What snack when dropping morning milk?

[petram]

Hi ladies
I just wanted to know what you give your LO's for snack time instead of milk.

My LO is 12.5months and until recently had milk on waking, 10am, 3pm and BT.

I want to drop the 10am milk and replace it with a snack, for the last 2 weeks i have been reducing the milk by 1 ounce and giving a snack aswel, for 3 days now he has had no milk just snack but what he has is not enough to get him through to lunch time (12 noon).

Ive been giving him some fruit and bread stick/rice cake, or similar
He loves fruit but he needs to eat a lot of it to be full for long enough.

I checked with the nursery to see what they give and they would give the same, a few pieces of fruit and a cracker/breadstick etc.

I know he doesn't need all this milk and also, despite my efforts since 10months he will only have milk from a bottle not a cup!!

Does this keep you LO going?

[cath~]

My LO can keep going on smallish snack but she eats big meals. Others need smaller meals and slightly bigger snacks. I suppose it depends on things like stomach size, metabolism etc.

I wouldn't worry about giving more at snack time as long as it doesn't affect what he eats at lunchtime. As he gets older, you might be able to gradually reduce snack size and increase meal size.

I think what you described sounds like good snack food - it's what L has!   Also, she sometimes has a few cubes of cheese. Would your LO like that? I think it's quite 'filling' iyswim. I think bananas can also be more filling than other fruit (just my impression tho!) - does he like bananas?

[creations]

My LO has a HUGE snack, I call it an early lunch really.  I would like to give it to him around 11.30 to 12 so that it would be closer to lunch but we are out at group 3 days per week and they give out a small snack (few slices of fruit or a breadstick, not both).  Depending what group we are at snack can be at 10.15 or 10.45 and all it really does is trigger his hunger, he absolutely cannot wait until 'lunch' time.

So, he will have their few slices of fruit (lets say a few chunks of banana, apple, satsuma, plum) and also a full cup of fruit that I take with us.  In addition one of the following (all rough amounts):
- 1 sandwich (1 slice bread with cream cheese or pate filling)
- 6 to 8 pancakes (home made, made with fruit and/or veg included) approx 4 or 5 cm diameter
- 4 lentil burgers (home made, including some veg too) approx 4 or 5cm diameter
- 1 regular size muffin or maybe 3 mini muffin (home made with fruit/veg)
- oaty bars (home made) about the size of a bought cereal bar
- 1 piece bread and butter with 2tbsp beans (this sort of food only if at home for snack)

and sometimes he will come looking for more too and I have just tell him I'm out of food.
You can see that it really IS a big snack or regular lunch (but SO early).  He is older than your LO but he has been doing this a fair while.  He has a proper freshly cooked meal after his nap which is like an early dinner at 3pm - 3.30pm (at your LOs age this was a bit earlier but his nap WU time is later now).  He also often has a small snack, like a banana around 9 or 9.30am (afer breakfast at 8am).  Seriously!  He is a petite boy in size 12 month clothes (and smaller) at age 18 months.  Some kids just need the food I suppose.

I think for you I would check out with the nursery what they are willing to cater for though.  Will they give an increased snack if you provide it or is that against their policy?  Because I wouldn't give a bigger snack at home if this isn't going to happen at nursery or the poor chap will not know one day to the next when to expect his meals.

I totally agree that he doesn't need all that milk.  Some substantial solids meals should keep him going much better now.
Hope this helps a little x

[cath~]

Wow creations - your LO's snacks sound amazing! Much more interesting than what I give L. I feel bad now!  All her meals are homemade but I've never done snacks. You've got me all inspired to start now though!

[creations]

Do bare in mind that this is more like his lunch though (despite being SO early in the day).  I have to take things out that are not too messy hence the muffins, oat bars, burgers and pancakes.  Such easy finger food and they pack small in a little tub.  I tend to make a whole batch and then freeze them (although I find my muffins are rejected once frozen and defrosted so they have to be fresh or not at all).

[petram]

Creations those snacks do sound amazing!
 
At the mo he has b/fast about 6.45-7am of 4oz of milk, 1 whole weetabix and 1 piece of toast/muffin/bagel,
10am snack
12noon lunch, sometimes saved from lastnights dinner, sandwich, something on toast, and dessert (yoghurt, fruit, home made fruit cake etc)
6oz milk at 3pm
5pm dinner what ever we have and dessert
and then a full 8oz bottle at 7pm BT!!

I know at this age most have dropped the afternoon milk too.

He can't have cheese cos hes allergic to milk lactose.

Yes he likes banana, but i feel like i give him banana all the time.

Hes only at nursery for 2 days but have spoken to them and they are fine about me taking extra for him, so today i packed him a slice of home made banana and blueberry bread to go with the the fruit and bits they will give him.

At home yesterday he had 1 slice of banana and blueberry bread, blackberry's, grapes, handful of dried cereal and we managed to get through to 11.45.
The bread definately helps, he needs something a bit more substantial than just fruit!

Although this is all healthy stuff is it ok to give such a mix of food types all together?
I worry about having such a 'mish mash' of foods making him sick.

I feel a bit better about giving him so much now.

[cath~]

Yes he likes banana, but i feel like i give him banana all the time.

...

Although this is all healthy stuff is it ok to give such a mix of food types all together?
I worry about having such a 'mish mash' of foods making him sick.

I think L would happily eat banana all day long if I let her! She prob has about 3/week.

I don't think a 'mish mash' would be a problem, esp at his age. It's what he'd get at mealtimes after all. If you think it's bothering him tho, you can always change it a bit so there's as much volume but less variety.

[creations]

home made banana and blueberry bread

Sounds totally yummy!

I wouldn't worry about the mish mash of foods.  I don't give a satsuma at the same time as a drink of milk for example as I have memories of my mum telling me such things would curdle in my stomach, but otherwise if something doesn't 'go' with something else he will just not eat it.
It's good to hear the nursery are happy to offer a larger packed snack.  Maybe try some home made bean or lentil burgers, they are quite hearty, you can mix breadcrumbs through them for a carbs addition without then needing to provide a 'bun' for the burger iyswim.