Preschool Snacks?!?! YIKES!

My sons preschool served water or milk not juice with several healthy choices that included grains, dairy, fruit, veggie.
I would push all preschools to do the same!
birthdays and holiday parties were traditional cupcakes, juice etc
we teach that some foods are for parties not every day
Maybe we assumed the color snack was a special occasion?

I think you should talk to the school/teacher. My DD's daycare/preschool had snacks they provided, but I also had the option to provide my child what I wanted her to have. Due to dental issues, I wanted to limit the sugar, so I asked for a list and then made some substitutes. That way if the other kids got a cereal bar, so did my DD, just her lower-sugar version.

For black, I'd go with blackberries.

I think one of the issues with parent-provided snacks for a group is you don't know the allergies. Say someone sends in apples. Well, my kid can't have them. So then what? Does she go without that day? I think that it's a noble idea, but maybe it would be better to have the kids bring their own (and maybe no peanut products) and do other things for a "theme".

Just tell the Director that on the days you bring the snack- you won't beto sticking to a "theme", but will , instead, bring something healthy.

I read that post and thought the very same thing myself and was quite shocked!
You can probably sort of pioneer with the other moms of the pre-school if you want to put yourself "out there" to suggest healthier stuff and then be prepared with ideas for all of them so they dont have to "guess" at it. I would assume most moms would prefer healthy stuff over the unhealthy.... they just don't know how to do it, or have the recipes.
This is why it is important to do a lot of question asking prior to enrollment to really see what you are getting in to.
Kudos for your concern!

first of all deep breath.
Keep in mind that even if they do allow snacks like that , they won't all be like that. Most will actually be close to healthy at least.
one sweet snack a week isn't going to hurt your child. And in reality limiting all sugary snacks lead to other problems like bingeing on junk food when they are older and away from home.
I've seen it with my own eyes. It happened with a friend of mine when I was a kid.
Everything in moderation.

When my kids were in pre-school, the only requirement was that it was store-bought and not homemade, so that they could read the ingredient list and make sure there were no allergy issues for the kids. Other than that, there was a *request* that parents keep the snacks healthy. Some parents complied, some parents brought in Oreos. Now that my kids are in 3rd, 4th and 7th grade, they can bring in their own snacks. The usual choice is a piece of fruit or at the very worst a small baggie of Pirate Booty or Veggie Chips. I've heard from my kids that other kids bring in cupcakes and cookies...

I guess i am one of those moms that would bring in cookies at times. I would bring in grapes, carrots, cookies, gold fish, etc. I personally do NOT see anything wrong with those types of snacks in moderation. As long as they eat things that are good for them other types of snacks are just fine to. You run into a problem when the kids are eating nothing but junk and getting no exercise. As long as kids get exercise and learn to eat good foods then the treats in moderation (even on a daily basis) are ok. I eat chips or chocolate each day even. I have to have a little peice of chocolate each day after lunch. My son has fruit snacks or fishes, or crackers or chips at least once a day and none of us are at all overweight. His favorite food is also asperagus. So i guess what im saying is dont stress so much about it. It is a snack once a day. Im sure everything will be just fine if she has a cookie or a cupcake a couple times a week.

I'm with you! I am appalled that any parent would send candy as a snack! That's disgusting! Oreo cookies? Cupcakes? Soda? - Really? No wonder this country has such an astonishing obesity rate!!!!!
Create your own healthy snack list and suggest having the teacher use it as a guide. Perhaps some people just need some guidance.

I wouldn't flip out too much, lol. I'm sure the color theme thing was a unique situation because it would be hard to find something black. Remember it's a "snack", not a meal so they're given a small child's portion. Most preschools don't have daily coordinated snacks. And most preschools have suggested lists to use. Some are rules and not just suggestions. You'll also see that some preschools will have specific lists due to possible peanut allergies and such.

Contact the teacher or school and ask their policy. I'm sure you'll find it's just fine. You can also suggest the school put out a suggestion list if they don't already have one, or ask the individual teacher to do so if they don't already have one. Most teacher have lists of snacks because teachers do not want sugar buzzed children running around. It's not a big deal. If you don't want your child having snacks that are brought in by others to control your child's intake then just pack their own snack and drink. Plenty of parents do that for multiple reasons and really not a big deal.

