What Should I Pack for My Child’s Snack?

Great question! Let’s figure it out together…

Food is fuel, so let’s teach our children to feed themselves the right way!

Packing your child’s snack box for nursery can feel like a surprisingly heavy task when you’re doing it day in, day out. You want your child to have a varied and nutritious diet, yet children can be (unfortunately) picky little eaters! Food becomes a pause point for many parents because at the end of the day, we’re all just trying to make sure our children are happy and full at the end of their snack. It helps to remember that snack time is not only about fuelling little bodies, it is also an important moment in their daily routine that brings comfort and a chance to sit down, relax and babble or talk away to their friends!

Before we dive into ideas, a gentle reminder that all snacks coming into the nursery school (and most of them, too!) must be nut and seed free. Many children have allergies that can cause serious reactions, so keeping snacks free from nuts and seeds helps keep everyone safe.

Below are some simple categories and suggestions to help spark ideas when packing your child’s snack. Each item is easy to prepare and easy for little hands to independently manage.

This isn’t the limit, only the beginning.

These lists are not the full selection of possibilities; however, they help plant the seed and hopefully inspire stress-free snack packing.

Healthy Snack Box Ideas

Here are a few simple combinations that can help to create a balanced, healthy lunch box that is both inviting and familiar for children to enjoy at nursery school.
Snack time does not need to be complicated! With a few simple ingredients and a little variety, you can create a nourishing and comforting moment in the middle of your child’s day.

Option 1: Rice with shredded chicken breast, strawberries and blueberries, carrot sticks and cucumber sticks.

Option 2: Baked potato with cheese, a boiled egg cut in half, pineapple chunks and raspberries.

Option 3: Rice cakes with cream cheese and cucumber, celery sticks and apple slices.

Option 4: Plain croissant, cheese cubes, a small fruit salad and carrot sticks.

Option 5: Pesto pasta, halved cherry tomatoes, pear pieces and a few breadsticks.

Option 6: Jam sandwich, a handful of mixed berries, broccoli and cauliflower.

Health and Safety: Choking Hazards

A very important thing to keep in mind is that small children are at a high risk for choking hazards. While uncommon, everyone has had a bit of a scare before. Either something has gone down the wrong hole or they are discovering a new texture and gagging a little bit on it. It’s quite scary when these scares happen and it’s important to educate yourself on how to properly prepare certain foods to avoid choking hazards.

Round Foods:
Blueberries, grapes, cherry tomatoes, etc. All these foods are the perfect shape to block an airway. If it’s a circle, even when cut in half, it’s a problem. Any small, round objects need to be cut up to avoid being a hazard.
For example:

• Cut your grapes length ways instead of horizontal.

• Flatten blueberries with your thumb or cut them in half.

• Cut cherry tomatoes into quarters.

At the end of the day…

It’s about keeping mealtimes, both in and out of the house, enjoyable and simple. It’s exactly why, at Kid’s Island Nursery, we don’t serve pre-prepared food and instead have parents pack snack boxes for their children. As a day nursery, the children are not here long enough to need full, heavy meals.
It also means that when a child opens up their snack box during meal times, they are greeted with familiar foods in their favourite foods and can tuck in without a moment of hesitation! Whether it’s in a bento box or a thermos to keep it warm and toasty, food is the best tool to bring warmth to your heart as it fills your belly! There’s a reason it’s so many culture’s love language!

Get in touch to book a tour of our nursery school, or book a stay-and-play nursery school session to see how your child experiences the nursery school. Or get in touch with Kid’s Island Nursery School, Dubai for any other questions you might have.