[Back to School Series] Celebrations & Desserts
Back to School Series
Chef Tristan requested a “Fish Cake” for his 6th birthday party. Easy!
Let’s talk celebrations! If you have a kiddo in school, you know birthdays happen OFTEN. As a family, we have found this challenging to be constantly in temptation of sugars, dyes and processed foods -- cakes and candy.
Transitioning to whole food nutrition doesn’t mean we don’t celebrate with food! Celebrations are always fun in our house -- we take this time to explore new and exotic foods, or try a new twist on recipes, making it healthier along the way. This is a journey!
Chef Tristan at his First Birthday - Watermelon “Cake”
Our goal is to educate and guide families on a journey to healthier living. Awareness is the first step -- if our kids are constantly bombarded with sugar, they are going to become accustomed to it. By now, we all know the risks of an unhealthy diet and developing chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. We take a proactive approach to this by always making our celebrations a time to embrace all the things we love about food.
Our kids deserve the best - and natural foods are it!
Noah’s grapes at a birthday celebration!
Fruits! Just send a simple fruit salad to school to celebrate. Fresh blueberries and grapes are DELICIOUS!
Fruit layered like a cake (melon, cantaloupe, watermelon topped with berries), Banana “sushi” rolled in coco powder or shredded coconut, fruit skewer kabobs.
Homemade Marshmallows - get the kids involved! Use natural sweeteners - honey, maple syrup (dates, bananas and apricots when baking). Use with rice cakes for S’mores!
Bean Brownies - garbanzo beans or black beans, also try a sweet potato recipe
Paleo Birthday Cake - Blend in some fresh strawberries or blueberries to make a layered, colorful cake
One way to divert some sugar sources is to opt for a non-food reward. In schools, some teachers may reward with gum or candies. My preference is to stock classrooms with small toy rewards -- stickers, tattoos, erasers, party favor type items that are inexpensive and bring just as much joy to the child! Websites like Oriental Trading are a great place to get birthday supplies, Halloween and other holiday treats and trinkets!
Also, check out 100 Days of Real Food -- on a Budget and all of Lisa Leake’s resources on whole food pledges!
Halloween safe for food allergies - no sugar here! Bubbles, tattoos, trinkets & tricks