Healthy growth and healthy eating for your child!
During the first year of life is when your child’s growth see’s the largest upward curve (roughly 150-200g grams of weight per week) and by the second year starts to slow down. To help your child build lifelong healthy habits, it’s important to teach and introduce sustainable and healthy routines as early as possible.
Small regular meals between the ages 1-10 are best as children have small tummies. Offering small amounts allows your child to listen and understand his/her hunger. Your child will request for more if they’re still hungry.
Remember, parents provide the food and children decide the amount and type!
Choosing the right snacks for your child to eat and enjoy in between meals is important. Whilst packaged products are widely available, they often don’t provide adequate nutrients for appropriate growth and development and are too high in unfavourable fats or sugars. I have created a (small) list of my dietitian approved products because I appreciate reality and the need for quick ‘on the go’ options. When time allows i’ve added another list that includes quick, wholesome snack ideas and more for you to make ahead of time and pre-pack.
Rule of thumb, is count children’s snacks towards one of the five food groups!
Key nutrients include protein, iron, calcium, folate, fibre, healthy fats and Vitamins A, C, D.
Disclosure: the following foods are appropriate from the age of 12-months and aren’t personalised, therefore if you would like individual recommendations, please reach out to Aimee here.
If your child has any known allergies or intolerances, Aimee can assist in providing personalised options that meet your child’s growth and overall health needs.
Convenient Supermarket Options
Bellamy’s Organic Apple/Pear Snacks (100% dried fruit) - not ideal all the time as fresh is always best and you would achieve more fibre, texture and flavour with fresh fruit!
Green Pea Stars Cheddar Cheese - Little Bellies (1.2g fibre and 1.8g protein per 12g serve) (would go well with a glass of milk)
Whole Kid’s Wholegrain Mini ABC’s (2g fibre and 2g protein per 30g serve) (keep in mind this uses 21% apple juice)*
Banana or Strawberry Biscotti (iron enriched, contain 4mg iron per two biscuits) - Only Organic Brand (apple juice used*)
“On the Go” Pouches —> these would be the best convenient ‘bang for buck’ items to have on hand since they count towards 1 dairy serve, providing gut loving probiotics, protein, calcium and some are fortified with omega-3 fats.
Bellamy’s Organic Vanilla & Pear Custard (w/ chia seeds) - convenient pouch option, good source of calcium & omega-3’s
Yoplait Petit Miam Yoghurt Plain Pouch (182mg calcium, 5.5g protein and added probiotics per 100g serve) - opt for plain and add your own natural flavours from appropriate fresh fruit for added fibre and flavour!
Rafferty’s Garden Natural Yoghurt Pouch (146mg calcium, 4.8g protein, 4.8g natural sugar per 100g) - add your own fruits!
Jalna Vanilla Purity Yoghurt Pouch (162mg calcium, 4.5g protein, & added probiotics, only 2.9g sugar per 100g)
Farmer’s Union Greek Yoghurt Plain Pouch (196mg calcium, 5.5g protein, & added probiotics, 6.6g sugar per 100g)
The Collective Probiotic Kid’s yoghurt pouch (144mg calcium, 4.4g protein, & added probiotics, 6.5g sugar per 100g)
**some of the above products sell other options that don’t necessarily provide your little one with any nutritional benefit and some have added or more than ideal quantities of sugar and or fat. Choose products with no added sugars and or ‘fruit concentrates’ which claim to be “natural sugars”.
I have only stated the products that have some form of nutritional benefit and I therefore approve of. If you have any specific products that you would like me to research or look into, please reach out!
Quick Options (ideal for when you’re at home)
Fruit and milk or yoghurt or custard
Smoothie made with yoghurt, milk and fruit (could always add some ground linseed or chia seeds for extra omega-3 boost!)
Toast Toppers - cheese, peanut butter (allergy permitting), avocado, hummus
Snack Plate - biscuits, cheese, veggie sticks (depending on age - these could be offered as cooked, large chunks), hummus, and or boiled egg (i’ve got lots of other “dip” ideas to include a variety of fats and protein nutrition and even veg!!)
Fruit toast with milk or yoghurt
Baked beans on toast
Homemade Make Ahead Options
Scones/pikelets with milk
Leftovers like pasta/rice that have extra veg inside and a cup of milk
Muffin/cake with milk
Savoury veggie muffin or pikelets or fritters with cheese or milk on the side
Quinoa and broccoli bites
