Nairn's Oatcakes for Healthy Snacks (review)

Now that it's half term, the most used sentence in The Madhouse will become "Mum, I'm hungry!". As I've learnt with Sophie, there's something about becoming a teen that means you're constantly hungry so she's forever lurking in the kitchen, grabbing a handful of cereal straight out of the box, grazing in the fridge or peering in the biscuit tin. Juliette and Pierre aren't that far behind her ! I always try to get the Madhouse kids to go for fruit or something healthy like yogurt, so I was really pleased when Nairn's sent through their guide to healthy kids' snacks and a selection of their products.

I didn't realise they made so many different types of oat cakes -we had the choice between Fine Milled, Rough and Organic - as well as their Oat Crackers. I always find oat cakes fairly bland, but the good thing about this is that they are extremely versatile, perfect for both sweet and savoury toppings.

As the guide showed, it can always be oat cake o' clock ! They can be used as a fun breakfast finger food topped with scrambled eggs.

The options are only limited by your imagination for lunch - how about chicken mayo with cucumber ? We also tried tuna with mayo and a slice of hard boiled egg on top which was delicious too.

If the kids get the munchies, how about serving some oat cakes, along with some veggie sticks (carrot, cucumber and red pepper are our faves), to dip in a tub of hummus ? This is a great source of fibre, is rich in antioxidants and naturally energising, so it's a much better option than the usual kiddie fodder of crisps, biscuits or sweets. It's lunchbox friendly too.

If your kids prefer sweet snacks, try peanut butter and banana instead.

We've been trying out different toppings and our favourite healthy finger food has become oat cakes topped with chicken pâté or guacamole. The oat cakes are also lovely in place of croutons on soup - use them whole to dip or break them up and mix with grated cheese before sprinkling them on the top.

Have you got any other great ides for eating oat cakes? What are your kids' favourite snacks and finger foods?

Disclosure : We received a selection of Nairn's products along with a recipe booklet to try out some healthy snacks.