**I wanted to add the snacks I would send in on our turn when my triplets were in preschool last year. I tried to make them a learning or fun snack as well as not "junk". First, many parents sent in sugar juices ready made. I sent in jugs of pure apple juice, one half gallon for less than $2 with the teacher supplying the little paper cups. But the snacks I'd send in where the fruit snacks that were shaped like letters and numbers. Scrabble Cheese-its with letters on them. Rainbow color Goldfish Crackers. Even Scooby-do cinnamon graham crackers shaped like bones. They would trade letters to spell their names or make words. They'd count with their number snacks. Learn colors with the rainbow crackers. And had fun with the "dog bones" during animal week. I think sometimes you can make things fun if you're creative and coordinate it with the week's theme if possible. Most parents in the class were more non-junk oriented but a few thought it was fine to send in junk and it wasn't often. Remember, on birthdays there will be cupcakes and treats and there are usually 16-20 kids in a class. But a good alternative is the sugar free cake mixes and sugar free frosting. I was just interduced to this and i had no idea my brother's birthday cake was all sugar free until after I ate it. I never knew! So that's a nice suggestion to give to parents when birthdays come up. Bakeries are offering more sugar free as well.

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

My son's preschool had the same policy where parents took turns bringing snacks. They had a rule though that it had to be healthy snacks...such as fruits or veggies, cheese, meat, yogurt, crackers...something like that. They had water to drink. You were not allowed to bring cookies or unhealthy goodies, thank goodness! I would assume most preschools have this kind of rule.

oh please, there are so many things that warrant apprehension and in the grand scheme of things, this isn't one of them. She isn't going to be poisoned by a cookie. In fact, withholding them will only make her want them more. snacks are more complicated in school these days due to the allergy issues. In 3 different preschools we have run into different ideas from veggies and fruits, to cereal, to, gasp, a cookie here and there. This year the snack is primarily goldfish or pretzyls, but once a week we have a parent supplied letter of the week snack. Our letter is V, and guess what--I will be supplying vanilla pudding or vanilla wafers. Relax and don't be a mother that ruins the fun for everyone.

When my son was in a daycare/preschool, they usually provided the snacks. They were things like goldfish, big cheetos, chex mix, pretzels, peanut butter crackers, vanilla wafers. In other words, lots of carbs! Not my first choice, but what do you do? If it was someone's Birthday, they served the treat as the snack that day! It was usually a cupcake or a cookie. So yes, from here on out your child will be fed sugar and carb ridden food at school!

Hi,

I just wanted to applaud you for doing something about this situation. In our preschool the kids are provided a morning and afternoon snack and usually they are healthy choices. Such as crackers, fruit, milk, juice etc... The parents provide their kids lunches. I have been told on more than one occasion that my daughter has the healthiest lunch there and she seems to be one of the best eaters. I see kids eating doughnuts and cookies for breakfast EVERYDAY and I just feel like I want to ask the parents: What?!!!are you thinking?!!! I do see friends who give their 3 and 5 year olds Soda and I am appalled, but I try to keep my opinions to myself. As long as my daughter knows not to drink and eat that kind of junk I try not to worry what other moms do. But the minute it starts affecting my daughter I will stand up for what I believe in. So great job mom for standing up for your child!

When he was little, I kept junk food and sugar away from my son. The babysitter served healthy food/snacks (real food, water or milk -- no junk, no juice). So I had an ally in this. For a long while his favorite foods were the carrots and apples we kept washed and available in the fridge crisper. He would shriek "this is my favorite!" when we gave him brown rice and lightly steamed broccoli. Then at preschool, a mother brought in chocolate footballs for Easter. Out came my son with his mouth stuffed. He was 3 1/2 and this was his first taste of chocolate. The next year the teacher told me she was diluting my son's apple juice with water because he would beg for more. In middle school he became crazed for junk food/sweets/Cokes -- before he would refuse all soft drinks, saying there were "too spicey." He wouldn't touch meat until another mom gave him chicken nuggets when he was almost 5. Now, he would eat red meat all day long if he could. I now think I overdid it and should have allowed more of the "bad" to introduce it slowly and not set up an obsession. Because unless you live in a commune of health foodists, you can't keep your older kids away from the SAD (Standard American Diet).

