Am I putting the wrong things in the snack lunchbox?

[HairyPorter]

DS (2.5) is at nursery mornings only. Comes home for lunch. They provide free access to fruit, water and milk. At the moment he gets two tupperwares in his lunchbox- one of dried fruit (typically mango as he loves it) and another of a mix of biscuits (kid ones) and breadsticks. Is this too unhealthy?? Should I be cutting down on the biscuits?? He otherwise eats well (ome cooked meals for lunch and dinner) and gets his 5 a day without any trouble (usually in the form of fruit rather than veg).

I think I'm not reading your post right. Dried fruit and biscuits for lunch? Nothing else?

If he is home by lunch and is given access to fruit then why does he need any other snack sending in?

you are not reading it right Loganmummy. try reading the second sentence .

op , has someone said something to you? if he is a healthy weight then it sounds ok to me .

What are the tupperwares for? Will he not eat the fruit available at nursery?

Everyone else has a lunchbox! I was a bit perplexed too as i assumed he'd just eat the friuit on offer but it looks like he eats fruit as well as the snacks i pack.
No one has said anything but I was wondering if it should be healthier?? I'm wondering if its a bad habit to get him into eating biscuits everyday... But I'm a bit stumped as to what I should replace it with!

I wouldn't send anything if the nursery didn't specifically ask for it.

I don't think I would send dried fruit if there is fruit available. Dried fruit is sugary too.

Sounds fine to me. Though I'm a bit stumped too why he needs extra when they have fruit etc already...

Anyway! You could also try homemade banana bread or cheese sticks or pitta bread for a change if you want. There's lots of ideas in the Lunchbox recipe section on MN.

I wouldn't send anything either

Try rice cakes and/or oat cakes instead of biscuits, and have a mixture of vegetable sticks and fruit instead of just fruit. Carrot sticks, cucumber, red/yellow pepper, baby tomatoes.

But as others have said, I don't understand why parents are giving their children extra snacks tbh if the nursery provides drinks and fruit.

unless your DS has a need for significantly more calories I really don't understand why he needs extra in the morning. A good breakfast, fruit and milk and then lunch. We've gone snack crazy. I mean that generally, not you specifically

I'm confused re the lunch box. Surely children must never manage lunch if they are eating fruit/ bread/ dried fruit/ milk and biscuits in the space of 3 hours?!

I had to change meal times as a result. Pre nursery DS would have lunch at 11.30/12. He now has it at 1/1.30. And dinner at 4.30. He is far from overweight. If anything he could do with fattening up which is why I'm keen to provide a snack (plus its the norm at the nursery anyway). My only concern was whether what I was packing was too unhealthy? The veg idea is a good one and I'll do more of that I think!

I'd talk to the nursery about the whole snack thing as it sounds peculiar.

Biscuits and dried fruit are very high in sugar, so not great for his teeth to be browsing on them. Raw veggies are great and the nursery already have fruit.

I don't think op's issue is whether to send a snack? It's what to put in it? Whether we agree or disagree the child should be having a snack ;) I'd maybe mix it up a bit with rice cakes, some wholemeal pitta in little strips, raw veggies like carrot or cucumber, some mini cheeses, a flapjack made from oats (good recipe on netmums sweetened with a little honey), yoghurt pouch/tube. Fruit and biscuit combo everyday is probably too sugary. X

I'd send protein in if I were you. Cheese, ham, chicken drumstick, even peas provide good protein and would be better than dried fruit if he's already getting fruit, and not much need for biscuits or breadsticks everyday?

Thanks for all your responses! He went in with some veg and cheese today. By the way does anyone know if raw carrots are a choking hazard at this age? With carrot sticks, do I need to steam them or cook them in any way??

At 2.5 raw carrot sticks are fine