Snacks to keep the Little People Happy

Yesterday, Multiple Mum wrote about Food Wastage on her blog, And then there were four. This is an issue I take very seriously. And just like most parents know, when you have Little People around the house, there is often an awful lot of food waste. And expense. Take bananas, for example. Gill at Alice Becomes yesterday wrote about the cost of bananas and whether people factor that in when purchasing them (or not). She also wrote how she hasn't bought any for awhile as M1 has a tendency to waste them on his pram, brother or hair.

In our household, we have two boys, so there is sometimes food wastage. The biggest culprit of food wastage in our house is Mini Hoges, the nearly 4 year old. He is a grazer. He will eat small amounts of food all day long, and mostly in the mornings and late afternoons. It can be challenging keeping up with his grazing appetite and satisfying his ever changing palate. Hence the food wastage. He's the sort of kid who will grab an apple, take a bite and proclaim it's yucky. He will also ask for one thing for breakfast, have a mouth full, then say he doesn't like it or he's full. I can hear you groaning in sympathy. I know it is a phase, and he will grow out of it, just as his older brother did.

Inspired by yesterdays posts, and the constant asking for "something out of the cupboard", I decided to put together a big bowl of foods that I can pour out into a nutricious, easy snack to satisfy Mini Hoges. I call it the Cup of Fun!


I used up the last of some Mini Weetbix, threw in some dried apricots, apples and cranberries, and a very small handful of smarties, some marshmallows, grissini sticks, cashews and pepitas. And when Mini Hoges asked me for "something out of the cupboard mummy" I presented the snack in his favourite cup and said "Here you are my darling, a cup of Fun!" to which he giggled, and is now happily munching. Looks like it worked!


How do you combat the ever persistent requests for food in your household?

Be Happy
Nicola


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