good snacks for 2 year olds

[titferbrains]

I don't think I give my daughter enough!

She isn't a big eater, and in some ways quite adventurous. But also - not really a fan of potatoes, sandwiches, cheese, ham, cheap bread (really!) and adores fruit and veg. And I am gutted that she doesn't like hummous. Also, she's a bit anti sticky or wet foods so hard to get fatty/rich things on to bread for her to eat. She just likes plain baguette or ciabatta.

Just wondering what kind of snacks I can give her which are a bit more calorific than bloody blueberries and yogurt?

Also, I never really make a pudding for her, she always has fruit and yogurt if she wants either/both.

Any thoughts? what do you give yrs for snacks? Or easy to make puds? She used to like ambrosia custard but alas no more...and am not sure it's a great idea to give her icecream too often.

She really does adore fruit but her poos are a bit grim if she has too much so I am afraid I try to keep a lid on that...

She is quite small and skinny and I would just love it if she could be a little bit chubbier.

How about bread made with oil/seeds/cheese/combo in it? Like foccacia kind of... the fat is in the bread so you eat it toppingless!

Add a bit of cream to her yoghurt?
Also how about roasted veg with loads of olive oil and chickpeas? Don't know if these things would appeal...

For puddingy stuff, seeing as she likes fruit then how about a fruit pie or crumble or tart? Nice apple crumble made with butter and served with cream is lush imo and so moreish!

You could just bolster her snacks though, like crackers and I know she doesn't like hummus but what about guacamole or taramasalata... why do our kids have expensive tastes?!!

thanks
yes focaccia etc a good idea
just wondering if you regularly make puds for your little ones. I just about manage to get supper on the table for her, dessert just seems like one more thing and plus, if she doesn't eat it, I'm highly likely to want it... am overweight as it is - think this is partly why I struggle with giving her fatty stuff, I don't buy anything fattening if I can avoid to stop myself eating it. buying it for her=temptation.... can you tell I have no will power!

Give her dried fruit

nuts

yoghurt coated raisins

flapjacks

dried banana chips

If you buy them for her, and keep them seperate to the food you eat, it may help you not eat them.

Crackers and biscuits are also good snacks.

Avocado is full of fat, does she like avocado?

And no I do not regularly make puddings, we all eat together so I wouldn't just make a pudding for DS anyway. He always has a pot of full fat fruit yoghurt for pudding, or some Total yoghurt and honey.

It is quite a hunt to find yoghurts that aren't low fat, it is a pet hate of mine, almost all the fruit yoghurts and bloody low fat or fat free.

For snacks I give:

• yoghurt
• fruit
• oatcakes
• breadsticks
• babybel
• ricecakes (espec. marmite ricecakes!)
• soreen malt loaf

I don't make puddings as such, just give fruit and/or yoghurt. Like you, I've enough bother just getting the main course sorted. Also he gets dessert at nursery so that will do!

No I don't make puddings every day and you don't need to worry about doing that either! She would just end up getting a sweet tooth and hold off her main for pudding I think I make something like a crumble on sundays but most days we have yoghurt/a biscuit or two/hot chocolate/cube of choc/fruit for later. I'd also suggest you get foods that you have specially for her to snack but you don't eat/like

Homemade sausage rolls, little sausages, crackers with cream cheese or cheddar and butter, homemade pizza, bananas, raisins covered in yoghurt, flapjacks, garlic bread.

Rarely make puddings never just for the kids as neither are that interested although meringue/ice cream and strawberries goes down well as a treat.

Yeo valley strawberry yoghurt icecream I resorted to with DD who would not eat or drink any dairy foods.

Mine used to get lovingly chopped vegetable sticks and homemade dippy things as a snack, but I'm busy and poor at the moment so she gets whatever's around:

Hard boiled egg, oatcakes, oat biscuits, lump of cheese, lump of a different type of cheese, grapes (with some cheese), roast chicken, digestive biscuit, homemade leftover shortcake, homemade scone (sometimes a cheese scone!), cold prawns, leftover roast chicken, salt free kettle chips, cold mashed potato (really, that's her favourite).

TBH, it's not so much the type of food as it being presented in a pink plastic bowl that seems to satisfy the criteria as a 'snack'- especially if she's allowed to sit on the sofa and watch In the Night Garden while it's being eaten!

Pudding wise, it's only made on a Sunday. Otherwise, it's cheese and fruit, but she's rarely bothered unless main course was considered naff.

We found things like a small pot of pasta with pesto or cherry toms in (as a meal, or a snack), toasted pitta breads with raita, taramasalata or hummus (or by themselves!). DD isn't that keen on shop hummus as it's often very salty - have you tried home-made at all? Easy to do and quite quick. Small portions of gnocchi or tortellini can be useful (and if you get the dried tortellini, you can just cook a little as you want, rather than a whole packet). DC likes veggie sticks, oatcakes, flapjacks, fruit, unsalted crisps/tortillas, naan bread and small pieces of left-over pizza.

DC usually has two fruit snacks each day. For meals she is expected to eat as we do, although there are some exceptions (due to her eczema & psoriasis). We generally don't do puds, she is usually too full after dinner (and my DH doesn't eat them), although crumbles are quick and easy, DC's favourite are Clearspring fruit purees - we get them from Morrisons freefrom section. They store well. If she is still hungry, we give either unsalted ricecakes or crackers.

Check out this site:

www.littlepeoplesplates.co.uk/tot-it-up.html

Please remember that her being skinny may just be her body type and nothing at all to do with how she eats.

Also, toddlers tastes change all the time. My ds, up until now would not eat rice, strawberries or green beans, and all of a sudden, he cant get enough.

Can you give us some examples of meals she likes?

she will eat tomatoes any time of day or night
she loves roasted veg (I do them in balsamic, soy, garlic and olive oil)
she'll always eat risotto, which I always make with at least 5 veggies and cheese and fish or chicken
fishfingers and smiley faces with roasted pepper
I made a tuna and rice salad with peppers, boiled egg, olives, herbs, tomatoes and courgette and she loved it...
scrambled egg with rice and peas
she won't eat sandwiches but I admit I haven't tried many flavours as I don't like them.

occasionally she'll eat toast with butter and jam.