Nutrition and Oral Health - NHS Lanarkshire

• Tea and coffee are not recommended for children under five years as the
tannin present can hinder the absorption of iron. However, if tea is given to
encourage a child to drink milk, make the tea as milky as possible and don’t
add sugar.
• All fizzy drinks and squashes (whether diet or otherwise) provide little in the
way of nutrition and drinking them between meals may reduce a child’s
appetite for food at mealtimes.
Snacks
Children need a varied diet to ensure they get all the nutrients they require for
growth and development. Nursery aged children often have small appetites
and need regular meals with small snacks in between. Snacks should be as
nutritious as possible and sugar-free to prevent tooth decay. Chocolate bars,
sweets, cereal bars and sweet biscuits should be saved for mealtimes and as
treats rather than taken between meals.
Here are some suggestions for healthier snacks:
• Fruit – mouth size chunks, cubes or slices of apple, pear, satsuma, orange,
banana, kiwi, melon, strawberries and grapes.
• Raw vegetables – carrot, pepper, celery, cucumber, cherry tomato, red
cabbage, turnip, radish and courgette.
• Toast, bread rolls, baps, French bread with a small amount of
polyunsaturated spread.
• Small sandwiches with marmite, cheese, tuna, thin slices of meat.
• Pitta bread pockets – on their own or with a filling.
• Bread sticks – on their own or with a dip or soft cheese e.g. Dairylea,
Philadelphia or cottage cheese.
• Oatcakes, rice cakes, crackers, crispbreads.
• Natural yoghurt with fruit or fromage frais.
• Home-made pizza triangles.
• Muffins, plain, potato or cheese scones, crumpets, pancakes, plain buns.
• Plain microwave popcorn.
28 Drinks and Snacks at Home or in Nursery Nutrition & Oral Health