Hi D.---I agree with Grandma T. Talk with the director of the preschool and see what policy is. Unfortunately, many people don't know/care about the implications of all of those sugary treats. Don't get me wrong, treats are ok, but if eveyone of those kids decides to bring a treat in, they are no longer treats but everyday fare.

IF you find that the snack policy at this preschool is unhealthy, I have a ton of researched based info I can share so that you can educate the school in what constitutes an optimal diet for, I was going to say the kids, but for the kids and their families. One great idea for education is www.nutritiondetectives.com, by Dr. David Katz of Yale. I work with a Naturopath who has her PhD in Nutrition and with the 3 Dr. Sears, www.askDrSears.com, so I have credible info.

Good luck! Good job on being proactive with your little one's health. D.

My kids are beyond pre-school age now but if I had to do it all over again I would find a pre-school that does not provide snacks (the parents must provide) or allow the taking turns of bringing in snacks.

Talk to the director, certain artificial colors and flavors can cause behavior problems in some kids as well as the fact that they are just plain unhealthy. There is such a growing epidemic of childhood obesity and I contribute part of the problem to the food that kids get at school. I don't think that a school should be allowed to give your child food without your permission. I also am strongly against parent bringing in cupcakes/cookies/juice, etc. to celebrate their child's birthday. What is wrong with letting them wear a special hat and the class singing happy birthday? One thing I really enjoy about home schooling my kids this year is that I know what they are eating. Sorry this is a little long but I have very strong opinions about what kids are being fed at school without the parent's knowledge.

Most schools have a list of things not allowed as snacks. Teachers don't want the kids sugared up on chocolate and candy either, so usually a memo is sent home at the beginning of the year telling parents what's acceptable for snack. The thing that used to really irritate me on snack days was when other parents would forget it was their snack day, and the kids would have nothing. That's another concern when you're dealing with rotating snack schedule.

Preschool snack policies vary. Ours had to be a healthy snack unless it was a birthday, and then "small sized" cupcakes or treats were preferred. The school made a suggestion list, which helped. Some Moms were way more serious and vigilant about healthy foods than others. Most parents really did not want to be the ones that strayed from the healthy snack suggestion list, for certainly that would really irritate a number of Moms. The suggestion list included fruit, veggies, yogurt, mini bagel/cream cheese, various fresh breads from the local bakery. Nearly all parents went out of their way to find a healthy snack, most of us just leaned that way anyway. It was not a hard and fast rule of law, but pretty socially unacceptable to bring anything too unhealthy. Sometimes parents did bring in those 100 calorie pre-packaged snacks, which the kids loved, and I think we all thought were fine.

Oh- this bothers me so much! I just just cringe every time i pick my 5 year old up from preschool and he tells me what he had for "snack". I'm so dissapointed in all the moms that choose to send in cookies/candy/cupcakes/chips when it's their day for snack. Of course these things are ok for special treat every once and awhile but a SNACK should be something that nourished a child....especially at a young age, snacks are very important.

As far as what you can do about it, its up to you how far you want to take it. I wish I had enough guts to complain at a higher level (other than on mamapedia!) but I just end up trying to let it go. I'm just sure to let my son know that these choices are really not appropriate snacks, and I make sure to send in super yummy, healthy snacks when it's my day.

I'm sorry but I can't help be surprised at you being shocked about people feeding cookies and other junky foods to their kids. We live in the United States of soda, chips and sweets of every description. Obesity is epidemic and we are wallowing in junk food. It's nearly impossible to avoid. I don't think that sending in a cookie snack here and there will do any harm in the long run, especially if it is balanced out with fruits, cereals, dairy products, veggies etc. But girlfriend, you are just going to faint dead away when you discover that some moms actually send in snacks like gummy bears in kindergarten in some schools! Not to mention that cafeteria food probably has more preservatives and sodium than you can shake a stick at. I applaud your attempt to work with the preschool, because that's the only chance you have of affecting change. I wish you good luck in your efforts, but you should brace yourself just in case!

My children's school sends home a reminder about once a month that "unhealthy" snacks such as those listed above are "strongly discouraged". They even go so far as to recommend good alternatives, which apparently some parents need. They also require any juice sent in with the snack is 100% juice. I have never asked the teacher how many parents don't abide by the requests, I just know we never send in any snacks like those listed, nor would we even without the reminders. We favor fruit, cheeses, crackers, sun chips, yougurts, granola, etc. The kids absolutely love these things! When I ask my son what he had for snack, his response is usually some sort of cracker and fruit, which makes me very happy!

