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?

Then why are more children overweight and losing teeth?

Because of all the reasons outlined on here to you. Why do you still think it is?

Because of high sugar, low nutrition convenience foods, due to lack of time.

I was just thinking today the opposite! My 11 month old is particularly screamy. I was round my sister's house and she offered to get him some fruit. He was happy having something to snack on. I thought to myself I must take more snacks when we're out and about. By snacks I'm thinking of fruit though!

Because of what they eat.

not the quality of snacks. A healthy balanced diet for a toddler includes snacks, it’s better for them to have 2-3 small meals and a couple of snacks than 3 meals a day.

Their tummy’s are small, and regular smaller meals actively promotes a better metabolism.

The fact you can’t understand this is a bit of a worry

It depends on the kids. some can already have a three course meal three times a day some don't. And it also depends on the snack. My rule is morning snack fruit, afternoon snack dairy. plus water. But maybe I am doing it all wrong.

*quantity

I do think the assumption that dc need snacks is contributing to obesity because whilst many here will be offering a nutritionally balanced diet with the correct amount of calories sorest over 3,4 or 5 eating periods per day, others are not, it's crisps, sweets etc and too many calories overall

Everyone is different, use your judgement but also be the adult and ensure it's not too much over a 24 hour period

Mine eat snacks alllll day, and are 8&6! They're both slender girls, and could never eat a huge meal in one go, so graze little and often throughout the day. They're always absolutely starving after school as can't eat a huge amount at lunch, and then have to wait 2:45. I have to go to pick up armed with snacks, as the youngest is particularly hungry by that time. I'm very petite, and am the same, I get hungry every couple of hours and have a snack to fill me up, and can never eat big meals. When I go out with friends, I'm always shocked at how much they can eat in one go. Then I get comments how that's why I'm skinny, because I starve myself, and don't eat a whole meal!? But I can't and won't force feed myself or my children food that they aren't hungry for, as I don't think that's healthy at all. If the kids get hungry an hour after lunch, they can eat their leftovers, or have fruit, veg, or cheese and crackers, hummus, yoghurt, a biscuit etc. People have said to me to stop giving them snacks and then they'll be hungrier at meal times, but why would that be a good thing? Their snacks are equally as nutritious, and they're slender and active, I feel eating bigger portions less regularly could have an adverse effect on them, as they obviously have fast metabolisms and I let them regulate their appetite themselves, as their body and brains are doing a great job at keeping them at a healthy weight.

My 3 nearly 4 year old asks for one or two snacks a day

She is home all day and at thus stage does not sit still for more than half an hour at a time so I believe she does need the extra energy.

Most of her day is spent running around with the dogs, jumping on the trampoline, playing in the mud in the garden (swimming in the pool in summer) walking with me, going on wildlife hunts, riding her bike and so on. She rarely sits down until after her evening bath.

She eats a normal amount at meal times - but at her age the plate is much smaller than an adults, together with the activity levels and growing I don't think she would take in enough without her snacks.

The important thing is that the snacks are healthy - fruit, vegetables and dips, toast, crackers, nut butters, cheese- as opposed to sweets, ice cream, biscuits and cake. With a small stomach you want to focus on nutrient dense food in small amounts.

OP why is your toddler having cake or ice cream as a dessert following a meal any different from another toddler who instead has their ice cream as a mid afternoon snack? Plus you mention your kid having access to the fruit bowl so surely that’s snacks as well? I think you’re blurring the terminology of what a ‘snack’ is. An ice team for dessert is not inherently better than an ice cream as a snack.

Also the fact that every nursery my children went to provided a mid morning and mid afternoon snack as standard shows that ‘little and often’ is the preferred option for most toddlers.

My children are grazers. They've always eaten many small meals throughout the day.

My kids have always been small and skinny, very active, and not much interested in food (the health visitor told us to load mashed potato with butter at one point make sure they were getting enough calories). It was a struggle to get something into them sometimes and at mealtimes they were like birds. My DS in particular didn’t even know when he was hungry - I only realised when he started getting hangry. Because of that I always fed them snacks when they wanted - usually things like carrots or cucumber, but also the odd ginger nut biscuit or piece of cake. They’re 14 and 17 now, still very slim and very active, still not that interested in food, and still prefer to eat little and often. Horses for courses and all that.

A reluctance to feed small children outside of meals says alot about the mother's relationship to food in my experience.

I don’t think it’s a worry at all, DD clears her plate at mealtimes and has yoghurt/fruit for ‘pudding’. She doesn’t really ask for snacks. It wasn’t the norm when I was a child to snack, and I’m a slim adult.

I think the reliance on screen time has had more of an impact on obesity than snacking. We had snacks as kids I was born in the 80s and none of us were overweight children

Does it really mystic meg 😉 here we go, the mumsnet amateur psychologist has turned up!

Why are you giving her pudding at all though?

YABU.

you can't say kids don't needs snacks when you give your kids a snack....

Having such low cognitive ability that you actually think the NHS is wrong and you are right about snacking, and that you can’t understand childhood obesity has nothing to do with snacks, but processed shit is a bit of a worry in an adult.

She doesn’t have it as a dessert, it’s a treat - maybe once a week. I didn’t mention the fruit bowl, that was another poster. Might want to read the thread again!

Well for a long time they promoted ‘low fat’ which turned out to be full of sugar and making obesity worse 🤷🏼‍♀️ I’m sure they’re right most of the time, but not all the time.

Snacks don't have to mean biscuits, cakes and chocolate.

If they have access to a fruit bowl all day then surely that's snacking?

Personally I don't think it's a good idea to allow free access to a fruit bowl as fruit isn't very good for teeth, I would rather snacks be crackers/cheese/veg sticks with the occasional biscuit.

If you allow lots of snacks then surely you would adjust the food they eat at lunch/dinner so they don't over eat? It's all about balance and the individual child.

Hahaha

Mine needs a snack otherwise they get so grumpy.

DS is as skinny as a rake (4.5 but still in 2-3 trousers as everything else is too big in the waist!) and eats non-stop some days (though some days he eat hardly anything). He never stops moving though.