Healthy home and school birthday celebrations can be special fun

University Park, Pa. — Birthday parties are a great way for children to celebrate life with family, friends and school classmates. When most of us think of birthday-party foods, cake, ice cream and punch come to mind. So how can parents and teachers help plan and host parties that celebrate healthy living?

Mandel Smith, nutrition educator with Penn State Cooperative Extension in Montgomery County, suggests that teachers and parents remember to keep the celebration focused on the child or children celebrating the special day.

"Birthday parties offer an opportunity to make nutrition fun and exciting," said Smith. "Parents and teachers should use parties as a chance to serve foods that are nutritious and tasty and that are also colorful and eye-appealing."

Smith notes that with a little imagination, birthday and classroom parties can be special for children, while teaching them about good nutrition. She offers these recommendations for healthy birthday parties:

— Host a make-your-own, fruit-and-yogurt parfait bar. Offer fresh fruit, granola and yogurt. Students can build their own yogurt parfait creation.

— Focus the food selections on a specific culture. Find and prepare healthy recipes from different ethnic traditions.

— Ask the children to help plan parties and to suggest healthy snack ideas. "You may be surprised at the good, healthy choices they offer," Smith said.

— Make sure that the refreshments are not the major feature of the party. The food should only complement the other party activities.

— Host a birthday dance party. Bowling, bouncing and skating parties also are fun and will give kids a chance to burn off extra calories if you serve cake and ice cream.

— Use a fresh vegetable platter or fruit salad as a colorful, appetizing and tasty centerpiece. Have the children help make kabobs by placing bite-sized pieces of fruits or vegetables onto skewers.

— Use salsa or hummus (a bean spread) as dips for cut vegetables and whole-grain crackers.

"When planning parties for children, remember to focus on a variety of activities, games and crafts that children enjoy," Smith said. "Make sure to include lots of healthy choices when making food selections. Even though there is nothing wrong with an occasional treat of cake and ice cream, unhealthy food choices should not be the norm at these events. Remember, parties that feature healthy foods provide children opportunities to practice making wise food choices."