“What have you got for me to eat, Mum?” or “I’m starrrrrrrrving!”

That is how I am greeted by Evie, 4, when she comes out of school. The wee girl is always ravenous (no matter how much I provide in the packed lunch). I sometimes struggle to come up with healthy things for after school. It needs to be something filling, but not too filling because then Evie and her little brother, Conor, will struggle to eat their dinner at 5pm. Beth, 7, has a fabulous appetite, and a penchant for pleasing her mum, so will eat most of her dinner without any nonsense. The other two are a different matter! Here’s an article in a local magazine called Families Upon Thames on strategies to get your kids to eat their meals Table wars!

I digress. Snacks for after school: fruit (not popular), homemade flapjacks, oaty biscuits, cocoa bars. Anything that comes out of a packet is met with glee and great excitement. Yoyo Fruit Bars are popular, or anything remotely sweetie or chocolate.

Today I am trying a something new, here’s the recipe. Make with gluten free self raising mix for a  FODMAP friendly version!

Banana Bread

2oz butter/margarine

5oz caster sugar

2 eggs lightly beaten

7oz self raising flour (or I use gluten free Dove’s Farm self raising flour blend)

2 ripe bananas mashed

Optional extras: 1 teaspoon cinnamon, handful of raisins.

Mix the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Slowly mix in the beaten eggs. Add the sifted flour, gently mix in. Add the mashed bananas and mix. Pour into a greased loaf tin. Bake at 170c for about 40 minutes, you can check to see if it ready with a knife – it should come out clean if you stick it in to the middle.