Portion sizes/Food question

[Nicola Carlyle]

Hi


Wondered if anyone can share what they do. Do any of you give children the same lunch everyday they are with you? I don't, I try to vary but just wondered what others do. Also how much do you give them on their plate? I give my 2 year old for example,
-half a sandwich
-cucumber slices
-Pepper slices
-cheese cubes
Or something similar.

Also - if you are having biscuits for snack how many do you allow the children to have?

[ziggy]

I dont do food, all mindees bring their own.

2yr old mindee has whole sandwich each day, a yoghurt, mini bread sticks and if she eats all that she normally has a small cereal bar. She has fruit at snack time. As for biscuits i usually just give one and then only as a treat, if children are hungry i offer fruit

[dawn100]

I try to vary my meals but lunchtimes are normally cold either sandwiches, quiche, pasta salad etc with hot meals in the evenings.
I try to find out how much the child normally eats at home and go from there as I find children can vary so much my dd 4 eats far more than most children her age almost as much as an adult but is very active all day and does swimming and gym couple of times a week and is the thinnest child in her class!
I don't give biscuits as snack they only have them at toddler group where they only give out 1 biscuit each, at snack I give crackers or breadsticks with fruit or veg ( I don't like biscuits in the house as I end up eatting far too many and would end up looking like a biscuit!) what you list for lunch seems about right for a two year old, but every child is different.
Why are you asking about portion sizes?

[Nicola Carlyle]

More because children seem to want no fruit and veg but want like 5 biscuits lol. I stand my ground and only allow 1 but it has been mentioned that I'm bring a but mean. I provide two snacks a day and alternate between fruit/veg at one and maybe a biscuit or malt loaf or something for the other. I have children in my care who range from eating everything and anything and lots of it to only eating finger food and can seem to use cutlery (children of all ages)! What described for my two year old I give to most that age and under and if they are still hungry I offer fruit. For 3 years and over I offer a full sandwich plus the rest as described. I used to only give the half sandwich to my older daughter until she was about 6 1/2 as she just wasn't a big eater (different story now though lol). I do give bigger eaters bigger portions. I'm just trying to make sure I'm doing the right thing. I will not give three different children three different meals so everyone has the same but again it's been suggested that maybe I should! Can't win either way. X

[Jiorjiina]

Kids are always going to want more biscuits because they taste sweeter than the fruit and veg.

We have a fruit snack in the morning, if the kids are really hungry, and then something sweeter, like a biscuit (only one though), about mid afternoon.

We have bigger meals at mealtimes, and there are always vegetables! No one gets any pudding without at least trying the vegetables.

[Mouse]

I have mainly 1,2 & 3 year olds.

We have a morning snack at 10.30am. That's something like a slice of toast with some fruit (half a banana, half a satsuma), or 2 biscuits if we're out at a toddler group.

Lunch is at around 12. The children have something like a ham sandwich (2 slices of bread, crusts cut off), cucumber, carrot sticks, fromage frais & fruit, or pasta with cheese cubes, cucumber & tomato, yoghurt & fruit.

Afternoon snack at 3,30-4pm is something like crackers, cheese & fruit or flapjack & fruit.

[emma04]

I serve snack at 9.30am (toast, fruit and plain biscuit)

and 3.30pm (plain biscuit or two)

i serve a hot lunch to all of mine at 12.15 prompt!

Tuesdays - roast chicken, mash, veg and gravy

Wednesday - spaghetti bolognaise

Thursday - shepherds pie

Friday - cheesy tomato pasta with (hidden) spinach!

Puddings - frontage frais/custard/fruit

[starschildmind]

Hiii!!!

I vairy it. But depends on how im feeling ha ha!!!
I give snack at 9.30. Today they had half a bananna and ginger biscuit. They have lunch about 11.45-12. This can be half a sandwhich and cucumber ans cheese. Or sausage roll, cocktail sausages etc.. they then have fruit and a yoghurt. Sometimes a choc biscuit or some crisps.

They have snack after school run. I have a 'snack pot' that they choose from. This has cereal bars, biscuits, raisins, fruit flakes, and i offer the fruit bowel so they choosr what they fancy.

They have a cooked tea which i plan on the sunday for the next week. I know what my kids like so try and make meals they get excited about rather than dishing up something i have to forse them to eat!! Xx

[manjay]

Have a look at this (http://www.cwt.org.uk/pdfs/CHEW-1-4YearsPracticalGuide-2ndEd.pdf). The Welsh Government guidelines we follow are adapted from this resource.

[bindy]

I dont do food, all mindees bring their own.

2yr old mindee has whole sandwich each day, a yoghurt, mini bread sticks and if she eats all that she normally has a small cereal bar. She has fruit at snack time. As for biscuits i usually just give one and then only as a treat, if children are hungry i offer fruit

Wow that seems a lot for a 2 year old, but if she eats it! I was told we give children far too much these days, children's potions should not be larger than their fists, or the palm of their hand. I guess it's down to the child, some of mine eat a lot some eat hardly. One or two I have to stop!!

[supermumy]

My 2yr old eats that's amount if there active theres no harm :)

[ziggy]

Wow that seems a lot for a 2 year old, but if she eats it! I was told we give children far too much these days, children's potions should not be larger than their fists, or the palm of their hand. I guess it's down to the child, some of mine eat a lot some eat hardly. One or two I have to stop!!

She is extremely active and the tiniest 2yr old i've ever seen. She never sits down and is on the go from 7am till 7pm. She has breakfast at home, fruit with me at 10ish, then the lunch i mentioned. She goes home at 2ish and has a dinner n yoghurt about 4.30 then toast before bed.

I think all children are different, I tend to offer smallish portions of food then add more if it is all eaten. After 34 years in childcare with 2 grown up children of my own, I have always had same idea. If food isnt eaten we dont make a big deal of it but there are no 'treats'. It's always worked for me.

[oxfordshirecm]

My two year old has the equivalent to a slice if toast and beans to cover it for lunch

[The Juggler]

all mine have breakfast, fruit or breadstick snack mid morn, lunch with some fruit and yoghurt for pudding, then pm snack of 1/2 slice toast and fruit

portion sizes - well my 2 year olds have varied. have some who can barely manage a small bowl of cereal for breakfast, 1 slice bread for a sandwich and others who can wolf down 2 slices toast for brekkie, a full round of sandwiches plus fruit and yoghurt - totally depends on child but the smaller portions are more "normal" for 2 year olds