Friday 1 April 2011

Say cheese :)



One of my twin sons has many food related sensory issues and a very strong gag reflex. Sam totally by passed solids .I know he didn't mind gumming or gnawing on cardboard boxes or books. He only got his first tooth at 13 months as well. 

Finally I got Sam to eat white rice (off my plate one day) and custard and sometimes a little watermelon.
Slowly we introduced more substantial and other food groups.
Fortunately he was breastfed.

Cheese was just another thing he initially refused to try or would gag on. 
Then one day he pinched the grated cheese off the bench when I was cooking. 
Though he even hated melted cheese on things or it mixed in and didn't like sliced cheese.

I've always struggled to find healthy foods that he will eat willingly.
His twin devours all kinds of food and had no issues except with eggs.

We have tried a few packaged cheese products over the years, especially with our older son (17) as well. I found most highly processed, a little too much salt & fat and fiddly packaging. Plus the price.

The twins' preschool prep program requires us now to send two separately packed snacks (morning & afternoon tea) and then their lunchbox . Within the healthy and allergy guidelines policy.

When Bega asked me to try the Bega Stringers I thought great but is it real cheese ? It was delivered by a refrigerated courier.

We have tried another brand cheese stick in the past, which broke in pieces when the boys opened and bits gots discarded or they chewed through the plastic to open it. Plastic cheese anyone ?  

So what do they think about Bega Stringers ...
They devoured 2 each to start with, even my hard to 'try' please Sam. Then I packed them away.

"I love them MUM -can I have more ?"

They had no one preference for the three Bega Stringer flavours ... made from natural mozzarella (with - Original, Swiss and Cheddar flavours )

The things I Know ...

The novelty of peeling the stringers apart wore off after a few goes - they just wanted to eat them. 

I know the fact it's 100% natural, not processed and only natural perservatives are used appeals to me.

I know the kids don't care about that but I do.

I know I can quickly pop it in lunchbox knowing it will be eaten not discarded.It's healthy and provides 16% of the child’s daily calcium requirements. 

The price is reasonable compared to other individually packed snacks. The convenience factor makes it worth it but I know maybe not for every day.



I know they make a great car / travel snack because they don't spill or leave crumbs everywhere ...and it keeps them busy making a Stringer monster and gobble him up. Just keep them in the esky or cooler bag [We have a lovely Bega one now ;)]

What packaged snacks do you give your children ? 
Is price a factor in choosing snacks or how healthy an item is ? 

Disclaimer – We received 3 packets Bega Stringers, a Bega cooler bag, caps and Stringer pens courtesy of Bega. No financial payment was offered  for this post. All opinions expressed are my own and the video was for pure fun...lucky I was able to hide the last two Bega Stringers!
I know I am sneaky linking up with Yay for home things I know - (I know hope she doesn't mind).
 
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13 comments :

Anonymous said...

Great video!!!well done!!
the cheese looks yummy too

melbo said...

I can well imagine something like that would be a hit in this house too. Mine are cheese fiends.

I know muesli bars aren't healthy but the kids like them so I buy them. Rory likes yogurt but William won't eat that any more.

Their favourite lunch is rice crackers, hommus, sultanas and cheese. Rory will eat cut up fruit with his.

♥.Trish.♥ Drumboys said...

Bloss ~ I didn't mind them but I'd rather a wedge of adult cheese :). besides I ahve to keep the packet numbers even.

Melbo ~S & J love rice crackers both small rounds and the giant thin rice bubbly kind (they can't be called cakes IMO),hommus, fruit and sultanas too. Sam does eat more cheese now.

Kirsty said...

Trish I don't know of I'm being blind but I tried to find a contact email address somewhere on your blog to noa avail. Let me know how to contact you.

XX Kirsty
P.S. The Paper chains were at the end of an aisle in the Easter section with some coloring in packs.

Kirsty said...

Ignore me I found the email addy. Will be in touch soon xx

Zoey Martin said...

We haven't quite ventured past the anything-with-peanut-butter stage yet because Riley doesn't go to preschool (yet) so I haven't had to cut out any potential allergy foods. When I do, I think I might be a little bit screwed.

♥.Trish.♥ Drumboys said...

@Zoey - initially Sam wouldn't eat vegiemite sandwiches only peanut butter - when they started preschool/daycare at 2 1/2 and it was hard for him to understand why he couldn't have peanut butter.
He had 'olive oil spread' for months.
It does get hard b ut I think preschool does introduce them to other kids eating different foods and they get interested.

In littlies room we only had to send a sandwich and a piece of food that was then cut up & shared /or send crackers/dips etc. to share.


@Kirsty - thank you :)

shae said...

Don't mind at all!

I usually have freeze dried apple chips in the cupboard all the time cause they are great to chuck in my bag as we run out the door!

MissyBoo said...

I LOVE your video - and those boys are getting so big now!

♥.Trish.♥ Drumboys said...

@Shae - ♥ ;) .I haven't tried freeze dried apple chips = great idea.

@Lani - I know part of me wishes they could stay little for longer ...♥ .

Glow said...

I really wanna try these now that I've seen a few ppl say they're good. I'm not a big cheese fan but Tricky seems to be already!

Sarah said...

We're big fansof Stringers or as the kids call them "hair cheese" because I start the top off by making tiny cuts with a knife so it looks like spikey hair!

Otherwise our favourite snacks are dried fruit at the moment. I hate buying the little boxes because they are more expensive than buying in bulk & dividing them up, but the kids really like the boxes so I give in & let them have them every now & then.

Be A Fun Mum said...

We love stringers here! I like them too. They are so YUMMY!

Other snacks are crackers, grapes and sultanas.

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