Children’s super snack
ideas!
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Carbohydrate based snacks between meals and at
bedtime are essential for good blood glucose control.
However, they can be a major headache for parents who are on
a constant search for new ideas, so that snacks don’t become
monotonous. You do need to be imaginative and obviously work
within the child’s own likes and dislikes. Snack choice will
also depend on lots of things such as the child’s age
(younger children don’t need to worry so much about their
fat intake), weight, blood glucose levels and take into
account any activity planned for the day. Hopefully this
list will give you some new ideas. If you are unsure whether
they are suitable for your child check with your own State
Registered Dietitian.
·
Fruit. Make the most of seasonal fruit or new innovations
such as the mini fruit now available in some supermarkets.
Venture into the exotic with fruits such as kiwi fruit or
mango.
·
Individual tins of fruit in natural juice (with a ring
pull) such as Fruitini.
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Dried fruit. Available in individual packets e.g. raisins,
apricots, tropical mix.
·
Sweet biscuits. Some are lower in fat than others e.g.
garibaldi, ginger nuts rather than digestives! Individual
size packets of cookies and biscuits are now
available.
·
Savoury biscuits e.g. Cheddars, Tuc sandwich biscuits.
Individual packets are now available.
·
Cereals with milk and fruit.
·
Toast or bread. Don’t just stick to the same old types of
bread or the same toppings for that matter. Experiment! For
example stuff a warm pitta bread with all the goodies you
can find in the fridge like ham, chicken, cheese, salad
cream or even peanut butter and lettuce. Make mini pizzas
on halved rolls or muffins.
·
Toasted crumpets or English muffins for a change, with a
savoury topping such as low fat cream cheese.
·
Toasted teacakes or currant buns.
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Savoury or fruit scones.
·
Cereal bars – chewy or crunchy.
Crisps - French
fries, Quavers and Twiglets are lower in fat.
-
Fruit wedges,
raw vegetable sticks, breadsticks
or tortilla chips with dips. Salsas
or reduced fat dips are a lower fat
choice. Use fruit yogurt as a sweet
dip.
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Fruit yogurts or
fromage frais. Low fat and diet
varieties can be found in abundance
for those who need them.
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Home made milk
shakes made with semi-skimmed milk,
low fat yogurt and fruit whizzed up
in the liquidiser. Add some ice
cream for a summer treat.
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Individual cake
bars or portions of fruitcake or
sponge.
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Mini buns or
American style muffins.
-
Popcorn. Home
popped corn can be sprinkled with a
little sweetener or salt or
flavoured with some chilli powder,
paprika or celery salt.
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+ Banana and Date Bars
Perfect for packed lunch boxes or as teatime treats and ideal eaten before exercise.
175g/6oz Stoned dates, chopped
125ml/4floz Water
3 Medium bananas, mashed
250g/9oz Reduced fat monounsaturated spread
25g/1oz Soft brown sugar
175g/6oz Plain wholemeal flour
5ml/1tsp. Baking powder
200g/7oz Rolled oats
Place the dates in a saucepan with the water and simmer for 10 minutes until soft and forms a paste. Remove from the heat and stir in the banana.
Melt the margarine and sugar in a saucepan. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour, baking powder and rolled oats. Press half the mixture into the base of a lightly greased 18cm x 27cm (7 x11”) shallow tin. Spoon the date and banana mixture over the top, cover with the remaining oat mixture and press down gently.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180 C/350 F/Gas Mark 4 for 30 minutes until evenly browned.
Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then cut into 16 bars. Remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack.
Not suitable for freezing.
+ Fruit and Nut Bars
50g/1 ¾oz Polyunsaturated margarine
2tbsp Golden syrup
25g/1oz Muscavado sugar
75g/2¾oz Porridge oats
50g/1¾oz Self-raising flour
25g/1oz Roughly chopped mixed nuts e.g. almonds, pecan nuts or hazelnuts
50g/1¾oz Mixture of ready to eat dried fruits e.g. raisins, prunes and cranberries
2 tablespoons Sunflower seeds
Pre-heat oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas Mark 4.
Place the margarine, syrup and sugar in a medium saucepan and warm over a low heat until the margarine has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Stir through the oats, flour, mixed nuts, dried fruit and sunflower seeds. Press the mixture into a non-stick 18cm/7inch square baking tray.
Makes 6
+ Marmalade and carrot Loaf
This high fibre, low fat, low sugar cake makes an ideal snack any time of day. The recipe is adapted from carrot cake, with a fat free topping of marmalade.
