“As a fussy eating expert, I have been there with babies, toddlers and children of all ages. I know how limiting it can be when your child seems to literally say no to everything at a picnic that doesn’t come in a sweet wrapper! Packing the perfect picnic for them can be particularly challenging, and it's all too easy to give in and go for the easy crowd pleasers such as crisps and biscuits and unadventurous sandwiches, rather than a healthier option that is less familiar to them.
Lucy, Fussy Eater Expert
My following tips for prepping a quick and healthy picnic will help keep your little ones’ tummies healthy and happy, with minimum fuss and maximum fun :)”
Make it enjoyable
● Adding a fun element doesn’t need to mean lots of prep for you, but will help make a little ones’ food experience more engaging, and is a sure fire way to fire their appetite too!
● It could be something as simple as cutting up orange and/ or grapefruit segments for a juice squeezing competition, then adding them into sparkling or still water for a zesty refreshing treat!
● Or how about a Game of Bowling - using the fruit as the bowls? Your ‘bowls’ can be the oranges and how about using a mini watermelon as the target. Win or lose, you can all enjoy eating them up after! A game and snack in one!
Let the kids do the work!
● It’s amazing how making something yourself can really add to your enjoyment of eating. And this certainly rings true when it comes to little ones and their food concoctions!
● How about the easy to prepare and delicious Organix Rocket Tortilla Wrap Pizzas which not only make a great fun food activity encouraging little hands to explore different textures, but also encourage them to try more veggies! All you need is some tortilla wraps, cheese, tomato sauce and thinly sliced veggies. Pre-bake the wraps on a medium heat for five minutes, then spread the tomato sauce on top, alongside slices of cheese (which you can cut into a rocket shape), add your thinly sliced veggies as a topping and bake again for another 5 - 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and the tortilla are golden. Tasty and nutritious!
● And if they are after something sweet, pack some chopped fruit and kebab sticks, and everyone can construct their own Fruit Kebab.
Think outside the (sandwich) box
● Just because it’s got the word picnic in it, it doesn’t need to require sandwiches every time! Carrot and Cucumber dippers (peeled and sliced into baton shapes) with nut butter are easy to prepare and will stay crisp for hours. What’s more, the batons are packed full of vitamins and crunch, whilst the nut butter contains protein and is a good source of fibre… and a far better alternative to limp and sweaty sandwiches ! You can also cut up peppers, celery, babycorn, mangetout, whatever your little one might like best
● And if dipping is your thing, how about using Organix Apple Rice Cake Clouds to dip into a tasty apple puree?
Snack wisely
● Organix has recently launched its new KIDS range, which are the perfect snacking options for a picnic! The new range includes: Organix Kids Soft Oaty Bars, Organix Kids Mini Flapjack Bites and Organix Kids Wholegrain Llama Puffs, are all available in a variety of delicious flavours and fit perfectly into lunchboxes. Perfect for keeping energy levels up and satisfying growling hunger that the outdoors seems to inspire! And what’s great is they are all under 100kcal per portion, organic and offer a healthier option to the snacks found on the adult aisle which are generally high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS), so you can sit back and enjoy the contents of your picnic, with a minimum of guilt!
Ready, steady…Picnic !
More information, recipes and ideas on how to have a tasty and nutritious picnic, with the minimum of fuss can be found at Organix.com
Tagged in Picnic