UPDATED: 9 August 2024
Whether you receive support from the NHS Healthy Start scheme or are looking for nutritious ideas for your little ones, we have you covered with this simple hummus recipe. It’s easy, affordable, healthy and can be enjoyed by babies, children, teenagers and adults alike.
Also, every ingredient in the recipe below, apart from the olive oil, is included within the NHS Healthy Start scheme!
But wait, what is the NHS Healthy Start scheme and I am eligible?
If you’re more than 10 weeks’ pregnant or have a child under 4, you may be entitled to get help to buy healthy food and milk.
A parent who uses the Healthy Start scheme shared, “My children’s diets improved as a direct result of Healthy Start because I always knew I had that extra bit of money each week to get just fruits and milk. Without Healthy Start you have to think ‘maybe this week I can do without’.”
Find out if you’re eligible and apply for the NHS Healthy Start scheme, and if you are, you’ll be sent an NHS Healthy Start card with money on it that you can use in some UK shops. With the card you can buy:
- plain liquid cow’s milk
- fresh, frozen, and tinned fruit and vegetables
- fresh, dried, and tinned pulses
- infant formula milk based on cow’s milk
Is your child eligible for free school meals?
All children are entitled to free school meals in Reception, Year One, and Year Two. Children in Year 3 and above may get free school meals if their parents or carers have a low household income and receive certain benefits.
To apply and find out more on our website or email the Free School Meals team for further information: Free.SchoolMeals@eastsussex.gov.uk
Easy Chickpeasy Hummus
Note: This recipe is suitable for children from six months onwards.
Ingredients:
- 240 g tinned chickpeas (one standard is 400g tin), drained and rinsed
- 1 lemon (juiced)
- 1 clove crushed garlic (optional)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (optional but you may need to add more water to ensure a smooth texture)
- 1-2 tablespoons water
You could also sneak other vegetables in such as carrots or peppers.
Method
1) For a mild taste for babies, you can lightly cook the garlic in olive oil before adding to the hummus. You can also remove the skins from the chickpeas if you would prefer.
2) Add the drained chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil to a blender. Blend until smooth. Add one tablespoon of water and blend again. Add tablespoons of water gradually until the hummus is the desired consistency. The smoother the better when serving this to babies.
3) Keep for a couple of days in the fridge in an airtight container.
Serving suggestions:
For younger babies, you can spread the hummus on a slice of bread and for slightly older babies, serve with sliced up vegetables such as cucumber, carrots or celery for them to dip into the hummus.
Top tip: If you don’t have a blender, you can use a fork or potato masher to blend the ingredients. The texture will be less smooth but just as delicious!
*This recipe was sourced from SneakyVeg.com
Let us know what you thought of this recipe in the comments below!
