RECIPE: Cheese and Tomato Mash Potato Bites

Leftover mash potato seems to be a regular thing in our house, yet Isabella doesn't really like it by itself. Whenever there's a food that she doesn't really like I become determind to give it to her in a way that she will like. There aren't many foods she doesn't like, but plain mash potato is one of them. So I made these cheese and tomato mash potato bites with the aim of getting her to eat mash potato and it worked! She absolutely loves these and they've been perfect for picnics. You could mix up what you add to the mash potato - different types of cheese, variety of vegetables, herbs etc. Let your imagination run wild!

RECIPE: {No added sugar} Coconut and Berry Bites

These are a seriously quick and easy child friendly recipe to whip up in the morning and to enjoy of the next few days. Especially if you like to start your day with a smoothie anyway, just make a bit extra, mix it with egg and coconut and bake. You could of course add anything you like into them - raisins, nuts etc. Isabella enjoys these as a snack throughout the day or at breakfast time instead of toast. It's also a good way of getting the goodness from eggs in her, as she's not the biggest fan of scrambled egg.

RECIPE: Hidden Vegetable Cheese and Onion Rolls

Getting toddlers to eat vegetable can be such a challenge, so these hidden vegetable cheese and onion rolls are ideal if you're struggling with this. Isabella generally loves vegetables, but has become wary of any food that is green. This has meant it's been harder to get a range of vegetables into her diet. I like adding grated vegetables into both finger food and meals because it means she's getting all the nutrients and doesn't really know what she's eating!

RECIPE: Hidden Vegetable Pork and Apple Rolls

Keeping Isabella's vegetable intake up takes a bit of forward planning, especially as she goes in and out of liking different foods so often. I read somewhere that children are often wary of green foods because thousands of years ago we were programmed to notice them as something that could be poisonous. Now I don't know whether that's actually true, but Isabella certainly seems to be wary of green vegetables a lot more than any other colour. These pork and apple rolls are free from processed meat, salt, are packed full of vegetables and freeze really well. They're ideal to picnics during the summer and adults will love them too!

RECIPE: {No Refined Sugar} Pineapple and Banana Ice Lolly

 

Ice cream and ice lollies are one of the best parts of summer - the perfect excuse to cool down, yet enjoy a treat at the same time. Last year Isabella was too small for ice lollies, but this year she's certainly not and has already tucked into a far few. Shop bought ice lollies are often packed full of sugar, which I try and avoid as much as I can in Isabella's diet. Therefore prompting mass making of child friendly ice lollies, though these are definitely tasty enough for adults too! I use water in this recipe, though you could use fruit juice or coconut water instead. Same with the yogurt, it doesn't have to be plain - coconut yogurt would be really delicious in this recipe...baby friendly pina colada ice lolly!

RECIPE: {No added sugar} Berry Smoothie Oat Bites

Something I look forward to on my days off work is sharing a smoothie with Isabella in the morning. I try to mix up the smoothie ingredients as much as possible and a simple berry smoothie was the inspiration behind these oat bites. Smoothies are such a versatile ingredient to add to homemade finger food, cereal, ice lollies etc. These little bites are packed with fruit from the smoothie, as well as having fresh blueberries in too. You can use any berry you have in the fridge or whatever your little one enjoys.

RECIPE: {No Added Sugar} Berry and Almond Slices

The inspiration for this recipe was the classic Bakewell tart, with its frangipane topping and jam layer. Instead of having a sugar and fat filled frangipane I made this topping out of just egg whites, vanilla extract (though you could use almond extract) and ground almonds. It creates a crispier layer, so I recommend doing quite a thing layer across the jammy base. These also freeze well, so are ideal for making in batches to stock up the freezer with.

RECIPE: {No Refined Sugar} Oaty Berry Slices

Oats, berries and nuts all make for a deliciously filling bar that could be enjoyed as a snack or are ideal for a quick breakfast to go. Both Isabella and I enjoy these for breakfast, they freeze well too so there's always a batch in the freezer ready to go. The oaty base could have a variety of other tasty ingredients added, such as fresh chopped blueberries, raisins, spices etc. The options are endless, so let your imagination run wild.

RECIPE: {No Refined Sugar} Berry and Coconut Mini Bites

Raspberry and Coconut Slices are a classic tray bake usually made with a buttery biscuit base, sweet layer of jam and crispy layer of coconut to finish. As delicious as these are they are laden with sugar and fat, so if you're looking for a healthy version then this is the recipe for you! The base is made from oats, the jam doesn't have a single grain of refined sugar and there's still that delicious coconut crunch on top.

RECIPE: {No Refined Sugar} Berry Chia Seed Jam

Coming up with different toast toppings for Isabella has been a constantly struggle with so many typical toppings laden with sugar and/or salt. Like a lot of parents we've decided to continue to seriously limit the amount of sugar Isabella has in her diet, despite her best efforts to have all the sugary treats. Jam is a typical (and tasty!) condiment or toast topper, but it's mainly made up of refined sugar. This Berry Chia Seed Jam is seriously easy to make, extremely versatile and ideal for anyone who wants to avoid/reduce their sugar intake.