Cupcakes, soda and chips are not the only snacks that make a party festive for kids. Instead of inundating a classroom of children with fatty, sugary treats, make creative healthy alternatives that provide nutrition. Stick to kid-friendly ingredients that travel well when putting together your healthy party treats.
Kabobs
Make homemade fruit kabobs using kid-friendly fruit. Thread grapes, apple and pear cubes, and pineapple and kiwi chunks on a bamboo skewer. Add low-fat cheese cubes for variety. Fresh fruit provides a number of vitamins and minerals, along with fiber. The cheese adds protein and calcium to the snack.
Applesauce Yogurt Dip
Stir together 1 cup applesauce, 1/2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon to make a dip for the next classroom party. Serve with apple slices, frosted shredded wheat cereal, pretzels and mini graham crackers for dipping. The applesauce counts as a serving of fruit and the yogurt provides calcium. The healthy dippers are low in sugar.
Rice Cake Sandwiches
Rice cakes provide a crunchy texture with a mild flavor. Spread one side of a mini rice cake with natural peanut butter -- or sunflower seed butter for those with peanut allergies -- and top with a slice of fresh strawberry and another rice cake. These little sandwiches will not become soggy, so they can wait around for the classroom party to start. Nut butters contain heart-healthy fats; strawberries provide vitamin C.
Snack Mix
Ask your kids to help you prepare a healthy snack mix. They can help you fill individual zip-closed plastic bags with a mixture of pretzel sticks, whole-grain cereal, banana chips, air-popped popcorn, dried apricots and dried cranberries, and unsalted sunflower or pumpkin seeds for a colorful, salty-sweet combination. Add nuts, if the school allows, such as pistachios or almonds for a boost of zinc and vitamin E.
References
- Center for Science in the Public Interest: Healthy School Snacks
- "Kid's Cookbook" Pillsbury; 2005
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