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.

It's what they have in Infants. They have said they can't do it for Juniors. They do always have food available if the DC need it. My DD went in once with no breakfast and they gave her a cereal bar and a carrot!

It still is playtime. In my day we had tuck shops selling crisps and biscuits!

It is a large 5 form entry school which I'm sure causes logistics issues. The school don't have to organise the Infant's fruit and veg.

Erm, yes. I've never made those myself either!

😄

Doesn't sound to me as though she needs a snack so I'd send nothing. Most junior aged children don't take a snack

She doesn't often have a snack after school.

Ha, I was going to suggest a Mars Bar. Helps you work, rest, and play.

It depends on the age of your child.

If in KS1 or 2 , they would receive a piece of fruit from the school which is nationally provided for.
Trouble is , as I've experienced, most children won't eat a raw carrot, apple, pear, tomato, sugar snaps , mini cucumbers etc...
So parents were told that children could bring in their own fruit for morning break.

Cue the 'fruit winders ' ritz biscuits, yoghurt ( sugar) coated raisins, blueberry muffins etc...

It's difficult .

Suggest you ask the school of what they approve of.
If the school has achieved/is achieving 'Healthy Schools' Status' then the school will have a policy regarding healthy snacks.

Soreen bars?

Probably with the crisps and sweets from the tuck shop! 😄

They do at her school!

They only get the fruit and veg in KS1. And she loved all of that. No DC bring a snack in Infants.

Just send a new apple in each day. They will get a bit bruised but not totally battered. Then on friday night take the apples and make a crumble out of them.

Or even just bake them and add custard. Or worst case - dice them up, heat in a jar in microwave for 90 seconds, blend & voila, apple puree. You can then freeze it in an ice cube tray and use to add to porridge, or save for the next time you have roast pork, or mix with a load of blueberries/blackberries for a pie or crumble.

Everybody wins.

Trouble is , as I've experienced, most children won't eat a raw carrot, apple, pear, tomato, sugar snaps , mini cucumbers etc...

Eh? Surely most school aged kids eat these?! One of mine won't eat raw tomatoes but the rest are pretty child friendly, my kids and their mates have all eaten these at playdates at mine.

How about something like breadsticks? They last quite a while, easy to pack and are reasonably filling and healthy (no sugar etc).

Some of the responses crack me
Up

Oh for goodness sake! The drama OP.

Send in a snack. If she eats it - great. If she doesn't, do something else with it. Anything in a child's bag for 3 days will be destroyed.

So if you send in a banana or apple & it's not used - chop it up for a later snack or for her breakfast the next day (banana on porridge or apple grated into yogurt). For the veg sticks; serve them as a starter before her dinner. And so on

Stop tying yourself in knots trying to find snacks that will last up to 3 days.

I'd have thought most would too. Our budget wouldn't stretch to treat foods, so DS got foods like these in primary. Well, not so much expensive things like mini cucumbers, but regular cucumber and other basic raw fruit and veg.

I'm all for not pandering to kids but I strongly remember (with horror) that warm bruised fruit smell from my school bag and depositing it into the bin so I didn't get told off my my Mum for wasting fruit.

Good strong Tupperware to fit fruit is what you need. Other ideas: corn 'nuts' baked corn snacks if school allows them. Or kabanos sausage things like peperami. Brioche. Jelly. Long life fruit pots

Yoghurt fruits (from Poundland/home bargains) £1 for a pack of 5 mini bags. They do fruit flakes as well without the yoghurt.

little boxes of raisins.

get a banana armour?

A half frozen water bottle in the lunchbox will keep fruit cool

Soreen! Mini individually wrapped ones.

Those are good ideas, thank you

That's my experience too. My DD is a bit fussy but even she will eat carrots and cucumber and pretty much all fruit.