The Keys to Hosting a Healthy Birthday Party
Birthdays are always something to celebrate, but today we want to propose something original. We want to help you throw a healthy birthday party for your little one.
Do you remember how much fun you had at birthday parties when you were a kid? The same is true for our children today, who share the excitement of seeing their friends and family, playing games, opening presents…
In general, however, the food that’s available at children’s birthday parties consists of salty snacks, candies, and cake. It’s simply the way our culture does things.
That being said, there’s nothing stopping you from doing things differently and starting a new trend, especially when it comes to the food. Below, you’ll find plenty of ideas on how to plan a healthy birthday party.
Add a touch of color with fruits and vegetables!
If you’re planning on decorating with bright colors, why not make your party food part of the decoration? In other words, buy a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to put on display. They’ll offer energy, fiber, vitamins, and minerals… especially if they’re in season.
Remember that it’s best to serve fruits raw and whole, although you can also prepare fruit smoothies. Another option is to prepare fruit skewers, or veggie sticks for dipping, or vegetable spreads. You can also make wraps, or roast vegetables with spices.
Below, we’ll offer even more ideas on how to put together a healthy birthday party that children will enjoy.
Healthy birthday party appetizers
- Rustic French fries sprinkled with rosemary, pepper, and oregano.
- Oven-roasted sweet potato sticks.
- Cherry tomato and mozzarella cheese skewers.
- Eggplant and zucchini slices rolled up with sun-dried tomato and cashew spread. Just cut the vegetables into thin slices and brown them on either side. Once ready, spread on the tomato mixture and roll them up.
- Crunchy oven-roasted garbanzo beans. You can flavor them with paprika, pepper, oregano, rosemary, cumin, etc.
- Zucchini, mushroom, and cherry tomato skewers.
- Hummus. First, make a classic garbanzo bean version. Then, make another using carrots and one more using beets. Don’t forget to accompany them with fresh veggie sticks for dipping. For example, we recommend celery, carrots, peppers, and cucumbers. You can also add sliced French bread, toasted.
Sandwiches as the main dish of your healthy birthday party
No party is complete without sandwiches, and the same is true for a healthy birthday party. A classic party sandwich consists of sliced ham and cheese, or perhaps summer sausage. But we want to suggest some sandwich alternatives that are both healthy and delicious:
- Tuna fish and roasted red peppers on toast.
- Cucumbers with cheese spread on a bun.
- Chicken breast, lettuce, and tomatoes on a bun. You can also add plain Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise.
- Chicken fajita wraps with peppers and onions.
- Hummus, mushrooms, and baby spinach sandwiches.
- Peanut butter sandwiches topped with apple and banana slices.
- Homemade hazelnut cocoa cream sandwiches.
Drinks to kill the thirst
As a health professional, and especially for children’s parties, I recommend trying to avoid the presence of alcohol. Not only because of how unhealthy it is, but also in order to set a positive example for the kids.
So, my suggestion is that, aside from water, you prepare fresh-squeezed lemonade or some other fresh homemade juice. Apples, oranges, pineapple, carrots, and beets are great ingredients.
Another option is to make milk-based or yogurt smoothies using fruits like bananas, strawberries, or any other berry
How to make a cake for your healthy birthday party
And, like in every children’s birthday, the birthday boy or girl will want to blow out the candles. Therefore, there has to be a great birthday cake. Most kids want to have a chocolate cake, but there are many delicious flavors to choose from. For example, carrot cake and lemon cake are also great choices. In fact, any cake with fruit in it is sure to be a hit with the little ones.
The best option is always to prepare the birthday cake yourself when you’re planning a healthy birthday party. That way, you can control the amount of sugar you add and replace the butter with a healthier option. For example, olive oil, apple sauce, or coconut oil.
Otherwise, you can always order a cake from a bakery. Eating a bit of birthday cake every once in a while doesn’t really pose a health risk.
Now that you’ve got some menu ideas, it’s time to plan some fun games to keep the kids busy. We’re sure the celebration will be so successful that more parents will want to plan a healthy birthday party for their kids too.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Hung H-C, Joshipura KJ, Jiang R, Hu FB, Hunter D, Smith-Warner SA, et al. Fruit and vegetable intake and risk of major chronic disease. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2004 3;96(21):1577–84.
- Costa CS, Del-Ponte B, Assunção MCF, Santos IS. Consumption of ultra–processed foods and body fat during childhood and adolescence: a systematic review. Public helath Nutr 2018, 21(1): 148-59.
- Rebello CJ, Greenway FL, Finley JW. Nutritional and health benefits of pulses. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab 2014, 39(11): 1197-204.
- Rebello CJ, Greenway FL, Finley JW. A review of nutritional value of legumes and their effects on obesity and its related co-morbidities. Obes Rev 2014, 15(5): 392-407.
- Malik, V.; Schukze, M. y Hu, F. Intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and weight gain: a systematic review. Am J Clin Nutr 2006, 84(2): 274-88.
- Della Torre, S.; Keller, A.; Depeyre, J. y Kruseeman, M. Sugar-Sweetened beverages and obesity risk in children and adolescents : a systematic analysis on how methodological quality may influence conl¡clusions. J Acad Nutr Diet 2016, 116(4): 638-59.
- Dubois, L.; Farmer, A.; Girard, M. y Peterson,K. Regular sugar-sweetened beverages consumption between meals increases risk of overweight among preschool-aged children. J Am Diet Assoc 2007, 107(6): 924-34.
- Agencia de Salud Pública de Cataluña. Fiestas divertidas y saludables: 10 consejos de alimentación par afiestas y cleebraciones infantiles.