toddler snack Archives -

Chocolate Orange Date Balls

I created these chocolate orange balls a number of years ago to help me to increase my protein intake. I also wanted something to help clients who were snacking on chocolate to have an alternative snack to eat in the evenings. Whilst these date balls are high in sugar from the dates they are packed full of nutrients so that you are getting more goodness than from a bar of chocolate.

That said I would like to reassure you that there is nothing wrong with eating chocolate. I am a big fan of having a balanced diet and yes that does include crisps and chocolate in moderation.

My 3 year old daughter loves these chocolate orange date balls and calls them chocolate balls. It makes me really happy to know that she is having a snack that fills her up a bit not just consuming lots of sugar. I just make sure she doesn’t have too many and she drinks water with them to try and limit the impact of the dates on her teeth.

I really love lime and chocolate together and for a long time I have been trying to think of a healthier recipe I could make with both of these ingredients in. Recently it came to me that these date balls are perfect, I simply swapped the orange for the juice of 2 limes and they were delicious. If you don’t want them as tangy then use less lime. I think the lime version have been an even bigger hit with my daughter than the orange ones!

Date Balls Ingredients:

250g Medjool dates
Rind and juice of one large orange (or 2 limes)
1 tablespoon cacao powder
55g ground almonds
2 tablespoon chia seeds
To coat either cacao powder, chopped nuts or coconut

Method:

Put the dates and orange juice and peel into a food processor and blitz till mixed
Add other ingredients and blitz some more until it forms a soft ball of paste
Roll into small balls and coat in either of the above coating ingredients
Leave to dry overnight on a baking tray or plate
Store in the fridge or freezer

The date balls can be stored in the fridge or freezer. My top tip for clients who find it difficult to resist eating a whole batch at once is to store them in the freezer and take a few out to defrost a few hours before you want them.

If you’d like to try more of my health snacks then check out more of my recipes.

Snack

No Bake Flapjack

This no bake flapjack is super quick and easy to make. I’ve found it a great way to get some nutrition and calories into my toddler. She isn’t very good at eating breakfast and then gets hangry mid morning, so these flapjacks hit the spot for her. She prefers pumpkin seeds to sunflower so I use those but any mix of seeds would work, obviously chop them up if you are using them for younger children.

They are high in fat and have protein from the seeds and peanut butter. They are very low sugar, I have made these without adding any sugar but I think they taste a bit better with 1 tbsp honey in, however you could put more in to taste. The honey also helps them to stick together a bit better.

These flapjacks would work well as a post workout snack too, however they don’t travel very well as they need to be kept cool so I wouldn’t advise taking them out on a day trip.

They can be made vegan my swapping the honey for maple syrup and gluten-free by using gluten-free oats.

Ingredients for no bake flapjack:

175g oats
30g raisins
25g seeds
100g smooth peanut butter (use natural 100% nuts)
60g coconut oil
1tbsp honey

Method:

Line an 8”x8” tin with parchment paper
Melt the coconut oil and peanut butter in a pan
Mix the oats, raisins and seeds together in a large bowl
Pour over the peanut butter mixture, stir well
Place the mixture into the tin and press down firmly
Place in the freezer for about 1 hour to set
Remove, slice and store in the fridge

What are your favourite recipes for a hangry toddler? If you enjoy this recipe, pop a comment below and check out my other snack recipes here

Snack

Flapjack Made with Only Fruit for Sweetness!

This delicious no added sugar flapjack came about whilst I was trying to find snacks to feed my toddler. I wanted something that could also be eaten at breakfast. As she is going through a phase of only wanting to eat fruit for breakfast and then having a meltdown because she is so hungry!

These flapjacks are vegan and can be made with gluten-free oats if required.

I use dates to add sweetness, fibre and a number of different vitamins and minerals to these flapjacks. Dates have a low glycemic Index (GI), so some studies suggest that they can help to stabilise blood sugar levels.

Whilst coconut oil is high in saturated fat it is solid at room temperature. This helps to bind the flapjack ingredients together instead of using syrup. It also adds a bit of extra sweetness and flavour. I consciously didn’t want these to be low fat as I want them to help fill my daughter up.

I have used rhubarb and orange compote as they go together really well and rhubarb is currently in season. As we come into apple season you can simply replace the rhubarb compote with stewed apples.

