L eats: the Super Yummies toddler snacks review

I'm always very excited to try new, healthy snack suitable for L, The Super Yummies is our recent discovery. 

"Part of the well-loved Cow & Gate family, The Super Yummies are superly delicious and come in ground-breaking flavour combinations that your toddler will love. With only naturally occurring salt and sugar, making the range irresistible for both mum and their little one".

We have received freeze dried fruit pieces and vegetable slices, breadsticks, rice cakes, and a variety of fruit and yoghurt pouches. 

At 19 months old L knows what and when she is hungry and sometimes will bring a specific pouch she wants to eat, point at the snack she wants to have or completely refuses to eat what's on offer. As the Super Yummies look and taste different to L's usual snacks I was very interested to see her reaction.

We started off with breadsticks (£1.69 and suitable from 12 months), which come in 2 different flavoures: tomato & basil and spinach, we have received spinach ones to try.

The pack itself once opened can be re-sealed which is very handy when you are out and about and keeps breadsticks fresh.

Spinach flavoured breadstick were a complete mind- opener for me as I'm not really keen on spinach, but The Super Yumies breadsticks were quite nice with more of a settle cool, minty flavour. L wasn't sure at first but eventually she realised that they are not too bad at all. 

Spinach breadsticks contain "Wheat flour (81%), Palm oil, Oats (5%), Spinach flakes (2%), Yeast, Malt extract (barley), Raising agent, Basil, Vitamin B1".

You can eat them as they are or dip them into sauces, we didn't go that far as L is just getting used to new flavours and textures due to late start with baby led foods/snacks.

Next we tried freeze dried fruit, 75p (the banana and yoghurt, or strawberry and yoghurt) and vegetable pieces, 75p (beetroot and parsnip slices) packs suitable form 36 months+.

They are "made from 100% real fruit and vegetables" and promise to melt once in your toddler's mouth. 

We have received  banana and yoghurt fruit pieces pack and vegetable pieces pack to try, which was something new for us as I have only seen similar products on the Apprentice. I didn't have my hopes high for the vegetable pack as I know L is not a big fan of vegetables in general, but to my surprise L didn't mind both of the packs. 
I have only realised that they are not suitable for L's age once she already tried them, I have noticed that the slices and yogurt pieces seem a little bit too big for her and had to quarter them. I now can see that those things I questioned- size, potential choking hazard and inability to suck pieces only meant that it's too early for her.

Yoghurt and Fruit Pouches (99p and suitable from 12 months) come in a variety of flavours from the mixed berries and coconut or strawberry, kiwi and banana fruit pouches to apple and forest fruits Greek style yoghurt. We have received apple & forest fruit yoghurt and mixed berried and coconut.

Both of the pouches have very interesting flavoures: yoghurt pouch has a thick milk shake/ smoothy taste and mixed berries pouch has a smooth, over-powering coconut taste. 

The last but not least we have received and and orange flavour rice cakes (99p and suitable form 12 months), which also come in pear and berries flavour.

"The unique, natural flavour combinations of these deliciously different rice cakes are the perfect treat for tumbling toddlers on the go. The natural fruit flavours of the pear and berries together with the apple and orange will create a superly fruity sensation that your little one is sure to love".

L is not a big fan of rice cakes in general but she was intrigued to try citrusy flavoured rice cakes.  The pack is quite filled which means that they will last you a while.`

Overall, it was an interesting experience and I would definitely buy veg slices and spinach breasticks (quite obsessed with them myself), but it would be great to see more "volume" in the breadsticks packs and fruit & veg slices packs and to see suitable from info on the packaging to avoid confusion

The range is available from all major stockists from mid-February.

Disclaimer: I was sent the item mentioned above for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

L eats- Cow & Gate Friends range

Introducing veggies to children can be tricky! But now thanks to Cow & Gate's newest range Friends, parents can breathe a sigh of relief. 

Babies are often more receptive to the sweet tastes of fruit rather than bitter tasting vegetables. But, the earlier and more frequently babies are exposed to a variety of vegetable flavours during weaning, the more likely they will learn to accept them.

Friends begins with the starter pack, including four single vegetable varieties allowing parents to introduce a variety of distinct vegetable tastes in the early stages of weaning:

 

Cauliflower

A surprisingly good flavoured pouch.. good taste and L was uncertain to begin with but the flavour seemed to grow on her. A major cauliflower taste to it (obviously), but a quite surprising pure taste to it.. definitely a second best behind the broccoli pouch.

Pea

Now I am not a big fan of peas (I am sure a lot of you can relate to that) and I do not think L is either.. she clearly did not like the flavour as a lot of it did not end up in her tummy, but instead on her hands, bib and clothes. However as with all of my flavour reviews, this is a personal preference and your baby maybe love the flavour.. in simple terms, after a quick taste the answer was 'not for me or L'.

Carrot

I personally have never been a big fan of boiled carrots and therefore did not expect too much from the flavour (other than the overpowering flavour of carrot). But the flavour was ok (carroty – if that is even a word).. but other than my thoughts on the vegetable, the puree was rather watery and did not lack the kind of consistency you get from a carrot or even a carrot soup, perhaps a more thicker puree would be better.

Broccoli

A lovely puree in general, L loved it and seemed to enjoy the flavour. It was a little bit watery but similar to all the puree's, I tried it and really did enjoy it. Nice broccoli taste and does exactly what it says on the pouch, no complains about this flavour. One of the best flavours so far..

