Top tips on how to throw a HEALTHY kids birthday party
When you visualise a child’s birthday party, you often think of lollies, fairy bread, chocolate cake drizzled in sugary icing, fizzy drinks and a whole heap of other junk food.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
And you don’t have to swap the fun stuff for boring salads either – let’s face it, which kid is going to want to eat that on their birthday?
Here are some top tips on how to throw a fun, healthy party for your little one…
How to throw a healthy birthday party for your little one
While a treat is fine, it is also good to look at ways to improve the quality of the food on offer – not only from a nutritional value standpoint but also to limit the after effects of all those food colourings which can make your children very wired!
Secondly, all the mums at these parties do tuck into the food too so not so great for our waist lines or nutrition either. You don’t want to be the mum that serves up carrots and be seen as the worst party thrower of all time!
Luckily – there are healthy, fun and tasty foods you can make that will make your child’s party a success and keep everyone (mums and kids) at the party happy and not even realising they are eating healthy food.
Here are some great ideas for you to make at your next party:
1. Homemade savoury food ideas
- Mini hamburgers – mix up your own mince (blend/mash up lean chicken/beef/salmon or tuna) then get a long block of Turkish bread and fill it with the cooked mince, lettuce and tomato sauce then chop into little squares and skewer with a cocktail stick. check this out for more hamburger recipes!
- Mini pizzas – using mini wholemeal pita bread or muffins topped with tomato paste, low fat cheese and lots of veggies
- Potato wedges – cook sweet potato wedges
- Kebab skewers – thread lamb, beef, chicken, fish and vegetables onto skewers and serve with dipping sauces
- Nachos and kidney beans tacos made with baked tortillas
- Low fat dips and salsa serves with rice crackers, toasted flat bread and raw veggies
2. Healthy sweet treats
- Fruit skewers – thread fruit shapes and melon balls on skewers – or place on a tooth pick. Serve with flavoured and low fat yoghurt.
- Carob coated strawberries, carob coated apples, carob chip oatmeal cookies – if you start introducing your children to carob when they are young they will get used to it and prefer it over chocolate. You can also use dark chocolate.
- Apricot sesame seed bars.
- Healthy muffins – try baking blueberry( or add any fruit you like) wholemeal muffins – mix 240g of wholemeal flour, 1 tbsp of baking powder, 1 egg, 1/2 a cup of honey, 1/2 tsp lemon zest, 1/3 cup olive oil, 1 cup low fat milk, 1tsp vanilla essence then at the end fold in 1-2 cups of blueberries and some almond and spoon mixture into baking tray holes and bake for 30 mins on 180C.
- Honey popcorn – put un-popped corn in a large pan and pour over heated honey (1/3 cup) and pop away.
- Birthday cake – use the muffin mixture recipe as an alternative cake mixture and cook in a cake tin – cook for an extra 10 minutes until golden brown.
- Vanilla coconut icing – mix 1 and 1/2 cups of low fat milk and 1 vanilla bean (scrape out vanilla seeds and mix in the milk), then mix in 1 tbsp of tapioca flour and half a cup of desiccated coconut and heat for 5 minutes in a saucepan. Then stir in 2 tsp of honey and wait for icing to cool then when cooled spread on the muffins for a yummy, coconut icing.
3. Low-fat ice cream alternatives
- Instead of serving creamy ice creams which are high in fat, sugar and colours try serving fruit and yoghurt ice block.
- Watermelon ice block (cut thick slices of watermelon into rectangles, place a paddle pop stick down the centre of each and freeze until ready to serve).
- Carob coated bananas.
It is important to get children into good eating habits and by encouraging them in helping to prepare these foods they can see how much fun it is to make healthy foods and they will really want to eat them.
Plus of course they are all really good for you too when you are doing your Healthy Mummy plans and will ensure that you too can tuck in guilt free!!
Plus grab a copy of the brand new Healthy Kids Party Food ebook here too
Many of us have been to (and thrown) children’s birthday parties where colourful bowls of red frogs, chocolate freckles, fairy floss and lollypops are just about everywhere.
