Food can be a source of stress for many parents. We all know the feeling of being short on time and struggling to cook from scratch and the silent rage we feel when it goes uneaten (or is that just me?). Maybe you worry that your kids don’t eat enough veg or that you have no idea what’s actually in their school dinner.
If this feels relatable, this one is for you. We asked our friends over at Lune + Wild for help. Lara, their Head Chef, spends ALL her time thinking about how to make delicious and nutritious food for kids– she’s shared her favourite recipes for simple after school snacks to help us pack lots of goodness in a little amount of time.
Whether your child’s in a fussy phase or not, these four simple recipes center on the idea of taking a very familiar food, and adding just that little extra bit of goodness. Little ones are very astute, so we’ve kept these super safe to demonstrate it’s all about baby steps, and remembering that it’s always a passing phase. As Bee Wilson said “Nothing tastes good in the spirit of coercion.”
Roast Veggie Hummus
Spread on toast to add some nutrition to snack time.
- 2 big carrots
- 1 red onion
- 1 red pepper
- 1 tin of cooked chickpeas
- Ice cube
- Smoked paprika
- Olive oil
- Roughly chop the veggies and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
- Roast at 160c for 35mins or until soft and beginning to caramelise. Allow to cool slightly.
- Blitz smooth in nutri-bullet (or similar) with 1 ice cube. Then add a drained tin of chickpeas, a pinch of smoked paprika and 1tbsp of extra virgin olive oil.
- Blend smooth, adding a little cold water if needed to reach preferred consistency.
- Let firm in the fridge for one hour.
Popeye Pesto Pasta
A subtle twist on classic pesto to bulk up the greens.
- Handful fresh basil
- Handful fresh parsley
- Handful fresh spinach, or blanched kale, or cavolo nero
- 3tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2tbsp grated parmesan (or
- 1 tbsp capers if dairy-free)
- Squeeze of lemon
- Wash all the greens under cold water, roughly chop and add to nutri-bullet (or similar) and blend until smooth.
- For classic use, mix with cooked pasta and top with extra parmesan. Or, at Lune + Wild, we love adding the kale version swirled into mac and cheese.
Broccoli bread
High in protein, this veg heavy bread is moorish and nourishing.
- 1 head of broccoli, including stalks
- 150g ground almonds
- 3 eggs
- ½ tsp oil for greasing
- Optional: 10g chopped herbs: dill is delicious in this 2 tsp sesame seeds
- Roughly chop the broccoli then blitz to a crumb consistency by pulsing in a food processor.
- Add in the eggs, ground almonds and any additional ingredients then blend until combined.
- Line and lightly grease a baking tray then evenly spread the bread mix over.
- Bake in a preheated oven 170 degrees for 30-35 mins or until firm but lightly springy to touch.
- Once completely cooled, remove from tray and slice into fingers for a perfect on the go snack or cut into squares for a nutritious sandwich bread.
- The bread freezes brilliantly – make a big batch, cut it up and freeze for later or keep in the fridge for 3 days!
Serving suggestions:
Toast it and spread it, dip in hummus, sandwich it, cut into fingers for snacking or baby-led weaning.
Natural lollies
A brilliant refined sugar-free alternative for all ages, and great for teething babies. This is a basic recipe that can be adapted with lots of flavour combinations.
- 1 large ripe banana
- 1/2 cup milk (for babies, use breast milk or formula and for 12 months+ use preferred milk of choice)
- 1 big handful washed baby spinach leaves (approx. 15 leaves)
- Optional: spring of mint, leaves only
- Blend in nutri-bullet (or similar) until smooth. Pour into ice lolly moulds and freeze for minimum 4 hours or until set.
Tip: brush a little warm water to melt the surface of the popsicle before giving it to your baby as the contrast in temperatures can cause the lolly to stick to skin.
If these recipes sound great but you just don’t have the time to russell them up. That’s where Lune + Wild can help. They make nutritious, guilt-free food for kids. Perfect for the summer holidays! If you’re keen to try it, you can use the code KORU10 for 10% off your first order.
By Lara Rodgers, Co-founder and Head Chef at Lune + Wild
