Finding the right balance of healthy food that kids will eat
at parties can be quite a challenge, particularly with the popularity and brand
recognition of fast foods. However, with a bit of creativity and effort you can
make healthy food look appetizing and fun to eat and here are a few tips.
Instead of serving bread with hundreds and
thousands/sprinkles on it, make a variety of sandwiches with different
fillings, for example cheese, ham, tuna, egg, cheese and tomato or tuna and
sweet corn. Small, quality sausages, such as chipolatas are also an excellent
addition to any party and popular with children. The children are more likely
to eat these if you present them in a fun way.
Instead of lots of chocolate, place dried fruit on
toothpicks, ensuring that you use a variety off different colors to make it
look fun. You can also have muesli bars and you can buy carob coated rice
cakes. You could also make carob coated chocolate rice krispies treats. You can
use cornflakes as a wheat free alternative but please ensure that you check the
package in case of children with allergies.
If you want to offer vegetarian, dairy free or wheat/gluten
free party food, then here are a few different ideas for you to try:-
If you are able to
locate them, Scottish oatcakes (some oatcakes may contain wheat or gluten -
check the packages for further details) are an excellent choice served with
tuna and sweet corn.
For a sweet idea,
rice cakes with a carob chocolate topping or for a savory idea, you could add
some cheese, pineapple, aubergine (eggplant) or a variety of pureed vegetables.
Make sure that these are colorful to attract the childrens eye.
You can add cheese to
muffins (you can make these gluten free) and place them under the grill. Try
placing some fruit and shredded zucchini (courgette) inside them also. You can
also make them into little pizzas and get the party boy/girl to help you make
them.
Waffles are also
another good idea (these may not be gluten free though) and you can add all
sorts of things, for example pureed fruits as a sweet alternative or freshly
cooked beans as a savory topping.
Tofu (bean curd) can
also be used, although to make this attractive to children, you will need to
ensure that you serve it in an interesting way. One way to do this is to slice
the tofu finely and then dip it into some beaten up egg. Then add some sesame
seeds and shallow fry it, serving it hot. The adults may prefer this but
nothing ventured nothing gained!
Home made pizzas cut
into small rectangles, so that the children can eat them easily. You can add
all sorts of different flavors and pineapple and cheese, tomato and cheese, or
grated vegetables and cheese are excellent vegetarian choices. If you have
someone at the party who cannot eat wheat or is a strict vegan, you can then
add soya cheese and use wheat free dough. You can ask the party girl/boy to
help you make them into funny faces. Getting the children involved with what
you are doing is always a great idea, since they will then enjoy their party
more as they have participated in the food preparation.
You can also offer a
variety of foods on a stick, for example cheese or fruit cubes.
Falafels (a Lebanese
delicacy made with chick peas).
Rice crackers or
pitta bread served with hummous and avocado dip, with carrot, zucchini and
celery.
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