200g/7oz Plain wholemeal flour
7.5ml/1 ½tsp Ground ginger
5ml/1tsp Baking powder
40g/1 ½oz Polyunsaturated margarine
40g/1 ½oz Dark muscovado sugar
225g/8oz Carrots, grated
50g/2oz Raisins
60ml/4tbsp Ginger marmalade
1 medium Egg, beaten
60ml/4tbsp Skimmed milk
Mix the flour with the ginger and baking powder in a large bowl, then rub in the fat until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Stir in the sugar, carrots and raisins. Mix 45ml/3tbsp marmalade with the egg and the milk and add to the dry ingredients. Stir well.
Bake in a preheated oven at 170 C/325 F/Gas Mark 3, for 45 minutes or until firm to touch and golden.
Brush cake with remaining marmalade and cool completely.
Wrap well and store in an airtight container.
Suitable for freezing. Serves 12-14
+ Mini Pizzas
Ideal for a quick tasty snack or even lunch! If ciabatta bread is not available then why not use French bread, English muffins or even a crumpet?
15ml/1tbsp. Olive oil
½ Onion, sliced
1 Clove garlic, crushed
2 Rashers lean, smoked, back bacon, chopped
2.5ml/ ½tsp Dried oregano
8 Cherry tomatoes, halved
4 Slices ciabatta bread
Heat the oil in a medium frying pan. Add the onion, garlic, bacon and oregano and sauté for 4-5 minutes or until the onion is softened and the bacon is browned. Add the tomatoes and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes or until they begin to soften, remove from the heat. Meanwhile, toast the bread on both sides.
Divide the tomato mixture between the toasts and serve immediately.
Cook’s note: You can reduce the calories and make this into a vegetarian snack by cutting out the bacon and using a few extra tomatoes.
+ Pitta pockets
Pitta breads are so versatile that you can use them with any low fat filling of your choice. Ideal for packed lunches, or picnics, or eating on the hop.
1 Wholemeal Pitta bread
100g/4oz Low fat cottage cheese
15ml/1tbsp Pesto Salt and black pepper
¼ small red pepper, sliced Salad leaves or watercress
Place the Pitta bread in the toaster and toast for about one minute or until piping hot. Meanwhile mix together the cottage cheese and the Pesto and season to taste.
Cut the Pitta in half then fill with the red pepper, watercress and the cottage cheese mixture.
Pittas can be prepared the night before, wrapped in foil and stored in the fridge.
Serves 1
+ Quick Chocolate Squares
1 tablespoon Cocoa powder, sifted
2 tablespoons Boiling water
225g/8oz Plain wholemeal flour
2 teaspoons Baking powder
175g/6oz Reduced fat, monounsaturated spread
75g/2¾oz Caster sugar
2 Eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons Skimmed or semi-skimmed milk
Stir the cocoa powder and the boiling water together until smooth. Sift the flour and baking powder together and beat in the cocoa mixture with the fat, sugar, eggs and milk. Beat until smooth. Spoon into a lightly greased and base-lined 28 x 23cm (11 x 9 inch) tin. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 C/350 F/Gas Mark 4 for 25-30 minutes. Cool in the tin, before turning out on to a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into 20 squares.
+ Banana Loaf
175g/6oz Stoned dried dates
100ml/3½floz Water
1 Egg
225g/8oz Self raising flour
1 teaspoon Ground mixed spice
450g/1 1b Ripe bananas, peeled
100g/3½oz Chopped walnuts
Grease and base line a 900g (2 1b) loaf tin. Place the dates and water in a saucepan and simmer gently until the dates are soft. Mash with a fork until dates are pureed. Allow to cool slightly. Beat in the egg. Mix together the flour and spice. Mash the bananas until smooth, then stir in the date mixture with the flour and spice. Stir in the walnuts.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface. Bake in a preheated tin and level the surface. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 C/350 F/Gas mark 4 for 1 hour or until a skewer when inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cover with foil if becoming too brown.
Allow to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve sliced.
Makes 14 slices.
+ Vanilla Muffins
175g/6oz Plain wholemeal flour
100g/3½oz Plain flour
2 tablespoons Baking powder
50g/1¾oz Caster sugar
100g/3½oz Polyunsaturated margarine melted
250ml/9floz Skimmed milk
2 Medium eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon Vanilla essence
Pre heat oven to 200 C/400 F/Gas mark 6.
Sift the flours and baking powder into a large bowl. In another bowl ix together the sugar, margarine, milk, eggs and vanilla essence. Pour the egg mixture into the flour and stir through using a large spoon. Spoon the mixture into muffin cases and bake for about 25 minutes or until golden and risen. Allow to cool.
Suitable for home freezing.
Serves 12
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