Healthy Snack Planning for Children: A Guide
At Early Start Nutrition, one of the frequent inquiries we receive concerns the selection of appropriate snack options for kids. This article aims to provide insights on structuring healthy snack times for youngsters and selecting the right foods to serve.
Why Offer Healthy Snacks?
Children over one year old benefit significantly from having 2-3 nutritious snacks distributed throughout their day, including mid-morning, mid-afternoon, and an optional snack in the evening. These snacks play a crucial role in maintaining energy levels and supplying vital nutrients necessary for their growth, development, and learning processes.
In the UK, current guidelines suggest that infants under one year do not require additional snacks as their nutritional needs are met through regular meals and milk.
Timing Matters
How Often Should Snacks Be Offered?
Maintaining consistent meal and snack times daily is beneficial, helping children develop a robust eating routine and manage their appetite more effectively. Ideally, a 2-3 hour interval should separate meals and snacks to prevent diminishing a child’s hunger for upcoming meals.
Challenges may arise in early years settings due to staffing or scheduling conflicts, yet it’s imperative to establish and adhere to a conducive meal and snack schedule, overcoming any obstacles collaboratively.
What About Meal Durations?
A mealtime lasting 20-30 minutes is optimal, allowing children to consume their food at a comfortable pace. Recognizing individual needs is essential, as some may require more time than others.
Communication with parents regarding the snack and meal schedule is crucial for consistency across home and educational settings.
Innovative Snack Time: The Rolling Snack Bar
Implementing a rolling snack bar in nurseries has shown to promote independence among children, allowing them to decide when they’re ready to eat. This approach minimizes disruptions to play and learning. However, it’s critical to limit the snack bar’s operation to a specific timeframe to avoid a grazing culture, potentially impacting the appetite for main meals. Ensuring children are seated and supervised during snack times reinforces good eating habits.
Ensuring Smooth Operations
Key strategies include encouraging self-service, providing water, setting clear snack bar timings, tracking participation, promoting hygiene, and tasking a staff member with snack bar management to uphold standards of cleanliness and engagement.
Selecting Snacks: A Diverse Menu
What to Serve?
Variety is crucial in planning snack menus, avoiding repetition and aligning with the “Eat Better Start Better Snack Guidelines”. Including a range of nutritious options across food groups ensures a balanced intake.
Food Safety and Choking Prevention
Adhering to the EYFS framework for food safety, including staff training in food hygiene and ensuring safe seating for eating, is mandatory. Awareness of choking hazards and pediatric first aid is essential for safety.
Snack Time Ideas
- Starchy Foods: Options include pitta bread, rice cakes, and tortilla wraps, among others, providing a foundation for creative snacks like homemade bunny pancakes or tortilla stars with hummus.
- Fruits and Vegetables: A colorful selection of seasonally available produce, from carrot sticks to kiwi slices, encourages healthy eating habits. Creative presentations, such as fruit kebabs or celery snails, make snacks appealing.
- Protein Foods: Including hummus, sliced eggs, or tofu adds essential nutrients, with snack ideas ranging from pepper frittatas to egg fingers with avocado.
- Dairy and Alternatives: Yoghurt, cheese, and milk offer calcium and protein, with snack variations like cheese triangles with pretzels or mini pizzas.
By integrating these guidelines and ideas, early years settings can provide nutritious, appealing snack options that support children’s health and development.
Editor