What do they want?
SNACKS!
When do they want them?
EVERY QUARTER OF AN HOUR FOR 8 HOURS A DAY!
If your children are anything like mine, then you too have probably contemplated whether or not you should have them checked for tapeworms. For three miniature humans, they never seem to stop eating. They have their three main meals followed by 1,348,543 snacks every single day.
They are growing kids. Great. Got heaps of energy to burn. Even better. Now comes the tricky part of trying to ensure that you are supplying them with some decent snacks.
Sure, a cheeky biscuit here and there won’t hurt but I have a few tried and tested snack hacks that my children will all give the thumbs up to.
1. Fruit platters are always a HUGE WINNER in our household
The more colourful the better. I will slice up watermelon, pineapple, strawberries, peel mandarins and then scatter blueberries around the board. It doesn’t just look appealing it tastes even better! The perfect snack for any time of the day.
2. Popcorn!
And not the one from the packet or the movies. I’m talking about the popcorn you make yourself. You can use a pan on the stove or you can buy yourself a popcorn maker! Add in the kernels, a little bit of olive oil and a pinch of salt. The kids LOVE it and think its junk food, but it’s really a nutritious whole grain.
3. Yoghurt
A crowd favourite at our house. Whether it’s as a second course to breakfast, or a morning tea snack it always goes down famously. Their favourite morning tea is a Yoplait yoghurt, topped with some frozen berries and some muesli. Drizzle it with some honey and the kids think they’ve hit the jackpot. Frozen yoghurts are also a hit on a nice warm afternoon!
4. ‘C’s and dip’ we call it in this house
Slice up four vegetables starting with C (cucumber, carrots, celery and capsicum) and then plonk a bowl of hummus in the middle and tell them its a free for all. They might paint each other with it and it’ll end up in places it shouldn’t, but at least you can breathe easy knowing they are fueling their body with good food.
5. Homemade banana cookies
If you want to really show off and are going for favourite parent of the year, you can make homemade banana cookies. Takes less than five mins to prep. Three bananas, 80ml coconut oil, two cups of rolled oats, 1/2 cup of chocolate chips (or dried fruit if you hate fun) and one teaspoon of vanilla essence.
Mix everything in a bowl, and pop spoonfuls of the mixture onto a baking paper-lined tray and bake for 15 mins at 180c. You won’t regret it.
Other small but delicious and (equally as enjoyable snacks) include nuts (not for babies), mini cheese boards, sultanas, fruit smoothies, hard-boiled eggs, sweet potato fries and apple slices dipped in peanut butter.
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