Cheap, Healthy Kid's Party Food
 
Throwing a backyard pool party? Or 'run through the sprinklers' party? Never fear..here are some ideas for fast, easy food that kids will love, and your wallet will love even more.
 
Fruit on a Stick
Kids love fruit. Nature's candy, and all..right?
Take advantage of fruit that is on sale, and in season and stock up for that party. You can buy those long wooden skewer sticks at Dollar Stores, or places like Cost Plus/World Market for around a dollar well. Take the season fruit, and stack it on a skewer. Strawberry, grape,nectarine slice, MARSHMALLOW (yep - put a fun treat in the middle), and then strawberry, grape and nectarine slice again. These fruit sticks will be a big hit, and are super easy to make.
 
Hot Dogs
Opt for turkey dogs, as the real deal is fairly scary (seriously, I still have nightmares from Food, Inc). Have you tried Tofu Dogs lately? Kids will NOT know the difference, but here's the trick. You can not BBQ a tofu dog. They become too dry, as they lack fat and will stick to the grill. The fast way to serve Tofu pups is to boil them for a few minutes and serve fresh on a bun with all the condiments. I sneak Tofu Pups to even the pickiest of kids, and they have never said a word about it. The best part? They are low fat, and it's only plant fat, and are very high is protein. Wa la! They are also priced about the same as regular hot dogs.
 
Chips
Sun Chips now are packaged in bio-degradable bags. After the kids eat the chips, try cutting the bag up in little strips and let the kids either take it home to 'bury' in the yard at their house, or have them do it in your yard. Not only is this a snack, but it's now an educational activity on biodegradation. Cool.
 
Juices
Those juice boxes sure are easy, but you are paying a fortune for packaging. Buy juice or other beverages in their regular sized big containers and pour into washable cups. I make kids eat in my kitchen, or outside. This way if there are any accidents, it's an easy clean-up. Plus, I don't get why kids are allowed to run around the house and eat anyway? Ok, perhaps that is for another blog!