The busy mum’s guide to healthy baby snacks

Simple, healthy and convenient: This is the snack mantra that busy parents live by. Most of the following 17 snack ideas can be easily transported for snacking on the go, just choose what’s right for your baby’s age and stage of development.

I don’t know about you, but I’m always on the hunt for nutritious bites to feed my little one between larger meals — and if I can give it to her without having to change her outfit afterwards, even better.

According to the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, New South Wales, babies aged 6-9 months of age begin to chew even if they have no teeth.

“During this time, it’s important that the texture of foods changes from a smooth puree to a mashed texture with small, soft lumps and finely-minced or finely-chopped foods. Introducing minced and chopped foods encourages practice in chewing and biting lumpy foods, which helps develop baby’s speech,” they advise.

The 7 stages of feeding a baby >>

This gives you freedom to experiment with plenty of tastes and textures. Just remember to use your own discretion when trying certain rough or textured foods, and always feed them under close supervision.

Now, without further ado, here are some tasty snack options to offer your baby between main meals:

6+ months

• Shredded cheese
• Pureed fruit (such as Heinz organic pear, banana and blueberries)
• Soft raw fruit cut into small chunks, such as banana or strawberries
• Sweet cinnamon potatoes, cooked and cut into small pieces

8+ months

• Buttered toast, cut into small squares
• Thin strips or small cubes of cooked chicken
• Soft sultanas
• Healthy muffins, cut into small servings
• Mashed avocado mixed with hummus
• Falafel balls, cut into smaller chunks
• Cooked spiral or penne pasta, tossed in butter
• Chunks of well-cooked vegetables, such as pumpkin, potato or broccoli
• Small pieces of frittata or quiche

10+ months

• Fresh corn on the cob, hulled and grilled
• Corn Cruskits smeared with avocado
• Small lamb cutlets (mainly to suck on)

Does your baby want to move from milk to solids? >>

Super-easy frittata recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion
• 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and sliced
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 cup spinach leaves
• Olive oil
• 5 eggs
• 1 cup cheese

Directions:

1. Place your frypan on a medium-high heat and add oil until the pan is well covered.
2. Add onions and cook for a few minutes. Add all other vegetables (with a pinch of salt and pepper) and splash with olive oil.
3. Reduce heat to low-medium and pop a lid on the frypan. Stir the vegies every 5 minutes or so, so they don’t stick to the pan, and allow to cook for around 30-40 minutes (or until vegetables are soft).
4. Turn the oven on to 180 degrees C. Remove from heat; empty contents of frypan into a mixing bowl; replace frypan to the heat.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs until they are fluffy. Add half a cup of cheese and whisk together. Add egg to the vegetables and mix until all vegies are coated.
6. Pour the frittata back into the frypan, which should be searing hot after sitting empty on the element for a few minutes. Spread evenly across the pan.
7. Top with the remainder of the cheese and cook in the oven for 12-15 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown.
8. Once cooked and cooled, cut into small squares and serve to your little one as a tasty snack.

More baby tips

Is my baby ready for solid foods?
Help — my baby hates eating!
The 5 Ts of introducing solids to your baby