Tips For Party Food
It can be difficult to decide what food to serve at your child’s party. Generally serving a full meal can be tiresome and often unnecessary as the children tend to pick at food rather than enjoy a meal at parties. It can often be a lot easier to serve small snack foods which both adults and children find appetising.
Obviously parties are times for celebration so usual healthy eating guidelines can afford to be relaxed. However it would not be wise to solely offer food filled with sugar and additives – for your own sanity! Follow Family Fun’s hints and tips for a combination of healthy snacks and tasty treats for your child’s party.
Be Prepared
Try to have as much of the food prepared before the day. Many tasty treats can be made the day before and stored in Ziploc bags or tins.
Healthy Choices
There are plenty of ideas for fresh healthy food choices nowadays, and we don’t mean the meat and three veg kind. Try providing some vegetable crudités, some sticks of celery, carrots, cucumber, scallions, cherry tomatoes and many more can be tasty when teamed with a cream cheese dip or spicy salsa.
Keep it Traditional
Often it is the most traditional party foods that go down the best! Simple treats like rice crispy cakes, fairy buns, sausage rolls, mini pizzas, marshmallows topped with chocolate and smarties and flapjacks are always enjoyable.
Adapt to the Theme
You can easily adapt some of the treats to your child’s party theme using some food colouring, some smarties, M & Ms, sprinkles etc. Ask your child to help with the decorating of the food – you will be amazed at how they can turn a simple bun into a fairy or the Green Goblin.
Make it Smooth
Everyone is loving smoothies these days, including children. So join in the craze and make some delicious fresh smoothies for your party – an absolutely perfect way to get some fresh fruit into children. They are healthy, tasty and most of all, easy to make! Check out our smoothie page for some simple recipes.
Alternate Shapes and Sizes
Some simple sandwiches can be easy to make and are a little bit more substantial than cakes and crisps. To encourage children to eat some healthy sandwiches try using different types f breads such as pitta, wraps, brown soda bread, bagels etc. You can also stick with traditional bread but cut them into different shapes using a simple cookie cutter – what a difference a new look can make to children’s attitudes.
Fruity Goodness
Dried fruit is surprisingly tasty! Some mixed dried fruit in a bowl can be delicious to pick at during the party. They are full of goodness and so easy to get a hold of.
Vary the Treats
Instead of the usual cakes for desert try having some mini muffins, mini buns or mini doughnuts for the party. They can be easily sourced in most supermarkets nowadays.
Stock Up
Always be prepared for unexpected guests. You never know whose siblings might decide to hang back and that can put a strain on your food supply. Bottom line: Make sure you have plenty of food!
Drink Up
When trying to judge how much the children will drink you should probably count on each child taking at least two drinks. If you are using paper cups or juice cartons and want to avoid having to issue numerous cups you can stick name labels on the cups.
