Summer snack time sorted ☀️
Easy snack ideas, summer recipes and the latest childhood nutrition news.
The summer holidays are almost here, and if my inbox is anything to go by, lots of you are thinking about snacks! Whether you’re heading out for days at the park, planning picnics or simply trying to keep hungry little ones fuelled during the long summer days, I’ve included plenty of snack inspiration below, including some easy recipes and ideas to keep things varied.
There’s also been lots happening in the world of children’s nutrition recently. From the latest Infant Feeding Survey to new figures showing a decline in baby food pouch sales, I’ve rounded up some of the stories making headlines. I’m also excited to share news from Little Dish about their new Chicken Katsu Curry Noodles meal, which you’ll find more about further down.
On the family front, Raffy recently turned 9, and Ada’s birthday is coming up next month, which means I really need to get cracking with the planning! With celebrations on my mind, I’ll be sharing plenty of family-friendly celebration meals, party food ideas and recipes over the coming weeks, so keep an eye out.
Scroll down for this month’s news, recipes and resources. I hope they help make the summer holidays a little easier (and tastier!).
In the news
Update on baby pouches - Since I appeared on BBC Panorama’s The Truth About Baby Food Pouches, highlighting concerns around the sugar content and nutritional quality of some products, it's been reported that branded baby food sales have fallen by 14%. If you're wondering where pouches can fit into your baby's diet, I answer this and other common questions in my blog, Can My Baby Have Baby Food Pouches?
Infant Feeding Survey 2024 – The UK's biggest baby feeding survey has just been published, providing a snapshot of how more than 10,000 families in England feed their babies during the first 10 months of life. There was lots of encouraging news, including vegetables being the most common first food and two-thirds of families waiting until around 6 months before starting solids. For everything you need to know about starting solids, check out my book How to Wean Your Baby.
Cheaper family meals and days out this summer – The government has announced a temporary reduction in VAT on children's meals, tickets and admission to many family attractions from 25 June to 1 September. The move aims to help reduce costs for families over the summer holidays, so it may be worth looking out for participating venues and offers.
From the blog
Do babies need snacks? One of the questions I hear most from parents is whether babies and toddlers actually need snacks, and if so, how many. In this blog, I break down what you need to know about snacks for little ones.
Easy no-cook snacks - Looking for simple snack ideas that don't require cooking? I've rounded up some quick and easy options that are perfect for busy days and take minimal preparation.
7 days of snacks - If you're stuck in a snack rut, this blog shares a week's worth of easy, family-friendly snack ideas to help keep things varied and take the pressure out of planning.
Summer Snack Recipes
Strawberry bars - Strawberries are a brilliant source of vitamin C and can be a great addition to children's snacks. These homemade bars are a simple alternative to many shop-bought options, providing extra fibre and no added sugar.
Energy balls - We make these no-bake, no added sugar energy balls a lot in our house. This recipe is really simple, and a great recipe to try cooking with the kids.
Butterbean hummus - This simple hummus is a source of healthy fats, protein and iron as makes a delcious snack paired with veggie sticks or as a topper for oatcakes and/or crackers.
The Summer Snack Checklist ✓
Make snacks mini-meals - Think of snacks as little mini-meals, including a variety of the main food groups to help keep them more balanced and filling. I have lots of examples here.
Add extra nutrients - Use nutrient-rich foods like yoghurt, eggs, nut/seed butters, cheese or hummus alongside other simple foods.
Offer variety - Mix up colours, textures and flavours to help children explore new foods and nutrients.
Balance shop-bought snacks - Sometimes snacks are crisps, bars or biscuits, and that’s okay from time to time. To keep things balanced, try pairing them with fruit and veggie sticks, milk or dips.
Chicken Katsu Curry Noodles & Colouring-in Competition
I’m pleased to share some news from my friends at Little Dish, who have launched a new Chicken Katsu Curry Noodles, in partnership with world-famous doodle artist, Joe Whale aka. The Doodle Boy.
Made with tender pieces of chicken in a mildly spiced coconut and veggie sauce and served on a bed of wiggly noodles, the new meal is guaranteed to be a flavour and texture adventure for your little ones.
What’s more, Little Dish are running a ‘Doodle on our Noodles‘ colouring-in competition! Little artists can transform the limited-edition black and white sleeve into a work of art and send it to Little Dish to be in with the chance of winning fantastic prizes.
Find the new meal online and instore at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons and Ocado now.
