Festive Food for Little Ones.

Christmas is a fabulous time to let your little one explore new flavours and to really bring out the fun in food. A lot of the festive foods may not be suitable due to it’s levels of salt and sugar so it is important to be aware of this. If you are out and about with family this year it is good to plan ahead. 

• Take snacks with you as the traditional festive fayre may not be to your little ones taste buds or their nutritional needs.
• Christmas meals can be later than your usual timetable, so do prepare something to keep their little tummies going. A small sandwich and veggie sticks for example.
• The rich desserts may upset small tummies, but a squeezy yoghurt pouch with some of their favourite fruit is a great alternative.
• A roast dinner can be an easy meal to adjust for your little one. Skip the pigs in blankets due to the salt and make a low salt gravy using the water the vegetables are cooked in, a low salt stock cube and cornflour. Let them tuck into strips of meat, veg and potatoes.
• Do let your little one try a selection of different foods but also present them with foods they recognise and love.

You can make some yummy festive treats at home and even get your little one helping you too. 

• Use festive cutters to cut shapes out of vegetables and serve with a dip at snack time.
• Bake your own lower sugar gingerbread, using apple juice instead of the sugar and use smaller cutters to help the portions.
• Make sandwich sushi rolls – fill wraps with a filling, roll up and slice into bite sized chunks. 

• Dried cranberries make a lovely festive snack, though keep the portion to a small baby sized handful.
• Use ¼ banana with a strawberry on top as a festive santa or make a red,green and white fruit kebab with berries, melon and banana.
• Make christmas trees using long peels of cucumber and smoked salmon.
• Try pancakes topped with fruit to make a Santa face and yoghurt for the beard.
• Make watermelon christmas trees cutting a triangle shape with the green skin as a base to hold.

Remember food is an important part of Christmas but it’s not the only part so enjoy all those other non-food traditions with your little ones too. It is also a fabulous time to get creative in the kitchen and include your little one in all the food preparation fun.