While the kiddies love these sugary-snacks, us mums are generally not fans of the afternoon sugar rush….and sudden crash.
In order to dodge the sugar-mayhem – this mum made a variety of healthier and wholesome snacks for her daughters fourth birthday party by using treats and recipes from the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge.
Instead of putting chocolate and lollies out for the kids, Rae Willingham was able to make 8 healthier birthday-treat alternatives from the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge.
“I threw my daughter a healthy birthday party, and I did it my way,” says Rae. “I prepared a host of Healthy Mummy sweets and savouries and the kids DEVOURED it all.
“There was no sugar high for the kids and it was all delicious!”
This recipe is certainly a fave with our mums (and their children it seems). Loaded with coconut oil, cocoa and peanut butter – these treats are easy to make and freeze for later on.
Anything ‘Nutella’ sounding (and tasting) is certainly a hit from our experience. To make these treats look extra kiddie-enticing, Rae cut them into heart shapes.
Well, this one was probably more so for the adults at the party. Healthy, homemade hummus. Delicious.
Salty pretzels combined with chocolate! That’s a taste explosion just waiting to happen!
This deliciously spicy guacamole dip is loaded with flavour and good fats that will fill you up. Again, another one for the adults. However, feel free to omit the chilli if serving up to little ones.
Cashews, rolled oats and peanut butter … YUMMO!
Rice bubbles and cocoa! Yummo!
Cocoa powder and dried dates! Tasty and satisfying. You can get the full recipe (and list of ingredients) on our 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge Hub.
While our 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge is a program designed to help mums lose weight, it also helps educate women about food, healthy eating and lifestyle changes that the whole family can benefit from.
Rae certainly agrees with this, admitting that the Challenge has helped her make good, healthy food choices for herself as well as for her family.
“The Healthy Mummy has educated me on the choices that I make and it has made me flip packets and read what goes into my food because that stuff goes into my body,” she says.
“The stuff that also goes into my kid’s body too.
“We had a wonderful party and there wasn’t a whiff of that glazed over sugar high madness that normally peaks midway through a kid’s party and mast the last leg of it hellish.”
While mostly family was in attendance for the big birthday bash, Rae confirmed with all parents of littles ones that they did not have a nut allergy – given that a few of these healthy treats contained them.
“Otherwise I would of replaced things like peanut butter with tahini – if I needed too,” she reveals.
However, while the birthday party was a healthy affair, Rae admits her daughter’s unicorn cake wasn’t exactly the healthy kind.
“Everything in moderation. I didn’t mind her having a small indulgence of normal cake, especially as everything else was so healthy!” says Rae.
“I LOVE The Healthy Mummy because it shows you that you don’t have to cut everything out, you can still live in moderation – and decide what best suits YOU and your family.
“It just teaches you to think about things a little bit more and then make a decision that reflects exactly where you want your health to be.”
We couldn’t agree with you more, Rae! Looks like you all had a fab day!
As well as the delicious, family-friendly recipes the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenges helped Rae overcome some personal obstacles and lose 20 kilograms.
The mum-of-three admits, “I am no longer the girl who suffered debilitating anxiety and regular panic attacks.
“The one full of excuses not to go out and enjoy life. I am now this amazing butterfly who loves her life and lives it with no worries”.
Our 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge is an affordable, customisable program designed to help mums reach their weight loss goals and tackle their health.
Our Challenge entails:
To find out more on the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge click here.
‘Kids parties don’t have to be unhealthy’: Mum made healthy food for daughter’s birthday
Healthy treats for the little ones
What Rae made:
1.Healthy Chocolate Weet-Bix Slice
2.Healthy Nutella Bliss Balls
3.Homemade Hummus
4.Salty Chocolate Pretzel Bites
5.Quick and Easy Spicy Guacamole Dip
6.Choc Dipped Peanut Butter Bliss Balls
7.Mint Choc Bubble Crunch
8.Tiramisu Cupcakes (minus the coffee)
The unicorn cake
Rae’s AMAZING 20kg* Weight Loss Story
Learn more about the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge
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