Snack plates for dinner

[Goodnightelizabethgoodnight]

I'm sure it's just an older generation mindset of needing 3 hot square meals a day, but my gran was shocked ( 🙄 ) that my 3 year old had a snack plate for his dinner.

Plenty of nights we do have a hot meal together but I'd say at least once, sometimes twice a week, he happily sits and eats a little snack plate in front of the telly. He's been at nursery 9-3, outdoors for much of the time, he's tired, and he just wants to chill. I know the feeling myself! So after two helpings of curry with rice for his lunch at nursery I don't think it's a problem to have a snack plate for dinner.

He's having the same snack plate today as he did yesterday which has breadsticks, oatcakes, humous, salami, smoked cheese, raspberries, strawberries, chopped cucumber and peppers. He might have a small bowl of soup after too. Tbh I think he's living the best life with his little platter in front of the telly and I think it's great 😁

Breakfast was porridge, lunch was curry and rice, tomorrow for dinner we're having chicken risotto, and the next night we're having spaghetti bolognese.

Anyone else do the same with their kids?

My girls used to love a "cold collation" as they called it, (goodness knows where they got that from) when they were small. They still enjoy it now aged 29 and 30. They still think it's a treat.

If the snack plate consisted of haribo, wotsits and party rings it might have been a problem. What you are giving him is a full balanced meal that happens to be cold.

Assumed the OP wasn't sitting her child in front of the telly with a packet of fags but I may be wrong.

His favourite 'plate of things' includes:

Tomato wedges
Cucumber moons
carrot sticks
Slices of cheddar
Sticks of brie
sliced apple
grapes
breadsticks
houmous
handful of mixed nuts

I don't mind doing it (saves me cooking) as it's definitely his 5 a day plus protein. Win/win

That's lovely for a snack.

I love all the different names for snack plates. A friend of ours often asks for his "charcuterie board" because he's a little toff gentleman 😁

Swap the bread sticks for a couple of slices of bread and it's a packed lunch. What 1000s of people have for lunch every day.
Lunch if eaten at lunch time.
Tea if eaten at tea time.
It's a meal. Not a snack.

Look. It doesn't matter what everyone else does. IMHO it's a snack. But you say it's not and neither of us know what would suit each other's kids.

I can only speak for myself and every child and circumstance is different. My boys are teens now and are strong, strapping, highly energetic boys that play contact sport at a high level. There is absolutely no way I would have even tried to get away with breadsticks and houmous for supper twice a week when they were three. It just wouldn't have met their needs or built their strong bones and bodies. I never trusted nursery lunch as I would have no idea how much my child ate and of what.

I totally appreciate not everyone will be able to do this (although a cooked chicken is cheap and easy to have in a fridge) and not everyone has children that do a lot of moving about. That's often unavoidable I get it. So if you think that breadsticks and houmous and a bit of tomato and cheese and a charcuterie board is appropriate and enough for your growing boy then that's perfectly fine. But it wouldn't have suited mine or anyone else that I know. Horses for courses.

I didn’t say a word about tv or what he eats 🤷‍♀️ if you want to brag about your boy, and your parenting that’s fine. Just own it.

There is absolutely no way I would have even tried to get away with breadsticks and houmous for supper twice a week when they were three.

My kid eats like a horse too. But some days he's had two breakfasts of porridge followed by eggs and toast, only to go to nursery and have more toast, two snacks, and two servings at lunch of a hot meal, so he comes home and a snack plate is fine for dinner. Sometimes he has a snack plate followed by a bowl of soup, it depends. He eats what he needs to eat.

His snack plate isn't humous and breadsticks. Nowhere have I said that it was. It's an assortment of things including (depending on what we have in) cheeses, meats, chicken, chopped fruit and veg, olives, humous, breadsticks, rice cakes, wraps, sausage rolls, eggs etc.

It's like saying a plate of some wraps, chicken, cheese, and veg is a snack, but wrap it all together and heat it up with a sauce it's suddenly a meal because it's hot and you call it a burrito.

I trust my child's nursery. There are only 15 children in attendance and they let you know exactly what was eaten. The updates are very thorough and helpful.

Well now you have included chicken and eggs I approve a little bit more.

My comment wasn't particularly directed at you OP. It was someone who gives their child chopped up cheese and bits of tomato and cucumber. I mean, fair play if you can get away with it but I'm not sure how good that would be at building bodies and maintaining energy.

All you’ve done is swap lunch and dinner around.

@BitOutOfPractice

You said I couldn't care less. Yes I don't, in response to the pile on about tv. I didn't ask for opinions on that.

I can't engage with your nonsense further because you've decided in your head this is a bragging post. Not sure why you've got a chip on your shoulder about that. I mentioned his language because I was told that his speech will be affected watching tv which is patently untrue. But I just can't respond to you anymore because you think I've made up an interaction with a pretend gran, and you think this is AIBU. It's the parenting board.

Someone on another thread where the OP was upset about her son wetting the bed had an absolute pile on and a poster commented that Mumsnet is like the bad side of Reddit now. I agree. Some of the posts on here are absolutely bonkers, nasty, and pathetic.

@Hoppingabout

Well now you have included chicken and eggs I approve a little bit more.

Ok 🤷🏻‍♀️

He doesn't eat the same snack plate every time, the same way he doesn't eat the same dinners every time.

Well your original list was a bit dodgy but your updated list is better..

Love from The Food Police.

@Hoppingabout

My comment wasn't particularly directed at you OP. It was someone who gives their child chopped up cheese and bits of tomato and cucumber. I mean, fair play if you can get away with it but I'm not sure how good that would be at building bodies and maintaining energy.

Well I'm sure it wouldn't be if that's all they ever ate but that's doubtful the case. Sometimes I can't face dinner when I get in and kids are the same, especially when they're exhausted.

True. I didn't think of it like that. Other than a snack plate once or twice a week, he always has hot lunches and dinners at home and at nursery, but yes it is typical lunch food.

My 4yo DS has a snack plate after school most days, he loves it. He will be offered a hot tea but most of the time says no. He gets a hot meal at lunch and my youngest gets both a hot lunch and tea at nursery. So during the week we eat separately and then at the weekend we all sit down together for our meals. Works for us. Just need to remember each day to make the snack plate before I collect him as he always asks about it on the way home!!

Sounds lovely, but my god some of the posters here would call social work on you for doing snack plates every day 😨

We do lots of snack plates, if they're eating I count it as a win

I doubt social services. Just not want that for their own kids if they can avoid it, especially if they are getting older than toddlers. Still, it's interesting to see what people do. Some kids can live off two or three things their whole childhood and turn out great.

They’d be even more outraged if they found out today I’ve put a bourbon biscuit on there and I’m going to let him eat it in front of the TV!

I have no doubt we will shift into more hot meals when his brother is older too and our routine changes again but for this period of our life it works for us. He eats all sorts on there, lots of fruit and veg. Also eats a variety of meals at school and has impeccable manners when we eat out for a meal. He is healthy and happy and it makes my life easier which means I’m a better, less stressed mum!

Food sounds fine to me, but not sitting infront of the TV! It's not good for a 3 year old anyway, let alone at meal times!

Make sure you cancel that cheque!!!

It's fine if it's enough for your kids. My children eat a hearty hot meal then a cereal/toast supper in the evening. Especially if they've been out at an activity. TBH a snack plate would be that for them- a snack!