Evening food after nursery

[firetruckandduck]

Just curious what do you feed your pre schooler after the nursery day is over?

My 3 year old eats 3 meals and 2 snacks a day at nursery, they have quite a substantial meal around 3.30/4pm (Stuff like cottage pie, spag bol etc) I pick him up about 5.30 and I'll give him a snack plate (either fruit or cheese crackers and
tomatoes cucumber etc depending on what he's had that day already) and then he used to have toast or cereal before bed, but he's now started asking for (and eating) both when I give him the choice which is making me think I should be giving him a more substantial meal in the evenings, it just feels like a bit much to be giving him another big evening meal after he's already had his 3 meals at nursery. Interested to hear what others do for LO's around the same age!

Dd is nearly 2. She has a hot meal at lunchtime, tea (sandwich type thing) at 4ish and late snack at 5:15. I usually give her a small portion of our dinner just to entice her to sit with us really, but she wolfs that down and often cereal too. Dd certainly isn't filled up by just a fruit or veg snack

DS also has his biggest meal at nursery at lunch and a lighter tea so I generally give him something substantial but quick - I freeze portions of chilli / bolognese / curry and then serve with rice or pasta. Beans on toast is another winner. Quesadillas are popular too.

Mine is 2 and has 2 reasonable meals and 2 snack at nursery. They have a banana & either rice cakes / apple / yogurts / dried fruit when they come in from nursery at 6pm then have milk after their bath.

You don’t know how much they are actually eating at nursery. Just fruit probably isn’t enough.. I’d offer toast/pita for the earlier meal with fruit and cheese or cucumber or whatever.. plus cereal before bed. If he’s not overweight and he’s hungry, then fine to feed him more

@DGFB

You don’t know how much they are actually eating at nursery. Just fruit probably isn’t enough.. I’d offer toast/pita for the earlier meal with fruit and cheese or cucumber or whatever.. plus cereal before bed. If he’s not overweight and he’s hungry, then fine to feed him more

This is true, I often get told he's had x2 or even x3 lots of his last meal of the day but I guess I don't know the portion sizes

No issues with weight so I think I deffo need to up his food when he gets home

My son always seems ravenous after nursery, despite his 3 meals and 2 snacks there (and he always eats it all and often asks for seconds)!. I give him things like a sandwich, hot cross bun, cheese on crackers etc... but wondering if I also need to give him something more substantial too.

Both my dcs have always come home and had dinner with us too.

We always give DD (just turned 3) a portion of whatever we’re having for tea on her nursery days. Some days she doesn’t touch it and other days she wolfs it down before asking for pudding.

The main meal at her nursery is lunch (at 11) though and then for tea (at 4) they’ll have a light meal like soup/tea cakes/jacket potatoes/wraps followed by fruit

My 2yo has full on dinner and supper if he needs before bed. He doesn't eat everything at nursery and I've sometimes been given his lunch or tea to take away if I've had to collect him early for some reason and the portion sizes are absolutely tiny.

I've seen the amounts they serve at nursery for snacks and main meals and it is less than half what my son eats at home. He hoovers down the food and is starving after nursery.
I give him a decent snack when I pick him up at 4pm then proper hot meal at 5.30ish.

We collect our 3 year old at 6pm and he’s normally ready for bed by 6.45 on a nursery day so tend to just offer porridge or weetabix occasionally cheese on toast or a crumpet for supper and we eat once he’s settled. He can have fruit as well if he wants it. He has 3 meals plus 2 snacks at nursery will also have breakfast before he goes but has it there also. He mostly comes out with a biscuit in his hand too so don’t think he’s starving!!

My 20mo with have 2 snacks and 3 meals at nursery. He then comes home at 1630ish and has some fruit or crackers and peanut butter followed by proper dinner at 1730ish. I get the impression the portions at nursery are quite small and go by the 'we choose what to feed them, they choose how much' approach, ergo if he's hungry I let him eat!

Really interesting to see some nurseries m do a bigger meal at lunchtime rather than tea time! Wonder what drives the decision?

My DS having his main meal later has always suited us as we (me and DH) don't eat until 7/8ish, due to me not finishing work until 5, and DH not normally home until 6.30 at the earliest, never really gives us chance to sit down as a family for evening meal apart from weekends or days off etc do think I need to start giving DS more substantial food after nursery though so I guess I need to get batch cooking