Hosting a kids’ party is usually met with mixed feelings of excitement and anxiety. Not only are you expected to come up with a theme that will meet your child’s expectations, but you also need to decide on the food you’ll serve to the hungry little party goers.
Like many parents, you may be looking for healthier alternatives to the highly processed food and sugar-laden treats that are often seen at kids’ parties. Nutritionist Sarah Appleford, from Nutrition For Kids, shares her top tips on how you can host a healthy kids party that everyone will enjoy.
Focus on healthy, whole food options – When planning the party food menu, focus on healthy whole food options before sweet treats. Selections made of whole foods such as dips with veggie sticks, fruit cut into shapes, mini quiches, plain popcorn, meatballs, and homemade pizza scrolls are all nutritious crowd pleasers. I like to plan a menu that features 70% savoury options and 30% sweet treats.
Steer clear of the artificial food colours and additives where possible – The combination of food colourings, artificial additives, and sugar is a recipe for hyper kids and dramatic tantrums. There are now plenty of natural products on the market, such as sprinkles and dyes, that are good alternatives. If you need colour in your baking, try creating colours naturally using fruit and vegetables. Turmeric powder makes a beautiful yellow, blueberries will create purple and green can be made using spirulina.
Get creative with fresh produce – Kids eat with their eyes and are typically attracted to processed foods thanks to the bright packaging and fun shapes. You can easily make healthy options look more enticing and festive by getting a little creative. Cut shapes out of the veggies, create fruit kebabs with skewers or use animal shaped toothpicks. You can even make your platter stand out by making funny faces or shapes out of fresh produce.
Offer water only – Children often mistake thirst for hunger and are far more likely to make a beeline to food or sugary drinks than reach for a glass of water. Serving water only will help the children remain hydrated and lower their sugar intake during the party. If you must serve flavoured water, consider enhancing the taste naturally with fresh fruits such as berries, oranges or lemon.
Serve the savoury food before sweet treats – While it may look more attractive to have all the party food laid out on the table, it’s hard to offer a child a carrot stick over a chocolate treat. Instead, offer savoury, whole food options before any sweet food. Children are then less likely to overeat on the sweet options when you do bring them out.
Let the cake be the hero – At a birthday, the cake typically takes centre stage but when surrounded by a whole lot of sugary foods it’s less of a show stopper. If you are going to have a traditional lolly-decorated cake or an elaborate fondant carton creation, it’s best to avoid offering a table filled with lollies, cupcakes and fairy bread too. There will be much more excitement when the cake comes out if the kids haven’t already overdone it on the other sweet treats.
Ditch the candy party favours – Any parent would understand the dread that comes with leaving a kids party with a gift bag loaded with sugary junk food. More often than not, kids have had enough sweet treats during the day and don’t need to consume anymore. If you are giving party favours, why not consider going sugar-free? You can include mini bags of popcorn, stickers, toy cars, tattoos, veggie seeds, crayons or bubbles. Many kids (and their parents) would even appreciate just one small token toy rather than a whole lot of stuff that won’t make it past the afternoon.
Sarah Appleford is a bachelor-qualified nutritionist, mother, passionate foodie and founder of Nutrition For Kids. Through 1:1 consultations and workshops, Sarah’s mission is to inspire children to lead healthy, happy lives. She wants to help remove the confusion and equip parents with the tools and knowledge they need to nourish their kids with a whole food diet.
Find inspiration on the Nutrition For Kids’ website and follow on Sarah on Instagram or Facebook