The mom who called about our wellness policy was pretty upset. She supported the policy on cutting vending machines but thought that eliminating birthday cupcakes in the classroom was "out of control." To a lot of moms, the long-standing tradition of treating your classmates with sweets on your birthday seems threatened by this policy.
Celebrations and food are intertwined in our culture (and many others). Food adds sensory elements to our memories so we can recall the sights and sounds as well as the smells, tastes and textures of celebrations. Just imagine family gathered at the dinner table, Thanksgiving feasts, special sweets on Christmas, Hannukah, Valentines Day and birthdays. . . you get the idea.
This concerned mom and I talked, and together we came up with quite a list of birthday celebration ideas and I've been thinking about it every since. Sure, you can bring in string cheese and carrots for your child's birthday; but let your mind wander a bit and you can come up with ideas kids will really love. Here are some starters . . .
- Fruit juice popsicles
- Frozen yogurt
- Fruit kabobs
- Low-fat muffins
- Angel food cupcakes
- "Skinny Cow" (or similar) ice cream sandwiches
If your kids haven't tried Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches, you need to check them out! You can buy a classroom sized box of them at Costco. Kids and adults love them and they're individually wrapped. I promise they will welcome this treat.
How about a yogurt sundae bar?? Start with yogurt (regular yogurt or low-fat frozen) scooped into individual bowls. Then let kids add their own toppings from bowls of raisins, berries, cereal, nuts, healthy gummy treats, granola, graham bears, bananas . . . I bet you could even find healthy whipped topping.
How about "make your own snack mix?" Give kids a ziploc bag and let them pick and choose their own items for snack mix. Use some of the items from the sundae bar list above. Every mix will be unique!
I realize lots of people will still really miss cupcakes and brownies and ice cream. But, hopefully we can start some new traditions. If you come up with some great birthday celebration treats that meet the guidelines below, share them so we can pass them along!
*foods served and sold during the school day must have less than 30% cals from fat, less than 10% from sat. fat, less than 35% added sugar by weight/volume, and less than 600 mg sodium.
4 comments:
Fruit kabobs, yogurt bars, fruit juice popcicles.. those are great ideas! I actually tried the fruit kabobs the other day. Not only were they fun to make, they were very colorful and a hit at the party.
A little imagination really does go a long way!
Thank you for the ideas! The more the better. Even those of us with the requisite knowledge and good intentions sometimes feel like a deer in the headlights when it comes to food prep.
Kudos too for standing firm on the birthday party cupcakes issue. No one's keeping anyone from hosting birthday parties at their own home. But just one party per year for each kid in a kindergarten classroom means an average of at least 2 a month, right? That's way more artifically-flavored and -colored industrially produced frosting than any kid deserves!
Hi,
What a "cool" idea.
You know, HouseParty.com is sponsoring a Healthy Holiday House Party from the Lumenos Plan. The idea is that thousands of partygoers across the country will celebrate holiday eating on December 2nd. They ask you to gather your friends and family in your home for tasty potluck parties. Then you sample nutritious spins on traditional dishes, set diet-changing goals, swap recipes, stories, and healthy eating tips. Apparently you can also score some exclusive special offers!
If you are selected to host a Healthy Holiday party, you have access to a personal party website, which allows you to send invites, share recipes, get expert nutritional advice, upload pictures and videos, and work with your fellow partygoers to make a special party cookbook!
You can check out www.houseparty.com/healthyholiday for more information.
Ok, I understand about too many parties a month, and trying to have more nutrition, but to take away a party like Halloween is too much. Some of the kids I work with in the schools dont get to go "trick or treating" or have out side parties. You may think I am kidding, but I feel ASD is trying to control way too much of the employees choices and the classroom. Limit it, yes, take it ALL away, no. Give me a break! I will continue bringing the treats to the lounge, dont like it, dont eat it! I am on a weight loss plan my self, and a treat now and again is what keeps us human. I feel I do have to "smuggle" them in though. I am no child ASD, stop telling me how to eat!
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