15 Foods for Fun Times

Celebrations and holidays are times we associate with fun foods, but these celebrations can also be just as successful with foods that are either down right healthy or at least, not a nutritional disaster.  Sometimes the snack can also be a fun cooking activity.  The suggestions below are great for home celebrations or when celebrating your child’s birthday at school. 

1. Bread- A really goods one, maybe with raisins or cinnamon.  Some children enjoy warm garlic bread.

1. Smoothies- Make some ahead of time or bring a blender and make them in the classroom.  In the winter you can use canned pineapple, frozen berries, frozen mango and bananas.

1. Popsicles- Buy whole fruit popsicles, kids love them even when it’s cold outside.

1. Warm Apple Cider (pasteurized) - Bring in a thermos of warm cider and serve with apple pie or graham crackers.

1. Popcorn - For children older than age 3.

1. Frozen Bananas- Simply peel and cut ripe bananas in ½.  Put a popsicle stick in the flat end and freeze on a cookie sheet. Before freezing you can roll them in chocolate jimmies.  You can also buy them pre-made at Trader Joe’s

1. Caramel Apples- If you make them at home try to get very small apples.  Home made caramel dipped apples is not an activity for children under at 13, as the caramel is hot and can burn if it drips before drying.

1. Eggrolls- Most kids like to dip these in sauce and eat. 

1. Bring in Cherrios, small pretzels and Fruit Loops and string- Have the children make edible necklaces.

1. Fruit sorbet in ice cream cones.

1. Oatmeal cookies- Buy the ones that have oatmeal listed as the first ingredient.

1. Really big Soft Pretzels. For a party activity, find a simple pretzel recipe and make the dough before the party.  Have the kids shape the pretzels and bake.

1. Chocolate Chip Bagels.

1. Fortune Cookies

1. Fresh pasta: For those with more ambition, have the children help make fresh pasta.  You make the dough ahead of time.  Is quite easy and only takes flour, water and a little salt.  Borrow a hand rolling pasta maker or pick one up at a thrift store.  Let the kids take turns rolling the pasta through the machine, watching it become thinner and thinner.  Then they roll it through as it gets cut into long strings of spaghetti.  This cooks in about 2-3 minutes in boiling water and is great with a little olive oil and parmesan cheese.

 

Beverly Pressey is a Registered Dietician with Master’s degrees in Education and Nutrition and specializes in working with care givers of babies and children.  Beverly has worked with individuals, presented at conferences, consulted with child care centers, taught continuing education and college classes, and presented at numerous parent groups.  As an experienced counselor, cook, teacher, speaker and a mother of 2, she has a realistic understanding of infant/child eating patterns plus the perspective of a busy parent.  Beverly lives in Seattle, Washington, find out more about her and her book at www.creatinghealthyeaters.com.