Despite a hearty breakfast every morning before heading to school at which they are fed lunch, my boys always return home ravenous for midday snacks.
A typical day of meals for my 5.5 y.o in the last 6 months:
Breakfast - a big sandwich consisting of 2 to 3 slices of toasts and a 150 ml cup of milk
Lunch (at school) - a homemade bento or 2-3 mini bowls of rice/porridge
3pm snack - whatever I offer, usually served with another cup of milk
Dinner - a serving almost as large as mine (and I am NOT a small eater!)
My 3.5 y.o. usually eats similar stuff with slightly smaller servings.
Here is a sample of what I serve as their mid-afternoon snacks.
Homemade pancakes with yogurt.
Spinach omelette with toasts and smoked salmon
Steamed sweetcorn with cheese and a little marshmallow treat (for those special days)
Big bowl of fruits (grapes, apple and avocado)
They also get lighter meals like big cup of yogurt with fruits and crackers with cheese or heavier fare such as pizza, sandwiches, noodles and jacket potatoes on some days.
I suppose I am relieved and happy that they have a healthy appetite, for now at least. I just wish that the school lunch menu serves better fare.
I am hoping that I will be able to prepare each boy a bento lunch at least twice a week instead of the current random surprises! Boys love the bentos though and have been asking for it frequently. Well, I need to find ways to juggle my current daily tasks to squeeze in time/energy to prepare them. Until then, I just have to compensate at their other meals.