Stop buying these 5 basic foods for your toddler!

Posted 10/08/2015 in Recipe Collections

If you are buying any of these five basic foods for your toddler, then you need to read this!

Baby and kids custards

There's a huge selection of baby/toddler custards available in supermarkets, and they usually come in convenient little jars and tubs. These jars are generally marked as being an "occasional treat" for babies, probably because of the presence of sugar and sweeteners.

When I first started feeding my baby solid food, I thought of baby custard not as an occasional treat, but as a wholesome, nutritious food that is suitable for babies to eat daily. This is because I was making home-made custard, containing nothing but egg yolk and milk.

I was actually shocked the first time I looked at the ingredients list on a store-bought baby custard. While my basic home-made baby custard had two healthy ingredients, store-bought baby custard (labelled for babies 6m+) contained around eight questionable ones, including refined sugars and flours.

Home-made baby custard takes mere minutes to make, and you can use whatever kind of milk you like - breast milk, formula, cows milk (once your baby is ready for cows milk), etc.

You can easily add things like mashed banana, cinnamon and vanilla bean for a little extra flavour.

Try out this basic, easy recipe for Banana Custard, which contains just egg yolk, milk and mashed banana (if you want plain custard, simply leave out the mashed banana). If your child has an egg allergy, you can try out this easy Eggless Custard with Banana and Cinnamon.

Jams

Jam is delicious, there's no doubt about it. My two year old loves it on toast, on banana pieces, and by the spoonful if he can get his cheeky hands on the jar.

Jams that you buy in stores are typically loaded with sugar, and generally only contain between 40 and 60% actual fruit. There are some amazing jams that contain all natural ingredients and have no added sugars, but they will cost you more.

What if I told you that you could easily prepare jam at home using just three healthy ingredients and about 5 minutes of your time? 

This incredible Berry Chia Jam is not only delicious, but it is thickened with a spoonful of chia seeds. Chia seeds are packed with omega-3s and antioxidants, so make up a quick batch of this delicious berry jam to pack a little more nutrition into your toddler's jam sandwich.



Chicken stock

Chicken stock is a staple ingredient in many home-cooked meals. Soups, casseroles, stews, even pasta sauces will often contain this flavour-packed liquid.

Unfortunately, most brands of chicken stock you can buy in the supermarket contain far too much salt and sugar to be suitable for babies and toddlers. But the good news is - you can make a healthy, nutritious Chicken Stock yourself at home! 

Real chicken stock made from bones is amazing for your health. It can help reduce symptoms of colds, contributes to bone strength, promotes healthy digestion as well as healthier skin, hair and nails, and reduces joint pain and inflammation.

I'm sure you've heard the old adage that chicken soup is great for when you have a cold? Well a can of condensed chicken soup ain't gonna cut it - what you need is good old fashioned, slow cooked chicken stock. It's jam packed with minerals, vitamins and amino acids that are amazing for your health.

Nut butters

If you have a jar of peanut butter in your pantry, take a quick peek at the ingredients list. You will find that most brands contain added sugar, salt, and vegetable or palm oils. A good, healthy peanut butter only needs one or two ingredients - peanuts and maybe a dash of oil.

Did you know that it takes almost no effort at all to make your own nut butters at home? All you need is a food processor and some raw nuts.

All you need to do is roast the nuts for about 10 minutes and then blend them up until smooth and creamy. That's all. Some variations of nuts contain less natural oil than others, so adding a little splash of peanut or olive oil can be helpful in the blending stage.

Almonds are naturally very rich in oil, and have a wonderful flavour that lends itself amazingly well to nut butter. Try out this simple recipe for tasty, creamy Almond Butter.

Chicken nuggets / strips

My two year old just loooooves chicken nuggets and chicken strips. He sets himself up with his little sauce bowl and dips em in, eating them up like they are the best thing that has ever happened to him.

Store-bought chicken nuggets and strips are highly processed and have a LOT of added ingredients. They really aren't something I like to feed to my toddler.

On the other hand, home-made chicken nuggets and strips are healthy, easy to make, and they taste so much better! They are made with chunks of real, juicy chicken - not rubbery pieces of ground up mystery meat. They are dipped in wholesome eggs and then coated with a simple, perfectly crispy exterior.

This awesomely simple recipe for Crunchy Chicken Strips is definitely a winner, and you can cut the chicken pieces to make nuggets or bites if that's what you prefer. 



These five basic food items are surprisingly easy to make, and you should really consider making the switch from store-bought to home-made. They taste so much better, and are a much healthier choice for your family. Do you know of any other easy home-made alternatives to processed foods? Let us know in the comments below.


 

 

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