Snack Time

Many of you will have heard about some "rules" for snack time by now.  It is quite an ordeal each year with many mixed messages coming home.  This should set the record straight :-)

Health and nutrition is a topic of focus for us all year long.  Some things that we focus on include the following:

• food is fuel - it gives you energy
• healthy food prepares your body and mind for learning and play
• processed food is less healthy than fresh
• timing is everything - sweets come last!
• WATER, WATER, WATER

To this end, we practice the following:

We eat 4 times per day.

The first snack is at about 10:00.  At this time, it would be ideal for them to have some fresh fruits and/ vegetables.  We talk about the healthiest foods being those that look the same way now, as they did when they were growing in nature.  In doing so, we distinguish between an apple and apple sauce for example.  The apple is a healthy snack any time of day because it provides nutrition, while the applesauce is processed and is better as a snack later in the day.

We are a play first, eat second school; however, our eating time after lunch recess is quite limited and Kindies often have trouble finishing before the bell.  Also, they are REALLY hungry by 12:00.  To accommodate, our second snack of the day is around 11:45 - we call it "half-lunch." and they can eat just that…half their lunch.  This is also a good time for fresh fruits and veggies.

Third snack will be the rest of their lunch after lunch recess.  Once they are finished their sandwich (or thermos item) they might also want to munch on some crackers or similar.  If they have a juice box, now is a good time to drink it but water would be GREAT too.

Last snack of the day is at 2:30.  At this time, they can eat anything, really.  We sometimes call it our "sweety treaty" snack because they know that if they have a cookie, granola bar, fruit cup, etc. that they can eat it now.  It is also a perfect time for yummy things like popcorn, crackers, etc.  We talk about the fact that these foods are perfectly fine to eat, in moderation, and at the right time of day.  Of course, you might choose to send something that is more nutritious for this snack - the choice is yours.

Having said all of this, I would never deny them any food.  If there is no fresh fruit for example, we are going to look through their food together and figure out what the MOST appropriate item is for that time of day.  

One more note, because we, as a class, talk a lot about this as they year carries on, you may find that your picky eater is less picky while at school.  If you want to experiment with some foods that don't fly at home, please send it along.  It helps to let me know if you have a goal of getting new foods into rotation.   Please let me know if too much food is coming home uneaten…it can be tricky to keep up with what is going on at lunch time as I am not always in the room but if you let me know, I will make a point of checking up on it.

Thanks!