CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES (C’MON) // guilt-free party goodies

Big Sis has another birthday peeking over the horizon (nine – seriously how did that happen?!), which means some important decisions to make.

No, not what to buy her – I already have that in hand (to be revealed!) but what to feed her friends.

Yes, I know I’m a grown-up (sort of), and this is probably the most ridiculous thing to worry about, but worry about it I do. It’s no secret that kids can be picky eaters, and I have this irrational fear that mid-party one of her friends will stand up, screw up her face and announce: ‘Eurrgh! This food is disgusting!’

Maybe it’s because I know that cooking and baking and all that traditional home-making stuff just isn’t my strong point. But, despite my culinary ineptitude, I like my girls to strike the right balance between tasty and nutritious.

I’ve spoken before about how we’re huge ORGANIX fans in our house, and how the girls genuinely love their range of healthy corn puffs, gingerbread men, rice crackers and puff corn. We keep a big box of them in the cupboard, and the girls help themselves to after school and weekend snacks.

I’m trying to impress upon them now the importance of making sensible choices, and eating the not-so-good stuff in moderation. But parenting is very individual, and I do worry that our nutritional ‘line in the sand’ is very different from other families.

I know lots of Big Sis’s friends are allowed to eat regular crisps. I also know that – if kids are given the choice – healthy foods are almost always going to take a back seat to junk food.

So I’ve decided to prove that healthy party food can still be fun.

Rather ironically, Big Sis revealed to me earlier this week that many of her friends beg to share her saucy tomato noughts and crosses which are puffed corn snacks flavoured with tomato, onion and apple powder), so I’ll fill some bowls with different flavours (tomato, cheese & herbs, carrot sticks, etc…) for the girls to help themselves.

I’m thinking of setting up a decorating station, with icing and sprinkles, so they can embellish their Organix gingerbread men, and have also had the idea to dip some banana rice cakes in dark chocolate, to give them a bit more party pizzaz.

Add to that some good old ham and cheese sandwiches, some homemade pizza slices (this I can just about manage!), some rainbow fruit skewers and – of course – a birthday cake, and I reckon we could have quite the appealing party spread.

Rather than party bags crammed with sweets, I was thinking fun little crafts instead – stickers, spinning tops, a magnifying glass, even a little pack of cards.

What do you reckon? Would YOU come to our party? 

Read all about the Organix No Junk Promise here: www.organix.com