Flapjack Ingredients:

100g coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla essence
12 dates
280g oats
200g rhubarb and orange compote

Method:

Pre heat the oven to 180°C
Make a rhubarb and orange compote, here is a recipe if you need it
Chop the dates in a blender until they are finely chopped
Gently melt the heat the coconut oil until it is just melted
In a bowl combine the coconut oil, dates, vanilla essence and oats until well mixed
Place half of the mixture into a small baking tray, pressing it down firmly
Put the rhubarb compote on top and spread evenly
Cover the rhubarb with the remaining oat mixture and press down firmly
Bake for 25 minutes. Leave to cool and then slice

If you enjoyed this recipe then why not check out my other healthy snack recipes here

Snack

Vegan Fruit Scones

These vegan fruit scones are super quick and easy to make. Until recently I’d never made scones, and then inspired by a holiday in Scotland I decided to make cheese scones for my toddler. When they came out of the oven they looked and smelled delicious, however, I was unable to eat them due to being lactose intolerant so I decided to play around and came up with these vegan fruit scones.

I tested them on my baby yoga class and at my mini retreat and they went down a treat! I served them with my heathy chia jam and some coconut cream. To make the coconut cream I simply got a can of coconut milk, placed it in the fridge for a couple of hours and then scooped the thick cream off the top of the milk.

These vegan fruit scones have no added sugar they are simply sweetened by the dried fruit and you can use whatever dried fruit you have, raisins, sultanas and apricots work well. This makes them a great snack for toddlers too.

Ingredients for Vegan Fruit Scones:

Makes 14 mini scones

225g self-raising flour
1tsp baking powder
40g melted coconut oil
140ml almond milk
50g dried fruit

Method:

Pre heat the oven to 220C/gas mark 7
Line 2 baking trays with grease proof paper
Sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl
Melt the coconut oil and add to the flour
Use a spoon to mix the coconut oil into the flour until it has the consistency of fine breadcrumbs
Add the dried fruit and stir well
Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in a little bit of the milk
Using your hands fold in the milk, keep adding the milk and folding until you have a dough, the dough will be slightly wet
Place the dough on a chopping board or clean surface that has been dusted with flour
Knead the dough for a couple of minutes
Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it is about 2cm thick
Using a biscuit cutter cut the dough into scones
Place the cut dough onto the baking trays, leaving enough space between the scones for them to expand
If you have any dough edges left you can knead them again, roll them out and cut more scones
Bake in the oven for 10 minutes
Cool on a wire rack and enjoy

If you’ve enjoyed this recipe why not check out my other vegan recipes?

Snack

Cheese Scones

Until recently I’d never made cheese scones, or any scones for that matter. However, after a holiday in Scotland where cheese scones seemed to be sold in every café I thought I’d give them a go as they make a great snack for toddlers.

I was surprised by how easy they are to make and how little time they take to cook! I’m really looking forward to my daughter helping me make them when she is a tiny bit older.

I took the cheese scones to my baby yoga class and the mums and babies loved them! The texture is great for little ones to be able to hold without them breaking apart too much.

This recipe works best if you use butter at room temperature so that it is easier to mix into the flour

Ingredients for Cheese Scones:

Makes 14 mini scones

225g self-raising flour
1tsp baking powder
50g unsalted butter
150ml milk
75g grated cheese

Method:

Pre heat the oven to 220C/gas mark 7
Line 2 baking trays with grease proof paper
Sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl
Cut the butter into small cubes and add to the flour
Use your hands to rub the butter into the flour until it has the consistency of fine breadcrumbs
Grate the cheese and add it to the flour and butter, stirring well
Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in a little bit of the milk
Using your hands fold in the milk, keep adding the milk and folding until you have a dough
Place the dough on a chopping board or clean surface that has been dusted with flour
Knead the dough for a couple of minutes
Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it is about 2cm thick
Using a biscuit cutter cut the dough into scones
Place the cut dough onto the baking trays, leaving enough space between the scones for them to expand
If you have any dough edges left you can knead them again, roll them out and cut more scones
Bake in the oven for 10 minutes
Cool on a wire rack and enjoy

The cheese scones looked so good that I couldn’t resit playing around with the recipe to come up with a sugar-free fruit scone that was also dairy-free so that I could eat them! You can find the recipe here