts:
Original poster
UndertheCedartree · 10/05/2022 20:38

WrongWayApricot · 10/05/2022 19:15

Posts like this make me so glad I grew up in a time where I could eat dried fruit or a bag of crisps without it being confiscated. I was going to suggest one of those little long life tubs of of fruit. But that is in fruit juice which is basically the same as crack now.

I've given her one of those with her packed lunch before - didn't realise ha, ha. To be fair to her school they don't confiscate or police what the DC bring. These are just suggestions to parents.

OP posts: