Snacks
We all know out little ones need snacks between meals to keep their energy up, but is healthy, quick and convenient and what do these snacks provide? Quick idea list for all you parents and please comment your snacks to help everyone else.
PS - do not snack on cameras. Parents are not amused.
Fruit
Figs - A great source of potassium, fibre, vitamin B6 and a small amount of magnesium. These are also low in calories for losing that post-baby weight. Figs are best stored in the fridge and to be brought back up to room temperature before eating as it brings out the flavour really well. Figs can be eaten whole or peeled. Tyler loves them. Also try adding to an apple crumble for extra flavour and something differently.
Apricots - Provide vitamin A, vitamin C, fibre and tryptophan. They are very sweet so will appeal well to those natural sweet taste buds of babies. However, the texture may be a bit off putting for older children, but keep trying as you never know when preferred tastes can change. Also, low in fat and only contain 16 calories per 35 grams of fresh apricots.
Bananas - Always popular with babies and children as they are soft and easy to eat with no preparation! Bonus for mummy and daddy too then! They are also relatively cheap and available all year round as they are imported. Bananas are high in vitamin B6, vitamin C, magnesium and potassium. Super fruit alert! They also provide fibre to keep you regular but not as much as other fruits.
Raisins - fibre, carbohydrates, sodium and a trace of protein as well as being rich in antioxidants. Raisins are so easy to throw in your child's diet, they even come in snack packs for lunch boxes. And they do count as one of your 5 a day. As well as using for snacks, you can use in puddings, porridge, biscuits, on bagels, practically anything. As you can tell, I am a fan of the raisin!
Pineapple - Pineapple is so high in vitamin C and magnesium. Also providing vitamin B6, fibre, vitamin B1 and folates. Super Fruit alert. I have always loved pineapple and it is the first thing Tyler used a fork with. Great as a snack or pudding. For a snack I just put some pineapple chunks in an air tight container with a little bit of the juice and Tyler just picks at it throughout the day. I also use pineapple in my chicken, rice and peas dish. Strange but tasty. A great fruit to get your kids into but keep the wet wipes handy as it gets sticky.
Pears - Tyler had difficulty with pears at the start and has only recently developed a taste for them (he's 14 months now, been trying pears since 7 months!). Initially at six months, some babies may need them cooked or peeled, my son still has them cut small but not cooked or chopped, I suppose it was just personal taste. Pears are high in vitamin C, Vitamin K and fibre. Not a super fruit but still very good for you and very sweet with a nice, different texture.
Grapes - Juicy and available in three different colours, green, red and black. I like the black ones best and so does Ty. These little beauties are high in magnesium, vitamin K, vitamin C, fibre, vitamin B1 and vitamin B6. You may find with younger children or babies, cutting them in halves or quarters in easier for them, Tyler even had his peeled up until 10 months because he found the skin too tough on them. Soon got him out of that habit, juice everywhere!
Strawberries - summers finest English berry! These were the first fruits my son actually liked, along with blueberries, and I am very disappointed now the season has come to an end. Strawberries provide a hell of a lot of vitamin C, like completely off the scale. Fabulous. They also give you a lot of magnesium, fibre, folate, iodine, potassium and vitamin K. Hello super fruit! As snacks or puddings, these are winners, well for the summer anyway, because the imported ones are never as nice in my opinion. Oh well, till next year!
Blueberries - Hello another super fruit! High in fibre, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and magnesium. AND they are a grabbable size already and the skin is nicely soft for gummy ones or new toothy ones!
Blackberries - Late summer / early autumn fruit. Juicy and messy so get the stain remover ready!!! I recommend ace bleach sensitive, gets everything out and you can buy it from £land.... result. Very tasty, high in vitamin C, vitamin K and fibre.
Vegetables
Carrot Sticks - Yet another super food? Wow. Grabbable, good for teething, good for starter foods and good for dinner party entrees! Carrots are a natural source of many things including: vitamin A, Vitamin K, vitamin C, fibre, potassium, magnesium, vitamin B6, vitamin B3, folate, vitamin B1, phosphorus, vitamin E and vitamin B2. Only 50 calories per 122g for you snack hungry dieters too. Appeals to your little one's sweet tooth too.
Celery - great for introducing youngsters into different textures. And it is crunchy and cool for those little teething monsters. Tyler loved it, aided dribble though so get the bibs out! Also provides many health benefits to baby and you including lots of fibre, folate, vitamin A, vitamin K, potassium, magnesium, calcium, vitamin B2 and vitamin B5! Super duper. I like the teething idea best.
Dairy
Custard - smooth, sweet and can be bought ready made. Cheap and time saving and providing a shed load of calcium as well as vitamin D? Bonus points for custard! Keeping the calcium levels up during a breast to formula or formula to cows milk or which ever way you are doing things is important and this one was suggested to me by a health visitor and Tyler des loves it and satisfies his sweet tooth marvellously.
Rice Pudding - cheap and quick, can be ready made or home made, both as good! Both providing a great amount of calcium and vitamin D. Perfect for our growing monsters for their teeth and bones.
Fromage Frais - small, sweet, often fruity, cheap, quick and great blw mess! Much fun. Provide calcium, vitamin D and are often fortified with extra vitamins and minerals so are great for growth and development.
Cheese - is great as a small snack as it like the other dairy snacks provides vitamin D and calcium but in larger amounts can cause constipation which is very painful for our little ones. As Tyler used to suffer from constipation badly as a newborn, I am very careful with cheese. I advise trying babybells as they are very mild and soft when broken up. Tyler likes them but I do not give him cheese as a snack very often.
Other
Try rich tea biscuits, goodys fruit bars, boots organic carrot corn snacks and cocktail sausages.
Have fun mummies and daddies!
TTFN
