Does a two year old NEED snacks?

[tootle]

I'm thinking of dropping the snacks in an ettempt to get my 24 month old daughter to eat more at dinner time. There's a definite correlation between how much she eats for dinner and not having an afternoon snack.

If I let her have cereal and toast for breakfast, a sandwich and fruit for lunch then dinner and a pudding - surely she doesn't NEED a snack does she?

It will be hard for me to say NO though. How else do you wander round the supermarket or get a minute to yourself without offering a snack???

I certainly don't think they need snacks. DS doesn't get snacks and doesn't whinge for them and I never had them as a kid. If you manage to get them off the snacks it'll probably save alot of hassle in the future. Don't get me wrong, I don't think snacks are bad in any way, I just seem them as a hassle.

DS couldn't manage without snacks, he needs to eat more often than 3 times a day to keep his energy up. And I think there is a limit to the amount they can stuff themselves with at a meal. DS has always (well, usually) had snacks which are nutritious and count towards the 'proper food' he has during the day, and well spaced out - not given just as they are getting hungry and fractious for dinner.

Whe DS was 2, he ate better if he was not hungry and fractious.

I really think it depends on the child and how energetic they are....not any different than for an adult I guess. Just try and give healthy snacks not sweets.

dd has a good appetite most days and her normal daily intake is shreddiew for breakfast and some toast, milk at 9:30 followed by fruit or breadsticks about 11. She then has a coooked lunch at 1 and fruit or biscuit about 4 with tea at 5:45.

Yesterday, she was ravenous with shreddies, a banana and a satsuma then her milk as usual. She then ate a big roast beef dinner, with 3 roast potatoes and loads of veg, had 2 biscuits at Grandmas and then chicken fillets, new potatoes and veg for tea, followed by a yoghurt.

On the other hand, on Saturday, she didn't eat much at all but we had a quiet day at home.

Some children are natual 'grazers' others seem to be able to go without snacks. I find I do still give my 3 and 5 yr old snacks and I would expect them to continue. It depends on what time she eats dinner. During the week my kids eat early (see below) so they have snacks later. At the weekend they don't eat much before 6.30 so we often have 'tea' at 4-4.30.

My 5 year old has a full dinner in the evening at her childminder, at 5pm, but when she comes home she is still hungry and usually has fruit, crisps or some toast. She is a natual grazer, who eats at mealtimes, but still needs snacks.

My 3 yr old is better without snacks and will eat a better meal if she doesn't snack. Even so since she has 'tea' at nusery at 4pm, she always has a snack prior to bedtime.

If snacks are healthy, fruit, dried fruit, toast, cheese etc I don't see the problem. I give unhealthy snacks in the evening AFTER they have eaten dinner (they only get them if they ate all their dinner)

Yes, totally agree that it depends on the child. My dd (2.4) doesn't seem to need food between meals. When it's offered it is fruit and the like, but I've found giving her anything tends to have an impact on what she eats at mealtimes, particularly in the evening. When she goes to her childminder she grazes quite a lot on (fairly healthy) snacks, including hoovering up anything that the other kids leave behind! This invariably means she's totally disinterested in supper when she gets home, whereas on the days she's with me and dp she manages a good supper.

Since snacks needn't be an unhealthy option - you can always put more emphasis on them rather than main meals. Or cut them back and focus more on the main meals. Depends what suits your routine really.

My 2.4 year old dd doesn't need snacks between meals and if given (as a distraction usually when I need to buy good behaviour in a public place) I usually pay for it later when she picks at her 'proper' meal

Give mine snacks am & pm - bread, biscuits, fruit.. They eat well at meals but as I tend to need something mid morning & afternoon I give them something as well.

I think my 3 year old has a really small stomach - he can't eat very much at all in one go. So he is naturally hungry quite quickly. Cereal bars I find are great for giving him a boost. Also dried fruit bars.

As long as the snacks are healthy I can't see the harm. Don't they say that it's a healthier way for children and adults alike to eat? Smaller meals with snacks inbetween. In fact, I'm trying to eat more snacks myself. Otherwise I'll have a smallish breakfast and lunch and then completely pig out at dinner time.

My 2 year old has a very small appetite, but she does like to eat fruit and yogurts. Sometimes she'll have a snack mid-afternoon, like an apple, but then she won't eat any dinner. You know what? I don't mind because what she has eaten is healthy.

Thanks for everyone's insight. I suppose it's something I will have to experiment with and judge for myself. I just wanted to be sure I wouldn't be the only mother in the world (or the country) not giving my child a snack.

I think I'll drop the afternoon snack - as that seems to be detrimental to how much she'll eat at dinner.

I believe children eat till they feel full then stop .. so stopping snacks will just stop them getting nutrients rather than help them eat more

Healthy snacks are great .. little and often is a much more healthy way of eating too

I personally wouldn't stop them no

some days, if I didn't give her (healthy) snacks, my dd wouldn't get anywhere near what she needs. will only eat a small amount at any meal, whether she gets a snack or not (have tried both ways....)