Hello!

I allow my toddler snacks as she wants them through out the day providing that she eats her breakfast, lunch and tea. But now I’m thinking I might be creating bad habits for her day at daycare or when she gets to kinder and school knowing that they only eat at certain times.


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  • I let my kids have fruit or vegetable snacks any time of day. Other snacks are generally around set times like morning or afternoon tea.


  • I encourage it as I want my kids to have a healthy appetite and not build a bad relationship with food.
    When they start going to daycare etc. That’s when I’ll worry more about it.


  • When my eldest 2 were little we did breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. But I made an effort to kepp morning and afternoon tea small and we had dinner early (around 5pm).
    Currently I skip morning and afternoon tea alll together, although my teenagers do need some food in the afternoon (big time growth spurts).


  • I don’t think you need to stress about it. She’ll learn when she goes to daycare that she won’t be able to snack al, the time, and she’ll be so busy she hopefully won’t notice


  • We did just breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner


  • Meals or snacks should be planned


  • I was doing the same with my 3 year old. He went to the specialist the other day and was suggested to make it a more planned day. He so tiny. Now we have breaky, snack lunch snack nothing after 3:30/4 until dinner to ensure dinner is eaten. He is actually starting to eat better and not wasting food


  • I didn’t post this question, but found the answers interesting.


  • If they are having healthy snacks and eating their meals I think it’s fine.


  • I usually have set times to avoid spoiling their main meal


  • Yeah usually fruit yogurt and some bikkies are ok


  • I did allow healthy snacking throughout the day as this was recommended to be normal and healthy.


  • This is always a bone of contention in our house!!! I figure, when they get to kinder/daycare, they’re older and can understand more about why we eat and when. Not to mention, they’re rate of growth has probably slowed substantially so therefore, likely to eat less by then? Just go with the flow, soon you’ll be worried they don’t eat enough as they’re always changing!!


  • I tried to ensure they were eating “real” foods at all times but they definitely snacked often. I found that my boys ate when they were hungry at that age (and didn’t eat anything if they were not!).


  • My two girls snack all through the day, I just try to make sure it is as healthy as I can make it. Just offer loads of fruit. Kids grow at a crazy rate so I think they need more food. Don’t stress I think it is completely normal :-)


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