Now, these "suggestions" also come from the same school that serves donuts and chocolate milk for breakfast and nachos or corn dogs for lunch. Hmmmm. I would love to change the menu! Needless to say, we send cold lunch quite often. Of course, a treat now and again is OK imo, but daily, oh my! I have wanted to mention or discuss the menu with the school, but I simply haven't yet and just send cold lunch on those days the hot menu lunch is just awful.

Talk with the director and see what the policy is, and if there is no policy, whether they would be willing to do something like what my children's school does.

Good luck!

Our little man just started preschool. We send him with a snack and the school provides one as well. (Our little man eats a LOT and he eats OFTEN, hence two snacks.) We send him with dried fruit, cheese cubes, crackers with peanut butter, etc. They provide him with Oreos, pudding cups, animal crackers (which are really cookies), etc. The way I see it, if it's not his primary means of nutrition, it won't really hurt him. I can tell that he is more feisty on those days, but I also know that to say that he can't have what the other kids are having is a recipe for a showdown.

THere are preschools (in our area, anyway) that have sugar restrictions on snacks. Have you already picked out a school? if it's a major concern perhaps you could shop around a bit more to find a school that is more compatible with your lifestyle. I know what you mean; I wish they ALL had rules about sugar and non-nutritive foods. If I know my dd is getting non-nutritive junk while she's away it just reinforces my decision to keep that stuff out of the house. But the thing is, sometimes I want to be the one to give her a yummy cookie or piece of cake, but I feel like I'm constantly over-compensating for her other caretakers (grandparents, daycare) who give her taht stuff all the time. It's such a shame! Ha! here I am venting on YOUR post. Sorry!

I volunteer at my son's school every Thursday (he's in kindergarten). The kids have a.m. snack at 10:30 and bring their own from home. You should see the snacks these guys have for their a.m. snack. Candy bars, skittles, m&ms, milk duds....and pop. One little boy had pop rocks AND pop. What are these parents thinking??? Now, I'll be honest....I let my son have some input on his snack....like chose A or B. And its not always the absolute healthiest every day. He has his days when I'll offer him two mini powerdered donuts for morning snack. Or Cheezits. But a lot of days he's picking a granola bar or a fruit breakfast bar or even an apple or yogurt or those individual cups of apple sauce. And his ONLY choices for beverage are milk/water/apple juice. Period. The teacher sends home notes constantly. Apparently, some parents just don't pay attention or care.

On the other hand, my girlfriends daughter attended a school where the snack had to be healthy and 100 calories or less. And they actually CHECKED. If it wasn't or they couldn't tell what the calories were, the snack was confiscated and they were offered a healthy substitution......and charged the parents 50 cents to a dollar, depending on the substitution offered. A little more extreme, but it helped get the point across.

We rotate snacks at our daughters Pre-K. At the beginning of the year they gave us a suggested list of acceptable healthy snacks to provide when it's your turn. It appears most if not all of the parents stick to that list, at least that's what I'm gathering from my daughter when I ask what she had for snack today. All of the parents provide something for our holiday parties as well, we usually have fruit tray, veggie tray, trail mix of some sort and then on those special occasions a treat of mini cupcakes or something along those lines. Our school and teachers are very good about limiting the amount of sugar and junk. I love that they even stress to the children that everything is ok in moderation but you feel your best when eating healthy. If your school doesn't have an acceptable snack list perhaps you could work with the director in creating one. Honestly it takes stress off the Mom's in trying to figure out what to send and it is better for the kids in the long run.

You've already got some great feedback/cross section already. Here's one more: my son's preschool has a rotating "Fruit Friend." Each child is responsible for bring in a week's woth of fresh fruit/veggies to share with 10 other students 1-2x a semester. They had the schedule for us on the first day of school. The kids are encouraged to go shopping and help pick out their contribution. You should see what the kids bring in! Sure, alot of staples, like bananas, carrots, apples. But how about starfruit, whole coconuts (that the kids got to shake!), bean sprouts, sweet bell peppers, melons, grape tomatoes, etc? And sure, sometimes it sits on their snack plates uneaten, but it was about exposure and a teachable moment. They are also only offered water for snack. Good luck!