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Snacks and Packed Lunches for
1 - 4 year olds
First Steps Nutrition Trust: Page 2
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
Registered charity number: 1146408
First Steps Nutrition Trust: Page 3
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.
First Steps Nutrition Trust: Page 4
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
First Steps Nutrition Trust: Page 5
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
First Steps Nutrition Trust: Page 6
Mini soft cheese and pineapple sandwiches
Poached pear
with yoghurt
Oatcakes with Brazil nut butter and orange
Oatcakes, cottage cheese and apple chunks
First Steps Nutrition Trust: Page 7
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
First Steps Nutrition Trust: Page 8
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
First Steps Nutrition Trust: Page 9
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
First Steps Nutrition Trust: Page 10
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
First Steps Nutrition Trust: Page 11
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.
First Steps Nutrition Trust: Page 12