Nutrition in the early years of our children’s lives really matters when it comes to their long-term health. However, our headlines in the UK are full of rising childhood obesity statistics indicating that nutrition education surrounding the early years of life is lacking. Many parents are known to look online at forums and blogs for help on early years nutrition, and whilst this support is invaluable for parents, a more evidenced-based source of information is required. Little Foodie aims to combine parent friendly, online support with expert knowledge and guidance from evidence-based nutritionists around early years nutrition.  

Little Foodie was founded by leading UK Childhood Nutritionists Charlotte and Emma. Their main aim is to help children to have fun whilst building a healthy relationship with food from their early years. Little Foodie is designed to work directly with parents and carers of young children to help them overcome the hurdles that come with feeding young children. Charlotte and Emma are both mums themselves and therefore are able to combine their own hands on experience with the latest scientific evidence. 

The Little Foodie website offers a regular online forum where hot topics in nutrition will be discussed. The site also offers free online factsheets for parents which cover a range of popular child feeding topics from weaning to fussy eating and portion sizes. The site aims to introduce food into all aspects of a child’s life, with website sections comprising of fun, healthy recipes and also how to introduce ‘food play’ into a child’s life. 

For more information you can find them on their social channels @littlefoodieorg (Instagram and Twitter) and visit their website www.littlefoodie.org. 

Little Foodie Recipes

Pink & Purple Porridge

What age foodie?  
8 months and beyond. 

What’s needed?

2 tsp baby rice
5 tbsp of your baby’s usual milk
4-5 raspberries/ blueberries or half a small kiwi/couple of kiwi berries.

What do I do?

Blend or mush the raspberries/blueberries/kiwi.  
Spoon the baby rice into a weaning bowl and mix into your baby’s usual milk until the desired textured is reached. 

What can it be used for? 
Yum breakfast is served.  Porridge oats can also be used instead of baby rice as children get older.  Oats can also be soaked in usual milk and the fruit of choice overnight.

#Vegitup Sauce

What age foodie?  
9 months and beyond. 

What’s needed?

1 clove/spoon garlic
1 small tin reduced sugar baked beans (220g)
1 sweet potato
1 carrot
Handful of peas
Anything else that you can use up veg. wise.

What do I do?
Soften the carrot and sweet potato in boiling water.  
After about 10 minutes drain, add the beans, peas and garlic and simmer until ready.  
Use a hand blender to get it to the desired consistency. 

What can it be used for?
This super sauce can be used to tingle taste buds when weaning just as it is. As children get older it can be mixed with pasta and fish dishes or used as a sauce base for dishes.

Suitable for freezing.

Superquick Hummus

What age foodie?  
8 months and beyond. 

What’s needed?

1 can chickpeas
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 small pinch of paprika
Extra virgin olive oil

What do I do?

1. Empty chick peas into a sieve, rinse thoroughly and dry. 
2. Add chickpeas to a blender, along with garlic, lemon juice, paprika and the milk. 
3. Blend ingredients. You might need to stop blending and stir the ingredients occasionally.  
4. Add olive oil to get desired texture.  
5. Blend until all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.  
6. Serve with vegetable sticks #vegitup.

Written by: Alice Clarke