Thermotwinning: November 2015

Here are my 'tried and tested' list of finger foods for my boys!

When Ethan and Harley started to want to eat themselves, I did a lot of online and book research for finger food ideas.

My boys are HUGE for their age, and looove their food. They are not fussy (...most of the time) and have no food intolerances which makes it really easy for me to prepare their meals!

My rule is to have the most colourful 'tasting' plate of foods so the boys experience a variety of different foods, textures, smells and flavours. I've read that a colourful plate of food is a nutritious one! So I make sure I cover lots of food colours in the meals the boys eat (except for when we are out and using the pram!). I've also read that the more variety of foods you give a baby when they are young, the less fussy they will be when they grow older (this isn't tried and tested yet, so *fingers crossed*)!

Thermotwinning's Finger Food Ideas for Babies and Toddlers

Koala sandwich with Mayvers Super Spread on a bed of baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, babybel cheese, steamed broccoli and carrot, strawberries (quartered), hard boiled egg, and pizza pockets

The boys with their 'pram friendly' finger foods (i.e. nothing juicy or coloured like vegemite, tomatoes, berries, watermelon etc)

Dinosaur sandwich with cream cheese on a bed of baby spinach, cheese and crackers, dried apricots, freeze dried apple, and whole orange and poppyseed muffin with almond and chia seeds

Another 'pram friendly' lunch box

Cheese and bacon rolls, sweet eating cucumber, tasty cheese, mini fruit balls, pear and crackers

BREAKFAST:

Pancakes/waffles - these are some that I make that freezes and reheats well:
- Pumpkin Pancakes (The boys fave!!)
- Sweet Potato Waffles
- Berry Coconut Flour Pancakes

Wholemeal sandwich, toast or Cruskits with the following spreads:
- Baby purees including fruit purees (instead of jam)
- Vegemite
- Mayvers Super Spread (can be found with the peanut butter section/organics section)
- Cream cheese
- Avocado
- Mashed banana
- Jam

Raisin Toast (there is a wholemeal version available) - freezes and reheats well

Scrambled eggs - in a bowl, add egg(s) (about 1 per child) + a splash of milk + a small handful of grated tasty cheese - microwave 1 minute on high, stir, then microwave 30 seconds at a time stirring in between until cooked. Leave to cool for a few minutes - the tasty cheese gives it some flavour and also helps the egg firm up so it is easier to grip (my husband's trick! he makes it for the boys on the days I'm at work) - goes well with vegemite on toast!

Sultana Bran Buds (link here) or similar type bite sized cereals (soaked in some milk to soften)

***With a spoon:

MAIN MEALS:

Wholemeal sandwich, toast or Cruskits with the following spreads:
- Baby purees including fruit purees (instead of jam) and savoury 'main meal' ones
- Vegemite
- Cream cheese
- Mayvers Super Spread (can be found with the peanut butter section/organics section)
- 'The Laughing Cow' cheese triangles - squished and spread
- Cream cheese mixed with sardines (super nutritious but best left to eat at home as it's a bit on the nose!) my boys love this!
- Vegemite and sliced tasty cheese
- Avocado
- Mashed banana
- Jam

Wholemeal Toast Cheesy Melts - I use one or some of these toppings and top it with a piece of sliced tasty cheese and pop it in the air fryer or grill for 5 minutes/180 degrees
- Tinned tuna
- Ham
- Scrambled eggs
- Tomatoes
- Tinned red salmon
- Avocado
- Bolognese sauce
- Gourmet sausages cut up into small pieces
- Roast/poached chicken (shredded)
- Leftover meat diced into small pieces

Pizza Pockets (link here) - freezes and reheats well

Pasta - any type, I usually use elbow pasta, macaroni or small sea shells as they are easy to pick up - freezes and reheats well. I generally use a cheesy white sauce base, vegetable puree, or tomato based sauce for the pasta sauce with the following fillings:
- Tinned red salmon
- Fresh salmon (de-skinned and de-boned)
- White fish like Ling or Barramundi (de-skinned and de-boned)
- Bacon/ham
- Chicken Thigh Fillets (they have more nutrients than breast fillets)
- Pork, chicken or Beef mince
- Peas
- Broccoli
- Sweet Potato
- Pumpkin
- Carrots
- Zucchini
- Frozen Veg i.e. peas and carrot
- Or cooked pasta with grated cheese melted on top (easy and not messy if you're out!)

