Mini meals and Snacks
Mini meals and snacks are ok - choose snacks well - choose foods low in fat, sugar and salt
Children at different ages eat different amounts of food. Young children need to eat often. They are very active and are growing fast, but only have small tummies. Snacks or mini-meals in between are both important and necessary. As children grow their stomachs become larger, therefore the need for these snacks or mini-meals lessens. Snacks are still important for active teenagers. Snacks help provide extra energy for growth and physical activity and satisfies their large appetites.
The word snack prompts many people to think of commercially made foods which are marketed as snack foods. However, snacks should complement meals. They should be thought of as a mini-meal that supplies protein, vitamins, minerals and energy. Other items such as chippies, chocolate bars or muesli bars should be regarded as treat foods and eaten only occasionally.
Whether eaten at mid morning, lunch time or mid afternoon, snacks are as much part of a child's daily food intake as meals and they should be just as nourishing. There are lots of quick, cheap and healthy options which make great snack choices for children of all ages.
Snacks for school aged children include:
Bread sticks, breakfast cereals, cheese (sticks, cubes, slices or triangles), dried fruit, nut or seed packets, toasted English muffins, garlic or herb bread, low-fat muffins (plain or with fruit), popcorn (not sugared or buttered), rice cakes, vegetable pieces, low-fat yoghurt (fresh or frozen, plain or fruit).
More ideas are provided on the website for those registered with the School Food Programme.