As baby begins to enjoy and recognise the single vegetable tastes, the Friends range expands to vegetable varieties with flavour combinations including cheese, pasta and chicken. 

Cauliflower, potato and cheese

                                      
This puree had a good consistency and L was able to eat it. It took her a little while to get used to the puree. I have tasted it myself (as I am self confessed baby puree lover) and I must say I couldn't taste much apart from the cauliflower.

Broccoli, potato and chicken

                                      
Now I will not lie, I was particularly looking forward to this flavour as L has not had a taste of meat yet, so the chicken aspect I was interested in. L took to it quite well, the ingredients were purified well without any massive chunks, which helped as L seems to be gagging on large pieces at the moment. As with a previous pouch I couldn't taste chicken or potato as the broccoli was way too overpowering.

Carrot, potato and beef

This pouch wasn't L's favourite due to it having a carroty taste, but I hope we will improve it at some point.

Positive points regarding general appearance:

• All of purees are purified which means them easier for L to eat
• The Cow & Gate branding stands out and the vegetable character idea is excellent, especially the phone app interaction. The packaging is also very good with an easy to squeeze re-sealable pouch and a cap to cover for later
• There are a good variety of flavours, and made with no added salt, sugar, additives or preservatives
• Size of purees are good. I received two sizes, small sachets for starter feeds and larger for developed eaters

Negatives:

• It would be more ideal if you could refrigerate for more than 24 hours
• Not available yet from major supermarkets

Flavours:

Available in Starter Pack (My First Spoon) inclusive of all flavours, RRP £2.79 at Ocado:

o Carrot

o Broccoli

o Peas

o Cauliflower

Single pouches available for 'discover' stage, single pouch RRP £0.95 available at Ocado:

o Carrot, beef, potato

o Broccoli, chicken, potato

o Peas, sweetcorn, potato

o Cauliflower, cheese, potato

Single pouches available for 'explorer' stage, single pouch RRP £1.29 available at Ocado:

o Carrot, beef, tomato, pasta

o Broccoli, chicken, rice

o Peas, fish, potato

o Cauliflower, pasta, cheese

Single pouches available for 'friends forever' stage, single pouch RRP £1.79 available at Ocado:

o Carrot, lentil, ham

o Broccoli, cheese, pasta

o Peas, potato, sole fish

o Cauliflower, potato, beef

Now for the very cool bit, meet the vegetable characters (as mentioned above):

                        

Claire Carrot, Chris Cauliflower, Bella Broccoli and Peter Pea

Disclaimer: I was sent the above items for the purpose of this review. All thought and opinions are my own.

What's your weird pregnancy craving?

Since being pregnant I never get food cravings, it seems that I actually want to eat less than I did before I got pregnant! Some of my “weird not eating habits" are- I can't stand onions or garlic and won't eat a meal which has both of these ingredients. If I'm trying to be a polite guest and eat oniony/garlicy meal I will suffer the rest of the day with weird after-taste and I will be forced to drink loads of water. I also can't have Indian or Thai curry (used to be one of our Friday night favourites).

It seems that my taste in food has changed, I can't eat most of the meals/products I used to like (but still no cravings), as I always have after- taste I need to be very careful with my meal and I feel thirsty all the time.

What's your pregnancy (non) cravings?

As a Cow & Gate ambassador I would like to present you a new survey , which reveals the weirdest and wackiest hankerings experienced by mums-to-be: 

A poll from C&G Baby Club Community reveals a third of pregnant women (31%) are just as likely to find the object of their craving in a chemist or hardware store, as they are in a supermarket, as they admit to unusual hankerings for non-food items, such as soap (11%), chalk (6%) and toothpaste (5%), as well as creative combos such as sausages and jam.

The survey found the most popular cravings to be 

...

With some of the more unconventional individual responses including rubber, paint and rocks, while one person even said tree bark and another the smell of tennis balls.

Nutritionist, Jo Travers, comments:

"Mums needn't be fazed by their pregnancy cravings. After all, they are just one of the weird and wonderful experiences of pregnancy that every mum-to-be has”.

"The survey reveals almost half of mums are embarrassed about their hankerings, however, this doesn't need to be the case. If they need reassurance they can speak to a nutritionist or if they're just looking to share and chat about their own experiences, even the wackiest moments, they can visit the C&G Baby Club Community, a safe and reassuring place where like-minded mums can connect."

More than one in ten (12%) are desperate to fulfill cravings before breakfast while over a third (36%) of pregnant mums confess to sending their other half out in the middle of the night on a special trip to pick up a cravings meal. Family members and friends are also kept busy with one in three (32%) pregnant mums calling in foodie favours from their nearest and dearest.

With chocolate being a popular choice, it's unsurprising a quarter of mums-to-be most commonly have an urge for....

 A quarter (27%) of respondents confessed to a liking for bizarre mixtures of sweet and savory foods. Intriguing combinations listed include sausages and jam, Mars bars and bacon, and Yorkshire pudding with chocolate spread.

Other weird and wonderful cravings listed by pregnant women surveyed include:

·Banana with marmite

·Ice cream and chips

·Prawn cocktail crisps and strawberry yoghurt

·Cheese and onion crisps with nutella

·Chicken and ice cream

·Sweet and sour curry with salad cream

·Wood chips

·The smell of shoe polish

To learn more about the C&G Baby Club Community or to share your pregnancy trials, tribulations and celebrations, from pregnancy cravings to best buys, visit

www.cgbabyclub.co.uk/

Thanks to Cow& Gate for providing me with results of the survey