Children’s party food can get pretty predictable sometimes. Frozen sausage rolls, cheerios, potato crisps and tonnes of tomato sauce are some of the common items we may see on kids’ birthday menus.
Although we know these foods are high in salt and sugar, and unhealthy saturated fats, we might opt for these choices because they’re convenient and we know kids will eat them.
In my experience with a little imagination and lots of colourful fruits and vegetables, it's super easy to create a feast that won’t cost the Earth and the kids will devour!
For children, the presentation of the food you prepare has a huge influence on whether or not they will eat it. A good example was the Halloween afternoon tea we prepared at Parnell Early Childhood Centre a couple of weeks ago. We made mandarin “pumpkins” and banana “ghosts” to serve with the cheese and crackers.
Teachers were amazed to notice all kids ate the fruit, including those who would usually refuse. They all wanted to have a “ghost” or a “Halloween pumpkin”. In fact, we prepared over twice the amount of fruit we usually cut for afternoon tea and we had virtually no leftovers!
Using colourful tablecloths, platters and themed decorations all adds up to make your healthy treats even more appetising. You’ll feel great knowing you’re feeding the children nutritious, wholesome food and other
parents may even feel inspired to do the same at their kids’ party.
During the next few weeks I’ll share with
you some ideas that look yummy, are easy to make, deliciously tasty and are guaranteed to make your child’s next celebration a success!
This week's recipe is for a delicious "rainbow pizza" - a healthier substitute for regular pizza that looks and tastes great, plus is a huge hit with the kids!
Here's Fern's recipe: Rainbow Pizza