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Keep your child’s snacking in check with a home Tuck Shop!

If your kids are asking for snacks every 30 minutes and you’re worried they’re going to eat you out of house and home, we have an idea for you…open your own tuck shop!

Putting the kids in control of their own snacking isn’t as crazy as it sounds. We’ve priced up a range of healthy snacks and not-so-healthy treats to let your kids choose from within a daily budget. We bet they’ll start limiting the chocolate bars when they realise they can get more healthy snacks for their money!

Here’s how it works:

  • Give your children £1 each day to spend at the tuck shop  (Don’t worry about having to spend money each day as you are the tuck shop owner, so you’ll get it back each day ) 
  • Print and stick this snack list to your snack cupboard – every time your child asks for a snack, they will have to decide carefully what they would like to spend their money on. As healthy snacks are cheaper than unhealthy snacks, they will have to choose whether they would like to spend their money wisely on a few different healthy snacks, or blow their money on something less healthy. 
  • Spend it or lose it, no carrying pennies over. Each day a new £1 allowance is given. 
PARENT’S TIPS
  1. Remember, everything eaten in between meals counts as a snack!
  2. Don’t forget about proper portion size (click here for more guidance on suitable portion sizes)
  3. Act like a real shopkeeper and don’t give out free snacks (no matter how much they whinge!) – once the money is gone, it’s gone!

Tuck Shop Price List

Behavioural Benefits
  • Your child will learn which foods are healthy (cheap) and which foods are less healthy (more expensive)
  • Your child will understand the value of money, and that snacks do not grow on trees!
  • Your child will begin to understand the principles of eating healthy food frequently (because they can afford to buy lots of it) and only treating themselves to unhealthy food in moderation (because it costs too much to eat more than once per day!)
  • Your child will gain independence and responsibility over their own dietary choices.