We all love celebrating at birthday parties. And for our children, it is one of our greatest pleasures. But with all that fun, there seems to be an abundance of junk food—pizza, cake ice cream and sodas—at these celebrations. Sometimes there may be two or three birthday parties to attend during one weekend. Since this seems to have become part of our weekend routine, it behooves us to consider how to make these fiestas healthy food fests.
We all know that excessive sugar intake can be devastating to our health. In fact, excessive sugar consumption may be the largest factor causing obesity and chronic disease in America. These invented, processed and boxed foods are unfortunately a large part of our culture, yet we forget that they do not provide the important nutrients necessary for a body to stay healthy and happy. I know it can be challenging for health-conscious parents to make your party healthy and creative, but it is not difficult. No need to fret, here are some suggestions:
1. Replace sodas with water (either sparkling or flat) and a few drops of fresh fruit juice, or make ice cubes with berries frozen inside the blocks.
2. Substitute potato chips and pizza with delicious vegetable chips and homemade pizza. Get the kids involved in the prep and have stations of different healthy veggie options for them to make their own delicious food.
3. Bake up sweet potato strips.
4. Serve fresh fruit skewers with yogurt dip.
5. Offer whole wheat pita squares with hummus.
6. Make homemade popcorn fun and healthy with tasty toppings like garlic seasoning or nut butters.
Here’s to your health!
