Kiddipedia
By Rachel Favilla
When I was a wee lass (that’s Scottish for child by the way, and not to be mistaken for a urinating sheepdog), I didn’t know what I didn’t know.
I thought that going ‘number two’ a few, token times per week was normal.
I also thought that ‘healthy snacks’ (bar carrot sticks, snow peas and sultanas) were ‘yucky’.
I also (see: ‘yucky’) had a sophisticated vocabulary for a nutrient-deprived eight-year-old.
Poor childhood Rachie-bear. She;
- Was yet to experience the wondrous magic of peanut butter (or almond, macadamia, hazelnut, ‘insert other nuts here’ butter, for that matter).
- had no idea that purple sweet potatoes were a ‘thing’, nor that when baked they were crispy, sweet and moreish. Yes. A vegetable. Moreish. I said it.
- Had not yet been platonically seduced by roasted and sea salted cashew nuts
- And, despite an affinity for sweet Pink Lady flesh*, a severe overbite prevented her from eating apples whole, like those with hero-worshipped jaw alignment. Sighs.
* The apple. Despite her canine-like teeth that would have you think otherwise, my primary-school-self wasn’t a vampire
As such, I prioritised taste over nourishment and was of the belief that, in most cases, processed carbohydrates and anything involving chocolate and cheese-flavours were the foods to be praised almost as highly as the correctly aligned jaws we spoke of earlier.
If only I’d know about these five snack alternatives – that easily pass as wholesome brekkies or no-fuss lunches to boot – back in the day. Here’s to having foods that taste better than – or at least on par with – the gloriousness of cake and nourishing ourselves too.
Fruit and nut ginger ‘crumble’.
Think natural peanut butter blended with raisins (in the food processor) to create a satisfying ‘crumble’, eaten with slices of fresh ginger root. Tastes akin to a gingernut biscuit, but is packed with vitamins, minerals and fibre. For nut-free families, swap peanut paste for sunflower butter or tahini.
Baked sweet potato with hazelnut butter.
Roasted hazelnuts lend themselves to the formation of a delightful butter with the help of some melted coconut oil to get the food processor blades in motion. This creamy goodness is divine with baked sweet potato. Try the purple fleshed variety to really knock your kid’s – heck even your – socks off. Both foods are rich in antioxidants and together they’re a super spunky (or should I say spuddy? No Rach, you really shouldn’t. You’re not a dad and can’t get away with jokes like that) team.
Fresh pink lady or Fuji apples.
Now, this one is pricey if to acquire a jaw equipped to handle such amazingness, you need to cover the costs of orthodontic treatment (thanks mum and dad). So, if you child complains that they ‘can’t eat an apple like a normal human’ (and yes, this is how they’ll phrase it) then be a champ and dice it into cubes. When these apple varieties are fresh, they need no partner in crime and taste like nature’s candy. Bonus points if they come from the farmer’s market and were picked fresh that day. Triple fruit score if you planted that apple tree yourself. Bottom line; a good apple can stand up to even the most luscious of chocolate bars. Advertising just hasn’t conditioned us to think so.
Cheese and carrot spelt bread toasty.
If you’re yet to try organic sourdough spelt bread and your child is a bread fiend, this suggestion might just change your life. Spelt is a grain that is related to the ancient variations of the wheat grain. Thanks to farming techniques that avoid the use of herbicides, spelt is far removed from the mounting number of pathologies that evidence is slowly linking to modern wheat crops. Everybody loves a toasty, and by tweaking the variety of bread you use, investing in a quality cheddar (individually-wrapped processed cheese slices won’t cut it on the nourishment scale) and adding grated carrot to the mix, you can dine like a self-respecting, cheese-toasty-adoring citizen and rest easy knowing that no gut bugs were disturbed in the process. Snaps to wholesome farming.
Roasted chickpeas.
Um, why was I tardy to the roasted chickpea party? I’m actually asking! You can use either tinned (rinsed, drained and patted dry) or dry (soaked, cooked, and then rinsed, drained and patted dry) chickpeas tossed in olive oil with sea salt and whatever spices your legume-loving heart desire. Roast in a moderate oven until crisp and golden. These won’t last long. They make a fibre-rich snack, are cheap as chips (okay, not quite, but almost, especially if you’re comparing them to fancy schmancy upmarket crisp varieties) and can also be sprinkled on meals or used in sandwiches for exciting, crunchy measure. If your child is okay with nuts, they also make a great ‘crumble’ when blended with peanut butter.
There you have it folks. Five gloriously tasty, gratifyingly easy and mind-blowingly nourishing ideas. Kudos to us for reframing our definition of the word ‘treat’ and giving our colon bugs something to work with in the process.
Never again will you be as mistaken as eight-year-old Rach and her acceptance of delayed defecation timetables. Happy poo, happy you, right?
Yes Rach, unlike your flat-falling dad jokes, we agree with you on that last one.
Thanks friends. Good to have you along.
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