Does your 2 year old still have snacks inbetween meals?

[BambinoBoo]

DS just turned 2 last week and I have noticed that he eats much better if he's not had snacks inbetween meals. In fact, he wolfs it down and asks for more . When he does have snacks, he either picks at dinner or flat out refuses it - mostly accompanied by a tantrum. I'm not sure what to do now as when scoffs his lunch, I think shite, I should have given him a snack, then when he won't eat, I think I shouldn't have given him a snack. Arrrrgh!!

His weight is fine I think (2 stone and half a pound). Just wondered what the general consensus is.

Many thanks.

My DD at 2 had a mid-morning snack, and after her lunchtime nap had a beaker of warm milk, because otherwise she got cross and irritable. And she still ate her lunch and evening tea. But if it's putting your DS off his main meals, then I don't see any reason why you should give him snacks. If he is perfectly happy between meals then just cut the snacks if it means he eats his main meals better.

Ds does still have small snacks, but generally something like a fruit bar or raisins (would be real^ fruit if he's eat the bloody stuff )

Anything much more than that and he picks about with dinner

DD (21 mo) does otherwise she will scream. Some days she doesn't. If she starts getting grouchy mid morning ot afternoon I give her a snack. Doesn't generally stop her eating.

Snacks-a-plenty, otherwise I'd be worried he'd starve! DS (2.5) very rarely eats any dinner (or lunch), snack or no snack. Have tried bribery, making train noises, getting his digger/rocket to help him eat, all sorts. Things he eats one day will be refused the next. Snacks seem to make no difference at all. I think he's just being 2, so DH and I are trying to be chilled out about it and not make it an issue. We try to only ever give him healthy snacks - bananas, unsalted rice cakes etc.

Apparently he eats everything at nursery...

DD is 2 next month and is finally eating a lot better now we've stopped giving her bottles of milk and very weak diluted juice at night

She was getting through 3!!

During the week she does not have any snacks as she has a v small appetite but at the weekend it all goes to pot as she continually pesters DH for raisins, sweeties, whatever

It varies day to day, but I'm quite happy for DD to have snacks as long as they're healthy. She's quite a fussy eater and is just as likely to refuse dinner when she's not had snacks as when she has.

In your case I would probably only give a small, healthy snack if it really does impact on his meals. Or keep snacks for days when the routine is disrupted, when you're travelling or whatever.

I think that snacks are important at this age as it's a long time for them to go between meals without a little something, they need the energy and also it's a good chance for them to consume a wider variety of nutrition. Maybe the problem is due to the size of the snack? I would only give him something really small and a drink and leave a couple of hours then before a main meal.

The snacks I give to my toddler are:

1 cracker/rice cake with something on top + drink

A piece of fruit + drink

A yogurt + drink

A small slice of fruit cake + drink

Some veg sticks and a few cubes of cheese + drink.

Even so, sometimes he hardly eats at all and other days he will eat non-stop. It's just the age they are.

DS is three and is a little food hoover.
He would snack all day- fruit, bread, yoghurt, biscuits etc. He eats all his meals too, and I serve him the same amount as his ten year old sister (although she has a small appetite).
My MiL always says she would rather have him for a week than a fortnight

Yes and so does my nearly 5 yr old. Neither would get through the morning without. We breakfast at 6. Breadsticks, crackers, lumps of cheese, fruit, milk (not all on the same day!). Dd2 is at the stage where sittiing still for long for a meal is too dull, so some days most of her intake is "snack", which I am chilled about. She eats a good variety over the week.