This month the focus is on Healthy Holiday Snacks – let’s try adding a few fun and healthy treats to our Prairie Holiday Parties.
Classroom holiday parties are always a big hit, full of festive crafts, fun games and of course sweet treats. With the ample opportunities children get this season to eat sugary things, let’s also remember to include some healthy treats. The classroom parties provide a nice occasion to expose children to good tasting, fun yet healthy treats. Adding nutritious treats to celebrations can help students develop positive attitudes toward healthy food that will carry into adulthood. And better yet, research shows that kids actually choose the colorful fruit when offered the choice.
Let’s aim for a 50/50 ratio of healthy to sweet treats and keep it fun. Some ideas include holiday colored fruit kabobs (green/red apples or grapes), fruit snowmen, use cookie cutters to make seasonal shapes with cheese, popcorn ball snowmen, apples with yogurt dip, granola/yogurt parfaits, pretzels, chips/salsa and trail mix. Be creative, have fun and enjoy a healthy, happy holiday!
