I love a good party. I love seeing the excitement on children’s faces. I love the buzz. I love the celebration. But when it comes to food, it’s not always an excitement.
Food is such a big part of celebrating but when you feel like the food is just there to fill time or get rid of hunger, I sometimes leave with a sour taste in my mouth. So many party packages include cheap processed meat, few vegetables and little fruit. They often have high salt and high sugar foods which aren’t suitable for our littlest ones.
Before you stop reading, I’m not the sugar police and I’m not the party pooper but we could do SO much better for our children.
Here are some suggestions for party foods which might be more appropriate:
Sandwiches
When I run the toddler group party I provide 2 options – cream cheese and homous sandwiches on best of both bread. Boring, well I cut the crusts off (and use these as breadcrumbs later so there isn’t anything wasted) and I cut them into little triangles. I get 8 triangles from the round of sandwiches. These are fun size, a bit different for little ones AND there is less waste because they can take a couple and not be overloaded. Tuna mayo would be another crowd pleaser.
Fruit
A variety of fruit looks so colourful and appealing. Having fruit which is not the ordinary apples and bananas can be a great option for parties. This might be the time to fork out on blueberries and raspberries! Melon, strawberries or grapes are good options too. Cut into small, safe pieces fruit can be the sweetness children want.
Vegetables
If you don’t provide it, they won’t eat it. Sounds obvious but is true. I can’t guarantee they will eat it but having a variety helps here too. Cucumber, pepper or carrot sticks (for competent eaters – the latter 2 will need to be cooked for the younger children) look colourful and are easy to eat. Plum tomatoes cut in half lengthways or cherry tomatoes cut in quarters are also good options.
The extras
Let’s think about what you might have at parties normally. You don’t need to have any extras but if you want to add more, these are some options. First let’s think about what might be on offer normally – There might be sausage rolls, crisps and cake.
How about swapping sausage rolls for breaded chicken strips (made from pieces of chicken breast not reformed).
Swap the crisps for crisps from the baby food aisle – these are still crisps but they will be a lot lower in salt. Rice cakes are another option.
Swap the cake for banana flapjack, apple muffins (recipe in the Weaning on a Budget ebook), or homemade pancakes (there is also a recipe in the ebook).
One of the favourite party options in our family is homemade pizza for parties. This could be an extra or an alternative to the sandwiches.
The drinks
Water and milk are the only drinks recommended for the under 5s. Make them fun by putting stickers on their cups, using straws or putting ice in lidded cups of water.
Presenting party food well
It can be tempting to just stick it all on the table but we know we eat with our eyes too so cutting food in attractive ways, using decorative bowls and a nice tablecloth and plates can make the most boring food look attractive. If your child has a favourite character could they feature on the table somewhere? Too expensive? Just print some pictures of the character and stick them onto plain cups.
The bottom line
Party food can look attractive and be delicious and fun without being food that undermines all that we are trying to support our children to have in their diet. We don’t need to spend a fortune and they can still have an amazing time.
And a little extra, but important, tip
There are lots of children with allergies. Make sure you check for dietary requirements to make sure everyone is catered for and kept safe. For more information go to https://www.allergyuk.org/