8th May
Unless you are one of the lucky ones whose children happily gobble down broccoli and cauliflower without even trying to hide them under a cabbage leaf, the idea of getting your kids to eat their 5-a-day probably makes you think of that age-old battle involved in getting children to eat fresh fruit and vegetables.
But it might surprise you to know that there are some hidden gems lurking in places other than the salad draw that can help you on your way to making sure the 5 a day for children quota is met.
Here are 6 sources you might not have expected that can help towards their 5 a day for children. Check the packaging to see how much counts as a portion:
1. Jars of pasta sauce, ready-made pasta-pouches or tinned pasta shapes contain plenty of tomato and some of the chunkier versions contain other veg, too.
2. Baked beans, other beans and pulses can count as one of your five portions.
3. Canned fruit and veg still count, even though they’re not fresh. That includes tinned tomatoes, so if you add those to a sauce, that’ll count, too.
4. Canned soups containing vegetables, beans or pulses can provide more than one of your 5-a-day if the whole tin is eaten.
27th Mar
In spite of our best efforts and intentions, dear mums, we don’t always have a healthy home-cooked meal on tap for our toddlers. Perhaps we have run out of frozen meal portions or just haven’t had time to make more… either way; it’s never a bad idea to have some ready meal options available for those moments.
Of course, the ready meals we use should meet the standards of our home-cooking (as far as possible). There are a couple of great nutritious ready meals for toddlers brands on shop shelves – Little Dish is one of them.
Little Dish only uses 100% natural ingredients and never adds salt or sugar. The chicken and beef is free from antibiotics and growth hormones and comes from select British farms where the animals are well cared for, and all of the vegetables are tested for pesticides.
Every recipe is created in partnership with a nutritionist, and each Little Dish is taste tested by a team of tiny tasters before let out of the kitchen.
These nutritious ready meals for toddlers dishes include: Pasta with Cheese, Peas and Broccoli Trees, Mild Chicken Korma, Pasta Bolognese, Cottage Pie, Fish Pie, Chicken & Butternut Squash Pie, Vegetable Lasagne, Salmon & Broccoli Pasta Bake, Chicken Risotto, Beef & Spinach Cannelloni, Monty’s Favourite Spaghetti & Meatballs, Beef Lasagne, and Chicken & Two Veg Pasta.
Written by: Andrea Zanin
25th Mar
I am a big fan of the Organix brand. My two-year-old daughter loves Organix snacks and I trust the brand’s “no junk promise”. And all of the ingredients are organic.
Organix cereal bars, aka ‘oaty bars’ to my toddler, are delish (yes, I have had a cheeky taste). The five flavours (Blackcurrant, Raspberry & Apple, Apple & Orange, Cocoa & Raisin, Carrot Cake) are made with wholegrain oats and packed with fruit.
And now there’s a savoury oaty bar that is sure to be a hit with kids.
The new healthy snacks for toddlers, Tomato & Carrot Veg and Oat bar is the first to join the new Goodies Savouries range, which includes a variety of toddler snacks that offer an alternative to sweet flavours.
The bars are made with dried tomato and carrot juice concentrate with the goodness of wholegrain oats. Then they are gently baked for a soft savoury taste.
Written by: Andrea Zanin
11th Mar
The Next Generation Seamfree nursing bra by Emma Jane is super comfy, inexpensive and can be used as a maternity or nursing bra (the cup size adjusts as you grow).
The bra’s selling point is the fact that it is seamfree, which gives it a soft, comfortable fit. The shoulder straps have restricted stretch for improved support and the soft knitted underband increases the comfort factor.
Each cup, which opens individually, has a clip that allows for quick and easy access for breastfeeding. Four back eyes allow full adjustment for changes in body size both during pregnancy and when nursing.
The Emma Jane bra has a ruched centre for a sporty look, so if you’re looking for something a little more glam, HOTmilk’s Wild Composure Bra is perfect.
Written by: Andrea Zanin
5th Mar
If, like me, you’re into making your own baby purées, you’ve got to check out this gadget: it’s a compact food processing system – a baby food maker, it’s called the Baby Bullet and it’s awesome.
Perfect for busy mums (all of us in other words), the Baby Bullet makes fresh baby food in ten seconds or less. All you do is fill the baby food maker with fresh ingredients, screw on a blade lid, then simply push the cup down on the power base and you can whip up a smooth blend or perfect purées in moments.
Then just serve to your baby straight from the cup.
Baby Bullet comes with a large mixing container for whole pieces of fruit and 6 storage cups and a storage tray. You can make, store and save a whole week’s worth of baby food without anything going to waste.
It also comes with two blades, which make smooth purées or chunkier concoctions for older babies. By using Baby Bullet you’ll always have something to serve in a hurry.
Written by: Andrea Zanin
Written by: Claire Smart