Some of the boys' fave pasta recipes:

Thermotwinning's Smoked Salmon Pasta (using tinned Tuna/Salmon instead of Smoked Salmon)
Skinnymixer's Macaroni Cheese with a Twist
Chunky Spaghetti Bolognese (with hidden veggies - with the onion in Step 3, I add 2 x carrots, 3 x sticks of celery, and 1 x zucchini)
Best Ever Macaroni Cheese
Basic Cookbook - Creamy Tomato and Salami recipe (with extra veggies blitzed with the onion)

Meatballs - Any combo of chicken/pork/beef mince + hidden blitzed up veggies - freezes and reheats well

Salmon Patties - I use a recipe from the Thermomix Cooking for your Baby and Toddler book - however this is a great Salmon Rissole recipe - freezes and reheats well

Risotto or Pasta Muffin Cups - With any risotto or pasta recipe, just place in muffin tins and top with tasty or cheddar cheese, and bake for about 20 minutes/180 degrees until cheese is melted and golden. Skinnymixer's Risotto Frittata is a great recipe - freezes and reheats well

Hot Dog Buns (Chinese Sausage Rolls) (link here) - freezes and defrosts well

Sushi - This is great for older babies if you're out and need to takeaway something for them. My boys love the mini ones and make sure you don't get the raw fillings, so I usually get avocado, tuna, cucumber, or egg ones. The sushi rice is really sticky so I find it really easy to clean up after them! You can make Sushi yourself - this is a great recipe - Thermobexta's Egg and Avocado Sushi

Thermomumma's Garlic, Cheese and Spinach Naan (link here) - freezes and reheats well

***With a spoon/fork:

Risotto (I use the Basic Cookbook recipe)
Skinnymixer's Coconut Curried Sausages
Skinnymixer's Butter Chicken
Thermomumma's Corned Meat and Veggies (Pg. 22, cut up into small pieces)
Or food that the rest of the family is having!

VEGETABLES:

Sweet eating cucumbers (halved or quartered lengthwise) - these are mini cucumbers you can get at green grocers, Coles/Woolies and Aldi - usually in the refrigerated vegetable section with the lettuce

Cherry/grape tomatoes (halved lengthwise) - the boys fave are the Gold Sweet Eating Grape tomatoes (they are orange in colour) these are the ones from Coles, they are sweeter than normal Cherry tomatoes which can sometimes be quite tarte

Steamed carrots and green beans (cut in half, then quartered lengthwise) - Fill bowl with water just above the blades, place carrots into steaming basket (I usually make about 2 carrots and a handful of beans then place in fridge to use as needed), then steam 16 minutes/Varoma/Speed 1

Steamed Broccoli Trees - Fill bowl with water just above the blades, place carrots into steaming basket (I usually cut 1 lot of broccoli then place in fridge to use as needed), then steam 12 minutes/Varoma/Speed 1

Steamed Zucchini - Fill bowl with water just above the blades, place carrots into steaming basket (I usually cut 2 lots of zucchini then place in fridge to use as needed), then steam 9 minutes/Varoma/Speed 1

Sweet potato (roasted/air fried/steamed)

Pumpkin (roasted/air fried/steamed)

Potato (roasted/air fried/steamed)

Lettuce/spinach leaves (any type though I steer clear of the bitter ones like rocket)

Cooked peas - Fresh, frozen or dehydrated

Capsicum (Cut into sticks)

FRUIT:

Apples (quartered, cored, then each quarter cut into 3 wedges) I leave the skin on as it has a lot of vitamins/nutrition in it, or else there are 'kid's lunchbox' apples which are smaller which my boys love to use their teeth and bite into!

