I was so keen this year to get a few delicious Christmas Recipes under my belt for SR Nutrition and my Instagram page. I wanted some perfect, tasty options that were also ideal for babies and toddlers.
Party food:
So when Raffy’s nursery asked me to bring in some “party” food for him I realised this was my opportunity! My FIRST recipe is these Christmas Snowballs, which Raffy has been going MAD for. And which I’m sending him into nursery with on Thursday (along with some low sugar Gingerbread men – recipe coming soon) for his party food.
I wanted to make this recipe super Christmassy, and so have used some typical ingredients for this time of year – mainly cranberries and chestnuts!
These Christmas Snowballs are SUPER easy to make. All you need is a blender (although if you chop them well, you could probably do it without a blender too!) and a bowl.
Sugar in recipes for kids:
I just want to point out that I’m not the sugar police. I do appreciate that many families want some sweeter recipes for their toddlers! However especially around Christmas time, you’ll find that most recipes for babies, toddlers and children will include sugar in some form or another. Maple syrup, honey, coconut syrup or just plain table sugar – they are ALL sugar.
However, I also appreciate that sometimes it’s super hard to find recipes that are either LOW or contain NO added sugar for babies and toddlers. That’s why I create the recipes I do. Not to make anyone feel guilty, or to say that children can NEVER have a bit of sugar. But just to provide an alternative option for those parents who are looking for recipes that don’t ALWAYS have to come alongside lashings of sugar.
I always like to say: it’s not hard to make sweet foods taste good, but sometimes it takes a big of practice and effort to get little ones accepting and enjoying the less sweet options.
Christmas Snowballs:
These are suitable for all ages – probably from around 7 months if your little one is good with finger foods. However, it’s a good idea to offer some of the ingredients on their own first, especially chestnuts and nut butter, if your little one hasn’t had them before. For this reason, it might be better to offer them to babies who have had more complex meals/tastes and flavours and have worked their way through most of the allergens too…
See my blog on introducing allergens to baby for more info…
So here goes, my latest recipe of Christmas Snowballs which contains naturally occurring sugars only from the dried fruit & potentially in the optional apple juice, but there is NO sugar added as an ingredient, making them a perfect low sugar option.
Ingredients:
- 65g Dried Cranberries (try to find ones that don’t have a sugar coating, but I appreciate this is harder to find. Remember small amounts of added sugar are OK, it’s all about context, and these will still be a lot lower than any recipes that add honey or standard sugar!)
- 65g Whole Chestnuts (ready to eat)
- 25mls water
- 45 grams of 100% smooth nut butter of choice (almond works well)
- 40g of oats
- Desiccated coconut to coat
- Optional: An extra splash of water or apple juice if the mixture is a little dry at the end.
Method:
- Add all ingredients to a blender and mix well until the mixture is well combined but still fairly lumpy.
- If sticky enough, make into balls and roll in a bowl of desiccated coconut until they are coated. Serve straight away or pop in the fridge for later.
- Can be frozen!
Let me know if you try them by using the hashtag #SRNutritionRecipes