Feeding FAQ: 6-9 months – Other

Question – Snacking whilst in cafes

Whenever I am out and about, in cafes having a coffee and a cake my LO, aged eighteen months, wants something to eat too! He will whinge on and on until I give in and give him a rice cake (or three or five) or a piece of fruit. This is starting to impact on his dinner / tea because he’s not as hungry as he ought to be.

What can I do to stop this from developing into a habit or should I just give him a snack whenever he wants (I know that the timing of snacks is important!).

Answer:

This is a common problem among mothers across the Western world, and, I suspect, a new one for our generation. I grew up in a country town in Australia and barely remember going to a coffee shop with my mother, yet one of my son’s first phrases was ‘need coffee’! And you’ll find that as your son gets older he’ll be asking for cake too, rather than fruit or rice cakes. Thus I think it’s really important that we have a way to manage this, just as we find our way around supermarket tantrums and other situations.

The first strategy is to think ahead. Although we don’t always know if we’ll end up at a coffee shop after a playgroup or playground visit, often we know that it’s a possibility.

Next, think about what time it will be – is it likely to be over a snack- or meal-time? If so, this is the food your child should be eating while you’re there. There’s no harm in having snacks or sometimes even a meal at coffee shops or anywhere else, so long as they’re a healthy part of your child’s diet. In fact, many children will find it difficult to go from one meal to the next without a snack. As you have found though, if it’s too close to a mealtime you risk reducing you child’s appetite for their meal. See my article from September 2007 for more tips on planning snacks.

The third part of the plan (and the most difficult for busy mums) is to be organized. Most coffee shops or cafes will not have healthy, child-friendly food, so you’ll need to bring it with you. If you have a baby needing bottles or baby food, you should find that most cafes will happily heat them up if required. Cafes are unable to heat up home-made food but will usually warm jars of commercially produced baby food. And for older children, here are some examples of portable healthy options based around the food groups:

• Carbohydrates or starchy foods: bread sticks, rice cakes, sandwiches, oatcakes
• Fruit and vegetables: container of grapes or other chopped fruit, apple or pear, dried fruit such as raisins or dried apple
• Milk and dairy foods: milk or formula, chunks of cheese, pot of yoghurt or fromage frais
• Meat and meat alternatives: strips of cold meat, hummus dip, hard-boiled egg

Three more tips:

• Try to bring a bit extra when practical. For example, if you’re cutting up fruit or packing breadsticks, it’s not hard to put in a bit extra to offer to other children who may be there. Your child will be more keen on a snack from home if others are eating it too.
• Don’t forget ‘babycinos’. Baby cappuccinos are available at many coffee shops, or just ask for a small cup of milk froth (soy milk if preferred). Children love nothing more than being like mummy, so how wonderful to be able to have a frothy drink like she has. And since it’s just frothed milk with an optional sprinkle of chocolate powder (not enough to be worried about nutritionally), babycinos are suitable for children over the age of one. Very grown-up!
• If it’s not a meal- or snack-time, plan on distraction. Pack a selection of small toys and books (again, enough to share around!). Keep a small pad of paper and pack of crayons in your bag, and bring a cup of water so they have a drink too. If all else fails, mummy’s wallet (minus the coins) can be surprisingly interesting.

The last step calls for restraint and discipline, for you this time. It is hard to resist cakes, biscuits and muffins when everyone around you is having one, but I recommend you skip them unless it’s a special occasion – most children will soon tire of ‘everyday’ food if mumis enjoying chocolate cake! And they certainly won’t like hearing that it’s not time for them to have food – even though you are tucking in to something delicious! Note to calorie-conscious mums: A milk-based coffee such as a latte is a snack in itself, equivalent to having a tub of yoghurt. (Ask for a ‘skinny’ one if you’re watching calories.) Adding a cake or muffin a few times a week could add about 14 pounds to your waistline each year!

I am not so tough that I say NEVER have cake, just don’t have it too frequently. Children need to learn that it’s a treat, not everyday food. So by all means celebrate special occasions (I’d suggest sharing a piece of cake or muffin – a whole piece of cake is a lot for such a little person), but make a skinny latte and a babycino your ‘usual’, maybe finished off by reading a favourite book together.