https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 26 May 2026 22:46:53 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-nap-healthy-snacks-instead#post-2523669 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 12:35:24 +0000 Mrs. Champagne 2523669@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My friends daughter is almost two and can't make it past 1130. So she does a snack and then a lunch after she wakes up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-nap-healthy-snacks-instead#post-2523654 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 12:32:20 +0000 nana87 2523654@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't really see a difference between snacks and meals for my 2 year old--I try to offer healthy options, and she eats when she's hungry, you know? Like, my lo loves yogurt--if she eats it at 6:30am it's breakfast, but 9am it's a snack--big whoop, haha. She's often very hungry in the afternoon and usually is full by dinner, but since she's eating things we would serve anyway (like, she loves raw tofu, she eats it while we're prepping the rest of the meal), I don't care. We had our 2-year well-baby visit today and our ped basically said that too--he doesn't care if she eats at meals versus snacks. There are some days where she eats a more standard lunch, but other times when she's just too tired and eats more when she wakes from nap. At daycare 4x/week, she has a snack at 10, lunch at 12, and then snack at 2:30, but sometimes even there she naps before lunch if she's too tired. We often do very quick lunches on days she's home since she can't wait for me to prep much--so like, frozen nuggets or meatballs and frozen vegetables only takes about 2 mins to heat and cut up, or heating up left overs. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-nap-healthy-snacks-instead#post-2523631 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 12:24:59 +0000 Mrs. Lion 2523631@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SweetiePie: bahahaha your sister :) hard is relative. What feels really hard to you now wont feel hard later, because you graduate to the next level of hard haha. No matter your circumstances, raising and taking care of kids is HARD and even if your ahrd is "easier" than someone elses, you have had less time to master the routines and to you it is just as hard ;) ! You adapt and deal and do what you have to ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-nap-healthy-snacks-instead#post-2523610 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 12:14:54 +0000 mdf106 2523610@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We do two mini lunches, and no additional snacks. We have done this pretty much the whole time DS1 has been on one nap. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-nap-healthy-snacks-instead#post-2523597 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 12:05:32 +0000 SweetiePie 2523597@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: yeah my claim of not enough time probably sounds comical to you :silly: :grin: I SAH and only have one! I literally don't know how working moms and moms with more than 1 kid do it. Boggles my mind. My sister has 3 kids, is the primary bread winner and is still the primary care giver and homemaker. I wouldn't dare complain to her 😂 She flat out told me she would cut me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-nap-healthy-snacks-instead#post-2523592 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 12:01:36 +0000 Anagram 2523592@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our older LO eats lunch right before nap at 12. I'm not. SAHM but I prepare LOs lunch the night before and the nanny just has to heat and serve. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-nap-healthy-snacks-instead#post-2523585 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 11:58:26 +0000 snowjewelz 2523585@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SweetiePie: Oh yeah, I totally agree too! I guess I'm saying they really wouldn't know what's like snack food and meal food till they're older? For us snacks she can eat not sitting in the highchair but meals she has to and that's our only distinction really... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-nap-healthy-snacks-instead#post-2523577 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 11:56:25 +0000 SweetiePie 2523577@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: Yeah I've thought that too. But my pediatrician and some other things I've read say that it's important for routine/schedule and healthy eating habits to have 3 distinct meals and 2-3 distinct snacks between (rather than grazing). So that's why I was concerned with breakfast, snack, snack, maybe another snack, then dinner. He wakes up too late for a full lunch after the nap (it would ruin dinner).<br /> This is probably total FTM overthinking :-) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-nap-healthy-snacks-instead#post-2523570 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 11:51:50 +0000 yin 2523570@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Another vote for prepping in advance. I make it easy on myself, and the kids eat leftovers for lunch. I pack it every night after dinner, and it's ready in the fridge for me the next day. I use the stainless bus divider plate for their meals and just add the lid and plop it in the fridge after I refill. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-nap-healthy-snacks-instead#post-2523539 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 11:33:39 +0000 snowjewelz 2523539@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't see issues with mini meals, don't they say mini meals are healthier even for adults? My 16 mo old naps at 11:30 so we usually do a big snack too before and then lunch after. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-nap-healthy-snacks-instead#post-2523537 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 11:32:38 +0000 SweetiePie 2523537@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@winniebee: prepping lunch is a good idea! Maybe if I can get it all on a plate and just heat when we walk in the door. It might then make our pre-class routine a little more hectic, but I can test it out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-nap-healthy-snacks-instead#post-2523529 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 11:29:50 +0000 SweetiePie 2523529@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lion: That is a great idea but we are in the city surrounded by concrete. Womp womp. Maybe I'll scope and see if there's a bench or something! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-nap-healthy-snacks-instead#post-2523525 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 11:28:29 +0000 Truth Bombs 2523525@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>On the weekends we regularly do a late breakfast, snacks before and after lunch, then early dinner. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-nap-healthy-snacks-instead#post-2523524 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 11:28:28 +0000 winniebee 2523524@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I feel like my toddler eats mini meals all day! Breakfast, second breakfast, snack, lunch, second lunch, snack, dinner : ) So, I say do whatever works for you. The other thing is you could just prep lunch before you leave for that class? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-nap-healthy-snacks-instead#post-2523522 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 11:27:42 +0000 Mrs. Lion 2523522@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Also, you could pack a lunch and eat in a grassy spot at preschool before driving home. We did that a lot too! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-nap-healthy-snacks-instead#post-2523517 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 11:25:54 +0000 Mrs. Lion 2523517@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did this for a long time. Two mini lunches, one before and one after nap. Sometimes he would miss the first one because he would fall asleep in the car on the way home from somewhere and i would just put him to bed and feed him a normal lunch when he woke up. It has always messed with his appetite at dinner, but i figure at this age it doesnt really matter that much. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lunchtime-nap-healthy-snacks-instead#post-2523513 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 11:22:23 +0000 SweetiePie 2523513@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Now that we are on one nap at 12pm having lunch has gotten a little dicey. He definitely can't make it past noon to stay awake without a meltdown or becoming too wired. But we have a preschool type class from 9:30-11 two days a week so by the time we get home it's 11:30 and for me to get a "legit" lunch together (after getting us settled) takes us to 11:45. Today I was able to just do a PB sandwich and some strawberries and he barely finished in time. </p> <p>Is it ok / has anyone else had to do a healthy snack on either side of the nap instead? So like cheese and crackers before and maybe a yogurt or fruit or chickpeas or something when he wakes up? My ped has always said that setting the standard of 3 meals is important but at this stage where preschool/class, lunch and nap all butt up against each other it's kinda hard to manage. Or is there another solution I'm not thinking of? </p>