If you’re having an outdoor kid party get together this summer, here are some easy, healthy and inexpensive food ideas that are also safer choices in the Covid era. Although the country is vaccinating quickly, many parents are still concerned about Covid transmission & little germy hands mixing in a chip bowl, so these individual serving options will minimize cross-contamination. Single use plastic use is through the roof right now, so please use paper and biodegradable products when possible to reduce trash use.
Fruit on a Stick
Kids love fruit. Nature’s Candy, am I right? These colorful sticks can be assembled hours in advance and it’s the perfect single serving!
Take advantage of fruit that is on sale, and in season and stock up for that party Fruit sticks keep the servings tidy with chunks of fruit on a wooden skewer and then topped with a marshmallow to entice the kids – like a moth to a lightbulb! The wooden skewer sticks are at Dollar Stores, or places like Cost Plus/World Market. Instead of putting the fruit skewers on top of each other, pop the skewers into a halved upside watermelon or cantelope rind. It’s easier and more sanitary this way! Pro Tip: Make a ‘stick disposal’ bottle with a fun graphic label so kids will deposit used sticks. No one needs little stabby sticks that may become a play toy floating around a party!
Veggie Hot Dogs
Tofu Pups are the healthy winner when compared to a regular fat and chemical filled meat hot dog. A tofu dog on a BBQ grill is a sad thing indeed. They become too dry, as they lack fat and will stick to the grill. However, when the soy versions are boiled, they come out juicy and kids will not know the difference. Boil up some tofu pups and place them in a fluffy Hawaiian roll bun in a paper or bamboo tray.
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. Keep ketchup, mustard and relish squeeze bottles on hand with hand sanitizer next to it, or offer to squirt toppings on for younger children.
Chips
Individual chip bags are a great sanitary way to serve chips, but the little individual plastic bags are an eco-headache. Consider getting little paper sandwich bags (available in most grocery stores or online) and prefilling them with chips, dried fruit chips or pretzels. Or you can take butcher paper and roll paper cones and fill. Lay out in a flat basket so they are easy to grab.
Juices
Those juice boxes sure are easy, but you are paying a fortune for packaging not to mention the toll on our environment for such a tiny squirt of liquid! Buy juice or other beverages in their regular sized big containers and pour into paper cups. Get large colorful stickers so the kids can identify their ‘own cup’.
There’s going to be some spillage in the village, that’s a given. However, since the party is outside, the mess should be manageable! It’s easy to hose down a patio vs. scrub juice out of a carpet! Just make sure to keep food and drink OUTSIDE to minimize indoor food and drink consumption.
Cake Time
Finally, if you’re serving up cake for dessert or any other food that requires cutlery, please use real silverware from your home that you will sanitize after the party, OR consider using bamboo silverware. It will take that plastic fork 1,000 years to decompose! Yes, plastic is cheap and convenient, but the cost is so much greater to our planet, and it’s certainly not the earth we want to leave to our children.
