To think toddlers don’t need snacks?

[Cuppasoupmonster]

I was just pondering this when washing up. I’ve never really given DD snacks, she has her 3 meals a day and that’s usually it, maybe once or twice a week she will have a digestive biscuit or yoghurt if dinner is going to be later than usual. However it seems like when we go on days out with other mums and toddlers, they come laden with snacks that are whipped out every hour or two. AIBU to think toddlers don’t really need to snack and this might be contributing to the obesity crisis?

It depends on the child. My 2.5 year old is massive (not fat but super solid, tall and heavy), but we don't really give him snacks unless he asks which is quite rare.

My two needed snacks when they were toddlers - they needed feeding little and often. They still ate their main meals and are both stick insects now as teenagers.

I take snacks purely because someone is bound to make us stay late so I'll end up with a hangry child who then won't eat anything as they're too hungry. But at home mine don't snack at all, probably because my snacks are dull (apple slices and the like).

Everyone's different - DS1 and I both need regular snacks as well as 3 meals a day or we get a bit snappy (DS1) or headachy/fainty (me)...we're both slim/skinny.

DH and DS2 are more average builds - DS2 lives on fresh air and milk (fussy toddler) and DH has 3 meals a day but rarely snacks.

DS was definitely a "little and often" child. It used to drive me crazy. He still eats about 5 times a day, and has always been slim (50th centimetres weight, 91st height).

Really?

I did a 10.30am and 3pm snack for mine from weaning until this day. Most children eat a snack at playtime and after school.

Toddlers don’t need snacks but mums do need judgemental parenting ey

My child has a lot of snacks but she is VERY active, and she eats little and often. Each to their own much like adults

The Caroline Walker Trust advises 2 healthy snacks a day for young children. It makes sense imo for them to eat little and often.

www.cwt.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/CHEW-1-4YearsPracticalGuide3rd-Edition.pdf

I agree with you OP. It seems like a relatively knee phenomenon that children must constantly be fed. We never smacked as children! And I have never given my kids snacks (although the fruit bowl os a free for all). They have 3 substantial meals a day, if children are hungry between eating meals then it could be they’re getting empty calories.

Every kid is different, none of my four are obese and have eaten plenty of snacks - some more than others. Completely dependent on metabolism and also what the snacks are of course. In my opinion you are being unreasonable and judgemental.

I don't get the horror over snacks so long as they're reasonably healthy. I don't think it's that new either. I'm 38 and we had fruit and crackers and cheese or wholemeal bread in nursery.

I was advised by health visitor that small children should have 3 meals 2 snacks as their tummies are smaller so they can’t hold as much to last 4 hours (or whatever) to the next meal. Just like newborns need to feed every 2-3 hours but older babies can go 3-4-5 hours.

My daughter exists almost exclusively on snacks at home though 😩 Find it really hard to get her to eat enough at one meal to get through more than 2 hours before she’s asking for snacks again. Wish I knew how to break the cycle and cut down the snacks (which at mostly healthy or an extension of a meal like toast or something) but I’m struggling!

The fruit bowl is a free for all means your kids can snack whenever they want then - I count fruit as a snack, so maybe the terminology is the thing here.

Find it really hard to get her to eat enough at one meal to get through more than 2 hours before she’s asking for snacks again

I wondered this as well, whether it contributes to kids being fussy with their meals as they know a more appetising snack will come along soon and they’re not really hungry when they sit down to eat.

Judgemental 😂

Depends how active your child is I suppose.

My son needs them. He's 2.5 and loves his food. He's bang on average for his weight, so not overweight in the slightest. I suppose it also depends what you give them though. You say you give your child biscuits or yoghurt (nothing wrong with that, my son will also have them sometimes), but he also has lots of fruit / cherry tomatoes / toast with peanut butter or hummus. It just depends day to day. He eats every 2-3 hours or else he gets grumpy!

Many small children do need snacks yes, they are tiny and burn off a lot of calories. Some DC also don’t eat much at meals and prefer little and often - like some adults do - and don’t really eat big meals.

I think three meals and one or two snacks is ideal at that age.

We know that babies need to be fed very regularly because of their tiny tummies, it follows then that very small children need to eat more often than adults because of their smaller tummies.

I think what the snacks are is more relevant to whether or not they are contributing to an unhealthy diet. It's hard to imagine a child having some cucumber and an apple on top of their daily meals becoming obese.

I have two children.

My 8 year old has never really snacked. She doesn't feel hungry and only knows she's hungry if her stomach rumbles. She'd happily miss meals and if we didn't mention food she wouldn't bother eating. She's always been around the 25% centile line for weight.

My 5 year old is a snacker. He isn't keen on meals and would happily graze all day. We have to make him have a full meal. He has been bordering on underweight since he was born

I do "starters" whilst I'm cooking lunch / dinner as she gets really hungry and angry and struggles to wait when hungry, so she has fruit / veg in a bowl to eat while I'm cooking. Then eats rest of meal when its ready. So in that sense her eating is spread out a bit.

I generally don't do any snacks if she's with me all day, unless on a long walk / tiring day. On the days she has preschool I tend to just give her a really early dinner about 4pm and then a snack-supper later on.

How old is your child and do they still drink milk? Milk is a snack unless taken with a meal. That includes breastfeeding.

To some extent it's probably whatever they get used to but mine would have either a mid morning and mid afternoon snack as well as 3 meals, or skip the morning snack and have lunch at 11.30. The snacks would be either fruit, toast, a digestive biscuit or milk for the younger one. If they don't have a snack they just start crying all the time.

My daughter had snacks as a toddler - she ate little and often. She couldn’t manage a bigger meal in one sitting. Her dad always has to have something to snack on when we’re out and about as he gets hangry and shaky. He has about ten breakfasts too! Whereas I don’t eat til late morning and then again at teatime. People are different.

Oh those pesky, manipulative children!

No, a few grapes at 3pm is not contributing to the obesity crisis. The issue is time, lack of knowledge around nutrition and lack of movement. Because our kids are in school for six hours per day, parents are working longer hours to make ends meet and society isn’t safe for kids to roam. So they stay at home, eating beige food and playing games. That’s the reality.