Fun Kids’ Party Foods

Make Your Own Salad Bar Party

Kids love choices and having control over their food.  As long as the options are appealing and delicious, you can “sneak” in the nutrition!

Set Your Stage:  A big bowl of mixed greens is a great way to start any salad, but include smaller bowls of peppery arugula or a sweet, nutty bowl of mache greens to add variety.  Some kids are a little finicky when it comes to leafy greens, so include a small bowl of crunchy chopped romaine or some cooked whole wheat spiral pasta or orzo to add fun and texture.

Follow The Rainbow:  Kids love making a rainbow on their plates, and you’ll love the nutrient boost they get from all that variety.  Prep an assortment of colorful fruits and vegetables like apple slices, whole blueberries, green and red grapes, julienned red pepper, sliced tomatoes, raw broccoli or cauliflower florets, carrots, sliced avocado, red onion, beets, green peas, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, black olives and radishes. Arrange on a platter or in small bowls to encourage sampling.

Dress It Up:  Have a couple dressings prepared before everyone arrives.  Try homemade recipes so you can control how much salt, sugar and oil goes into them.

Top It Off:  Your guests may want a protein to go on top of their salads – but this doesn’t have to dominate the salad or break the bank.  By providing simple grilled chicken breast, tofu or salmon, or little bowls of plant-based proteins like quinoa, garbanzo beans or black beans, you end up with a lot of fully-satisfied healthy eaters.

Mini Smiley-Face Pizza Party

Kids will enjoy making these fun English muffin pizzas, topped with greens, sweet peppers and olives at your next party.  Set out whole wheat English muffins, split and toasted; red pepper marinara sauce; finely chopped kale, spinach or chard; shredded mozzarella cheese; yellow or red bell peppers, cored and sliced into strips; and sliced black olives.

Arrange muffins on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and let the kids spoon marinara onto each half.  Top with greens and then shredded cheese, arranging it over the muffins.  Arrange 2 olive slices on each half for eyes and a pepper slice for a smile.  Bake (under adult supervision) in a preheated 400°F oven until the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes.

Veggie Pinwheels
This is a perfect party treat for kids of all ages!  The pinwheels’ fun shape and size makes them ideal for small hands while their taste pleases the most sophisticated palates.
Prepare these ahead of time with whole wheat lavash roll-ups (thin wrap bread); prepared hummus; shredded carrots; long flat slices zucchini and or summer squash, broiled until soft; and red, yellow and/or green bell peppers, broiled until soft. 
Spread the lavash bread completely to the edge with hummus.  Sprinkle with the shredded carrot.  Arrange cooked vegetables on top of the carrots in a single layer all going the same direction.  Position the wrap so that the ends of the vegetable strips are facing you.  Use both hands to roll the lavish fairly tightly.  Wrap the rolled lavash in plastic film tightly and refrigerate at least an hour, and as long as overnight.  Remove from plastic wrap and using a sawing motion with a sharp serrated knife, cut the roll into 12 equal slices.  Arrange them on a plate and serve.

Make Your Own Taco Bar

Have a fiesta with your own taco filling station.  Set out baskets of soft and hard tacos, bowls of sour cream, shredded cheese and guacamole and load up on tons of colorful veggies.  For an extra healthy kick use ground turkey as your main protein instead of beef or pork.

Fruit “Rainbow” Skewers

Create a bright and colorful party delight with fruit skewers.  Kids of all ages will love these naturally sweet treats.  Thread pineapple chunks, slices of kiwi, whole strawberries, grapes and more on a wood skewer, or on Popsicle® sticks for toddlers.  Avoid fruits that will brown easily such as bananas and apples.

Chris Crawford has been the Culinary Instructor and Coordinator of the Culinary Center at Whole Foods Market Princeton since 2012.  Formerly, she was the chef/owner of The Wooden Spoon Catering Company for 14 years and founder of a food business incubator  known as The Cooperative Kitchen.  Chris teaches a variety of classes at Whole Foods Market and especially enjoys the “Kids in the Kitchen” classes.