Great toddler snacks for fussy eaters

Phewww, we are finally just coming out of the end of a difficult few months with Finley and his eating habits! 

 Ever since weaning the little chap has happily munched his way through anything put in front of him, veggies, fruits....chocolate biscuits tut tut. Then out of the blue one lunchtime he turned his nose up at his most favourite spaghetti bolognese, the concerned mummy in me panicked, worried, offered different food and it turns out it was just the start of Finley being a Fuss Monster! Ever since then dinner and tea times (he still loved his brekkie) just became a daily struggle trying to offer out dinosaur shaped sandwiches and heart shaped strawberries (he is just that kinda boy)! But alas nothing seemed to work, a few nibbles here and there but the majority left uneaten.

After speaking with a few friends and questioning my biggest Friend Google my mind was eased and found out it is quite common and shouldn't be cause for too much concern unless he isn't eating anything at all. It can be a combination of reasons why babies eat a little less from just not needing as many calories, exploring their boundaries to say no and make their own decisions and of course the dreaded back teeth arriving. One reassuring thing I read was to look at what your toddler is eating week by week not day by day, they might have a not so great day but the next they may eat you out of house and home - some mums said their little ones seem to live on air! Just keep an eye on their weight but try not to panic as Finley is coming out of the other side now.

Luckily after much perseverance and 2 months of trying an array of exotic cuisine he seems part way back to normal...fingers crossed. So today I thought I would share with you some of my holy grail saviours that have saved the day many a time when he hadn't filled up on much else. Plus they are great snacks that go down well in this household for both Finners and Daddy.

Fruit Squeezey Pouches

What would I do without these! They have been a great way to get a portion of fruit into Finley in one go without him turning his nose up at them. He loves the unique way he can eat them, he isn't too keen on being spoon fed anything at the mo so just to squeeze them directly into his mouth is fab. Plus when it gets a little warmer you can freeze them for a little while and they become like fruit slushies....yum! I have tried a few varieties but always come back to Ella's Kitchen, they have the biggest variety of flavours and I am a sucker for quirky packaging.

Banana Slices

One of the few fruits he will still happily eat, I am thinking its because they are slightly softer and soothing his poorly gums. That and they are delicious of course.

Little Plain Biscuits

I bought these on a whim from Tesco a few weeks ago, I was browsing the offers and these popped up for 5 packets for 50p - I thought for 50p its worth taking a chance to see if Finley may eat these as a snack....and they turned out to be amazing. I have just bought a further 20 packets, they are dotted all over the house haha. I would say they taste like a little sweeter version of a rich tea biscuit. There are four in a packet so perfect for out and about, plus me and Matt love them too. They are in the polish section which I would never have thought to look in but take a look there are some fab bits and pieces.

Fruit Smoothies

An obvious choice for all parents and they probably pop up regularly in most fridges across the world but Finley is loving them. They aren't as thick as homemade smoothies and they pass as a treat so Finley will happily guzzle one of these with his breakfast. I know the sugar can be higher in smoothies but as it was there wasn't much else in the day he ate so I cant see any harm :) plus its an extra portion of fruit.

Coco Puffs??

Too be honest I am still not sure what these are called? They were another Polish aisle item and I thought two big bags for a £1 is worth a shot. They aren't the most attractive looking things but Finley and Matt go mad for them....me not so much haha. They are a sweet coco dusted corn puff, if you are from the UK imagine a giant wotsit (minus the cheese) that is sweet flavoured. Yup, I still cant get my head around it but they are the sweet treat that isn't sugar and chocolate filled to the max. I shall be buying more of these just for the boys, I on the other hand shall stick to my chocolate digestives. 

Frozen Fruits

Our current favourite are frozen raspberries, I tend to buy the fruit frozen as it is half the price as fresh and lasts so much longer. And it tastes even better, they are like mini ice lollies which Finley is loving. Be careful though, they do stain so arm yourself with an all over bib or wear something your not too fussed about getting marked.

Finley's Favourite Yogurts

I couldn't write this post without giving a shout out to the one an only Fromage Frais! These are Tesco's own Brand as they sent them me as a replacement (can anyone guess I do online shopping) and he isn't as keen on this brand but he loves Petit Filous and would eat them for every meal if he could. We buy them in big multipacks and they work out cheaper than own brands so look out for bulk buy prices! These are my saviour, they have all the calcium he needs and I now without fail he will guzzle one of these in literally 10 seconds. *bows down to the fromage frais* (if someone 10 years ago told me I would be raving about yougurts I would have said they were mad...the joys motherhood brings hey).

That's all the snacks I can think of for now but if there are any others I forgot I shall add them on :D

Luckily I think we have turned a corner with Finley and he is venturing out and slowly getting back to his former self food wise. We are still struggling with veggies so any suggestions would be great...I don't know whether his tastes just have changed or it is a battle of wills! I may have to think up some great disguising recipes and ways to hide food other than to cover it in cheese haha. 

Please leave any meal ideas or snack suggestions as they are all more than welcome...my inspiration and ideas have only gone so far and would love to hear your ideas :)

Thanks so much for reading

Love Kayleigh x