Why children need to snack

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Hands up who lives in a household of hungry people? We are one of those families for whom the best part of the day revolves around what we are going to eat next. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are always hot topics of conversation. But what trumps that above all else is….snacks! If you’re anything like me, you will find that the need to snack seems to be quite urgent among little people. So what is it about snacking and why do children need to snack anyway?

Permission to snack miss please!

Personally, if I tried to go between meals without snacking, I would be pretty useless. As someone with reactive hypoglycemia, I just need those snacks to keep my energy up and blood sugar levels stable. But what about little people?

Yes, it might feel like our little ones are poking and prodding us endlessly for snacks but there is a good reason for that! I’m not talking about feeding them with endless snacks all day, which can interfere with them actually eating their main meals. But a morning and an afternoon snack is most definitely required from my experience, to manage hunger and keep energy levels stable.

children need to snack
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Keeping their energy up

The days when my daughter has somehow missed an afternoon snack because she has been off gallivanting without me, she will be practically slumped over the dinner table she will be so low on energy come the evening. Too tired even to eat dinner, and that’s definitely something best avoided.

Depending on their age, most children need to eat around every three to four hours – so you see, stretching from breakfast to lunch, or lunch to dinner can be somewhat problematic for them. In our house that is an absolute given.

How often should children snack then?

I tend to offer a snack around two and half hours to three hours after one meal, but not less than a couple of hours before the next meal is due to kick off…if I want it to ACTUALLY be eaten anyway. Otherwise, you can be sure that mealtimes will be a total struggle, and more likely to be a showground for the most annoying kind of fussy eating imaginable.

Leaving just enough time after snacking and before a meal means they are at just the right level of hungry. Not head on the table depleted of energy with their brains halfway out of their ears, but not hey I’m full of snacks and couldn’t give two hoots about dinner!

children need to snack
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Snacks are also important because children have smaller tummies than us. That means that they can only eat smaller portions at a time, and need to eat more frequent snacks to get their daily nutrients. The smaller they are, the smaller their tummies, and the more important snacks may be, relatively speaking.

Go forth and snack!

As you can see, I’m a big advocate of snacking. There’s no doubt about it – children need to snack. But we as parents need to make sure they are not over-snacking to ensure they are ready (and willing!) to eat at mealtimes. We can also help them by having a good supply of nutrient-rich snacks to help them get the goodness they need throughout the day.

Giveaway

Fruit Bowl is celebrating its fantastic fruit-filled Peelers’ 20th birthday and to mark the occasion, we’re giving away 12 multipacks of tasty Fruit Bowl Peelers to one lucky winner! Included in the prize bundle will be all three fantastic Peeler flavours: Strawberry, Raspberry and Blackcurrant – perfect for lunchboxes, after school snacks or popping in your bag when you’re on the go.  

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Enter on our giveaways page here

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Picture credits:

Image by rawpixel.com

Food photo created by freepik

Background photo created by prostooleh

Food photo created by senivpetro

39 comments

  1. Snacks are a good thing for children as long as they are healthy to prevent low blood sugar levels which means they can’t concentrate and learn.

  2. l always try to have a good range of healthy snacks around so they always have some to snack on.

  3. I think it depends on the child, and also whether they are going through a growth spurt

  4. Our two never had snacks when they were little as it created issues at dinner time.

  5. I think that children shouldn’t have too many sugary snacks but healthy snacks at lunchtime is fine.

  6. Snacking or grazing is important to keep those energy levels up and the slump at bay – I know I do it a lot it’s just about picking the right kind of snacks

    Laura x

  7. I think a healthy snack as long as it’s not to big that it spoils a meal is a good thing

  8. I own a family of snackers, thankfully they love their fruit but I get through so many strawberries and grapes

  9. Yes – Snacks are important, as long as my child eats a balanced diet, I’m happy. They can have the occasional chocolate bar, if they have fruit and vegetables with their other meals.

  10. Snacks are so important for a child but they need to be the right kind. Great article!

  11. Stealthy snacking is vital for children – 3 meals a day is SIMPLY not enough

  12. we always have fruit and nuts to snack on but crisps are also plentiful but rationed which is tempting for me!!!!

  13. l think its better to have healthy snacks in so if they do feel the need for a snack its a healthy one!

  14. my stepdaughters absolutely love their fruit though getting the oldest one to eat her veggies is a different story altogether would love to win this fab giveaway

  15. I think snacks are ok as long as they are healthy snacks and not high in sugars

  16. Healthy snacks are essential for between meals hunger – better than sweets or sugary drinks

  17. I think we are all in agreement that the kids needs snacks! And it is so great that so many more healthier snacks are appearing on the market.

  18. need to show this to my husband who thinks the kids dont need snacks and gets fed up with them asking for food outside “proper” food times!

  19. I’m all for my smalls having a snack or two as and when they need it. In nurseries and schools they give healthy snacks of fruit. So I have tried to promote it at home too. As it certainly perks them up again.

  20. My kids are always hungry, so keeping a Stash of healthy snacks in the house is really important.

  21. It definitely depends on the child my daughters fine but my son would not eat dinner if he had snacks

  22. I was lucky that my youngest son loved snacking on raw carrots & fruit and still ate all his dinner. My eldest just ate yoghurts but he then became really picky about dinner. It totally depands on the child.

  23. I never knew snacking had so many benefits! I always thought snacking was bad and so tried to avoid my kids from doing so just so their teeth can have a break from the sugars. It makes sense why my son is always so tired. Will give them snacks from now on in between meals.

  24. Always try and get healthy snacks for the kids in they get hungry, things that are low in sugar

  25. My two year old could not go a whole day without getting his morning/afternoon snacks. He even has an internal clock now to where two hours after breakfast/lunch, he’s asking us for a snack. He has a massive amount of energy so I’m glad to keep giving him nutrients he needs to run, be healthy, and grow.

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