Pears (quartered, cored, then each quarter cut into 3 wedges) I leave the skin on as above

Seedless Watermelon (cut into small pieces (one of the boys faves but I leave it for home as it is so messy!)

Blueberries

Strawberries (halved or quartered)

Grapes (halved lengthwise)

Bananas

White or Yellow Peaches

White or Yellow Nectarines

Mango

Kiwifruit

SNACKS/DESSERT:

BLISS BALLS:
(Fridge or freezer)

SLICES/BARS/BROWNIES:
(Freezes and defrosts well)

MUFFINS/CUPCAKES:

(Freezes and defrosts well)

20 Second Banana Oat Muffins *NF *EF
20 Second Crunchy Lemon Muffins *NF *EF
30 Second Milo Muffins *NF *EF
Banana Bran Muffins *EF
Coconut Quinoa Muffins *NF
Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes *NF
Whole Orange and Poppyseed Muffins with Almonds and Chia Seeds

COOKIES/BISCUITS:
(Freezes and defrosts well)

Apple and Celery Cake Cookies
Coconut White Chocolate Cookie Balls *NF
Oaty Date Cookies *NF option
Milo Cookies *NF

BREAD/CAKE:
(Freezes and defrosts well)

30 Second Caramel Apple Cake *NF
Apple and Custard Scroll Pullapart Log *NF
Chocolate Beetroot Cake *NF
Custard Scrolls *NF
Finger Buns *NF *EF
Healthy Banana Bread *NF option
Orange Yoghurt Cake *NF
Steamed Sponge Cake *NF

SWEETS:
(Keeps in fridge for a few weeks)

Fruit Juice Jelly Lollies *NF *EF *GF

PANCAKES:

(Freezes and defrosts well)

Oat and Pear Pancakes *NF
Pumpkin Pancakes *NF

SAVOURY:

(Freezes and defrosts well)

Cheese, Bacon and Pineapple Rolls *NF *EF
Duck Pancakes *NF *EF
Hash Brown Quiche *NF
Hot Dog Buns (Chinese Sausage Rolls) *NF *EF
Pizza Pockets *NF *EF
Taiwanese Rice Balls *EF *GF
Vegemite and Cheese Muffins *NF

Hard Boiled Eggs - Fill bowl with water just above the blades, place eggs into steaming basket - cook 15 minutes/Varoma/Speed 1

Tasty or cheddar cheese - pre-sliced/cut into thin pieces

Cheese sticks (these are softer, I would wait to introduce it around 10 months as I found the boys would squish it in their hands and smoosh it everywhere before it got to their mouths)

Babybel Cheese

Deli meats - ham, turkey, Skinnymixers Lunchbox Chicken Loaf

Shredded chicken (poached, roasted)

Crackers - Jatz, Ritz etc

Arnott's Shredded Wheatmeal biscuits

Fruit straps (100% dehydrated fruit) I have made them like the Strawberry Chips but they have a really short shelf life when homemade (when the boys are older and eat more it'll better!) but my recent fave are Annie's Fruit Straps as they are great to leave in the baby bag

Mini Fruit Balls (link here) - can be frozen and defrosted

Cruskits - These are a great alternative to the 'baby section' rice crackers which are sooooo $$$$$$ which I use for snacks when we go out

Dried apricots

Dried apples

Sultanas

Tinned pineapple pieces

Freeze dried fruit (I buy mine from Costco, Bellamy's Organic also have some)

Veggie Straws (I also buy these from Costco but you can get them from the heath food section)

Skinnymixer's Cheesy Pumpkin Puffs (link here) - freezes and reheats well

***With a spoon:

5 Second Chia Seed Pudding *EF
Baked Rice Custard *NF *GF
Fruit Jelly Cups *NF *EF *GF
Thermomumma's Creamed Rice (Pg.34)
Custard ('Runny' setting in the automatic recipe in the Basic Cookbook - either Vanilla flavoured, or banana custurd by popping a ripe banana in, instead of sugar)