1 Year Old and Snacks

[mamatinny]

Hi all,

I’m new here. Basically the HV told me that my little girl (13 months) now needs 3 meals and 3 snacks a day.

So she’s a good little eater but she’s what I call a “camel.” She doesn’t snack all day long! She eats alot at a meal and then that’s it!

I tried giving her snacks (mainly fruit) yesterday and today and as a result she’s eaten 1/2 bites of her meals and won’t touch her puddings which isn’t as important but it’s still wasting food!

How important actually are snacks? 🙄. Like surely if it’s not broken I shouldn’t try and fix it?

Far more important that she eats her properly nutritious meals than that she gets into the habit of snacking. I was brought up in a time when you ate your meals and that was it until your next meal. There really is no need at all for snacks. For one thing it is teaching your body to expect a grazing attitude towards food, for another i think it does your system any good to be mankind demands on it continually.

I am sure this is one of the reasons obesity and diabetes rates are rising, if our bodies don't use the energy our foods provide immediately then the default position is to store it, fine if you are living in the Stone Age when your next meal might not appear, not a necessity in the 21st century.

PS I would Make sure puddings are mostly fruit or plain unsweetened yogurt .

Or a bit of cheese!

3 meals and 3 snacks for a 1 year old
I’d be much more concerned about them eating their meal than filling them with snacks.

Definitely doesn't 'need' 3 snacks a day, especially as she seems to be eating well at mealtimes.

My son is 21 months. He has a big breakfast (eg porridge and toast), lunch is typically a sandwich/veg sticks/small handful of crisps then whatever we are having for dinner followed by fruit and yoghurt. He probably has one snack a day on average which is usually fruit or a snack bar.

If snacks are going to interfere with meals, I wouldn't bother. As long as your daughter is growing well, don't worry too much :)

Anyone else find the word snack really annoying?

Thank you! This is my exact thinking. She’s got a dairy allergy so I’m slowly introducing it back into her diet. So puddings are mainly home made rice pudding using oat milk with no added sugar, whole fruit or soya yoghurts!

We sexnotgender this is my feeling on it! So instead of eating the veg and protein packed lasagne for lunch THEN some grapes she’s had some grapes, a mouthful or two of lasagne and probably will have a crap nap, wake up still tired and hungry and the cycle starts again

The whole snacking culture is very damaging in my opinion.

People have lost the ability to identify hunger and just graze and overeat.

Nothing wrong with kids being hungry for a bit.

If she isn’t hungry between meals, assuming she is gaining weight as she should be, there’s no need for snacks. Also when the hell do you squeeze in three snacks?!? Mine had a mid morning and mid afternoon snack when they wanted them. But when is the third one supposed to be?!? We already don’t eat dinner til 6:30pm. I can’t imagine squeezing a snack in before bedtime!

I honestly have no idea 😂😂😂😂🤷‍♀️

She has breakfast at 7, milk at 8:30, nap 9-10, snack at 10? But then lunch is too early at 12 but she naps at 1 so it can’t be one so has to be 12. Then naps till 3 so snack at 3 is fine as i can push dinner back till 5:30 . But then it’s milk and bed! Bugger it! I’m not doing snacks apart from lare afternoon