Snacktime has taken on a whole new meaning in many nurseries in recent years. Previously, many overlooked snacktime, tending instead to focus their menu planning on lunch and teatimes. Now, and particularly since the launch of the Voluntary Food and Drink Guidelines for Early Years Settings in England last October, more settings have come to recognise the importance of healthy snacks in a child's diet, and made some major changes to what they offer.
Dr Aine O'Connor, nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF), says, 'Snacks are an important part of young children's diets. They need to eat little and often to meet their needs for physical activity and growth. Childcare settings should provide regular meals and snacks rich in nutrients and containing sufficient energy (calories), in order to keep the children going until teatime.'
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