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Canberra Health Services
Health Information Sheet | Canberra Health Services

Tuckatalk snacks

Children have small stomachs and high energy needs, so they need to eat regularly.
Plan regular meals and snacks each day to provide structure to your child’s day and encourage them to have a good appetite.

Provide meals and snacks every 2 to 3 hours.

For example:

  • 7:30am - Breakfast
  • 10am - Morning snack
  • 12:30pm - Lunch
  • 3:30pm - Afternoon snack
  • 6pm - Dinner
  • 7:30pm - Evening snack (optional)

What foods are the best for snacks

Offer your child a wide variety of foods from the five food groups. Include vegetables, fruit, breads and cereals, milk, yoghurt and cheese or calcium enriched dairy alternatives and protein rich foods such as lean meat, poultry, fish, legumes, eggs or nuts.

What about packaged snack foods?

Packaged snack foods often contain excess fat, sugar and salt. They can be low in important nutrients. Limit packaged snack foods such as chips, biscuits, chocolate and fruit bars to ‘sometimes’ instead of every day.

Snack ideas

Choose snack foods from each of the food groups so that your child’s snacks are tasty, filling and nourishing.

Offer your child a small platter of 2 to 3 food groups for variety and interest.

See below for suggestions and the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating for more ideas at eatforhealth.gov.au.

Vegetables

  • Vegetable sticks* e.g. carrots, broccoli, capsicum with dip
  • Celery sticks filled with peanut butter or cottage cheese
  • Baked cauliflower patties
  • Corn and capsicum quiche
  • Mini vegetables e.g. cucumbers, capsicums, carrots
  • Corn on the cob
  • Corn fritters.

*Uncooked hard vegetable pieces are not suitable for children under 3 years of age

Breads and Cereals

  • Pikelets/Pancakes
  • Scones
  • Raisin bread, English muffin or crumpets
  • Sandwiches made with variety of bread
  • Jaffles or Toasted sandwiches.
  • WeetbixTM with milk
  • fruit and muesli
  • Crackers with cheese, hummus or Vegemite.
  • Rice crackers with dip.

Choose wholemeal or grain options

Dairy and alternatives (calcium enriched)

  • Cheese sticks or cubes
  • Plain or flavoured milk
  • Calcium enriched soy drink
  • Fruit smoothie
  • Fruit or plain yogurt
  • Dairy desserts e.g. custard.

(Reduced fat dairy is suitable from 2 years of age)

Fruit

  • Small slices of fresh fruit
  • Canned fruit
  • Fruit salad with yoghurt
  • Frozen fruit such as berries
  • Homemade Fruit icy poles
  • Fruit muffins
  • Banana Bread
  • Dried fruit e.g. sultanas.

Meat and alternatives

  • Baked beans on toast
  • Hummus with vegetable sticks and crackers
  • Peanut butter on wholegrain bread
  • Canned tuna on wholegrain crackers
  • Hardboiled egg
  • Sliced meat e.g. chicken or ham
  • Marinated Tofu
  • Small tin of flavoured chickpeas
  • Mini quiche
  • Nuts*.

*Whole nuts are not suitable for children under 3 years of age

Snack ideas when you’re out and about

  • Frozen yogurt
  • Milkshake
  • Plain ice cream or gelato
  • Flavoured milk ice blocks
  • Plain popcorn*
  • Sushi
  • Scones or finger buns
  • Fruit bun
  • Sandwich, plain or toasted.

*Popcorn is not suitable for children under 3 years of age

Where can I get more information?

  • Talk to your General Practitioner (GP).
  • Make an appointment with a Canberra Health Services (CHS) Community Dietitian by phoning (02) 5124 9977.

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For more support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers and children contact:

canberrahealthservices.act.gov.au