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Snacks and Packed Lunches for

1 - 4 year olds

First Steps Nutrition Trust:

Snacks and Packed Lunches for 1-4 year olds

Published by First Steps Nutrition Trust, 2014

The text of this resource, and the photos, can be reproduced in other materials provided

that the materials promote public health and make no profit, and an acknowledgement

is made to First Steps Nutrition Trust.

This resource is provided for information only and individual advice on diet and

health should always be sought from appropriate health professionals.

Photo resources

For more information about photo resources for different population groups, see the

website www.firststepsnutrition.org

First Steps Nutrition Trust

112 Queens Road

London SW19 8LS

E: [email protected]

Registered charity number: 1146408


Key principles when providing snacks for 1-4 year

olds

The word snack has become synonymous with ‘snack food’ – but when we are talking

about young children, snacks should be thought of as ‘mini-meals’ – an opportunity to

offer energy and important nutrients to supplement meals. Children have small

stomachs and need to eat more frequently, but in order to ensure they get all the

nutrients they need these mini-meals need to follow most of the same principles of

eating well we suggest for meal times. The key principles are outlined below.

Children need nutritious snacks between meals

Children need to eat regularly and need nutritious snacks between meals. As a rule of thumb

children aged 1-4 years should not go more than 3 hours between eating occasions during the

day. A typical eating pattern for a 1-4 year old would be 3 meals and 2-3 snacks.

Snacks should be ‘added sugar’ free

The best snacks are those that do not contain added sugars and which provide a range of other

useful nutrients, Children’s teeth are susceptible to damage from added sugars in foods and

drinks as well as sugars in fruit juices and other soft drinks. Avoid dried fruit at snack times as

this can stick to teeth and offer fresh fruit and vegetables.

Snacks should be varied

Snacks should offer a variety of foods from the four important food groups: fruit and vegetables,

starchy foods, dairy foods and protein and protein alternatives. This resource suggests a range

of snacks that include foods from all these groups.

Snacks should offer a range of tastes and textures

Snacks should include both cooked and raw foods, offer a range of tastes and textures and

encourage young children to be independent eaters.

Milk or water are the drinks of choice at snack time

For children aged under 2 full-fat milk should be offered with snacks where there is no other

dairy product on offer, and this can be semi-skimmed milk for those over 2 years if they are

good eaters. For children who have unsweetened fortified soya milk as their main milk drink

then they should be offered this with all snacks.


Example snacks for 1-4 year olds

Below are some ideas for snacks for children aged 1-4 years.

A complete resource showing the portion size and recipes for all these snacks is

currently in production and will be available later in 2014.

Bagel with mashed sardine and cucumber

Breadsticks with cannellini bean

houmous dip and tomato and avocado

wedges

Breadsticks, guacamole and cucumber and

pepper sticks

Breadsticks, houmous dip and cherry tomatoes


Cream crackers and soft cheese, with cucumber

and carrot sticks

Crusty brown roll with soft cheese and carrot sticks

Eggy bread with banana

Mini avocado and tomato salsa sandwiches

Mini bowl of curried rice salad and mixed peppers

Mini bowl of tabbouleh and blueberries


Mini soft cheese and pineapple sandwiches

Poached pear

with yoghurt

Oatcakes with Brazil nut butter and orange

Oatcakes, cottage cheese and apple chunks


Peanut butter on toasted muffin, with grapes

Pitta bread fingers, tuna pâté dip and apple

chunks

Pitta bread with tahini dip and apple

Rice cakes with lentil and peanut butter pâté and red and green pepper

Rice cakes with mushroom pâté and cherry tomatoes


Sliced hard boiled egg, tomatoes, toast slices

Toast squares with mashed egg and cress

Fruit scone with strawberries

Wholemeal roll with almond butter, and carrot

sticks

Wholemeal toast

fingers, yoghurt (for

dipping) and banana

slices

Wholemeal toast with pinto bean spread, and carrot

sticks


Packed lunches for 1-4 year olds

What should go into a packed lunch?

One or two portions of starchy food

A portion of protein food: meat, fish, eggs, beans, lentils and other alternatives

At least one portion of fruit At least one portion of

vegetables

Milk and dairy foods or suitable alternatives

White or wholegrain

bread or rolls, bagel,

baguette, tortilla or

wrap, pitta bread,

chapatti

Cooked potato, pasta,

noodles, rice, couscous

Fruit bun, malt loaf,

raisin bread

Chicken, turkey, beef,

lamb

Sardine, tuna, sardines

Egg

Houmous, other pulses

and beans

Dahl and other lentil

dishes

Tahini and other seed

spreads

Tofu

Nut butters

Cucumber,

carrots,

tomatoes

pepper,

sweetcorn

mixed salad

green beans

sugar snap peas

sweetcorn

peas

broccoli

Apple, pear,

banana

clementine

strawberries

grapes

kiwi

melon

pineapple

mango

canned fruit in

juice

dried fruit: raisins,

apricots, figs,

dates

Milk to drink: Whole milk for children under 2years Semi skimmed for children 2 years and over Unsweetened calcium fortified soya

milk

Plain yoghurt,

Plain fromage frais

Plain calcium fortified soya yoghurt

Cheese

Rice pudding, semolina pudding

custard


Example packed lunches

One or two portions of starchy food

A portion of protein food

2 portions of Fruit and vegetables

Dairy foods or alternatives

Egg and cress roll Cherry tomatoes and cucumber sticks Yogurt with blueberries

Brown bread roll Hard boiled egg Cress Cherry tomatoes Cucumber sticks blueberries

Plain yoghurt

Tuna and sweetcorn pasta celery and red pepper sticks Malt loaf, cream cheese & pear slices

Pasta twirls Malt loaf

Canned tuna Sweetcorn Celery Pepper pear

Cream cheese

Falafel & houmous pitta bread Broccoli and carrot sticks Banana, grapes Milk drink

Pitta bread Falafel houmous

Broccoli Carrots Banana Grapes

Milk

Chicken tortilla wrap beetroot and carrot salad Satsuma and apple slices & Greek yoghurt

Tortilla wrap Roast chicken Beetroot Carrot Satsuma apple

Greek yoghurt

Cheese and cucumber sandwich Green beans Red and yellow pepper sticks Fruity rice pudding with cinnamon

Wholegrain and white bread Rice for pudding

Cheese slices Green beans Red and yellow pepper

Rice pudding Cheese


Example packed lunches

A complete resource showing a range of packed lunches with quantities and recipes is currently in production and will be available in 2014.

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