A play date can be the highlight of a child’s day. In addition to spending time playing with a friend or friends, play dates usually include a snack or even lunch, depending on the time of day. The foods you serve can help create a play date to remember (and one with lots of healthy foods). 

 

Kids don’t have to know that the foods you serve for a snack are good for them! Focus instead on the fun factor. Dish up dunkables like fresh veggies—carrots, pepper strips, cherry tomatoes, broccoli florets paired with hummus, salsa, or pasta sauce. Bake white or sweet potatoes in the microwave and offer with a choice of toppings, like plain yogurt, grated low-fat cheese, and chopped green onions. Top baked tortilla chips with fat-free refried beans, grated low-fat cheese, and salsa, and bake until the cheese is bubbly. Put out an assortment of fresh fruit chunks along with skewers and several flavors of yogurt for dipping. Remember, the more colorful, the more nutrition.

Take a play date from ordinary to extraordinary by making smoothies. Offer kids a choice of ingredients: berries, banana chunks, peach slices, pineapple chunks, milk, yogurt, frozen yogurt, and 100% juice. For extra slushiness, freeze the fruit in advance. 

Involve kids in preparing lunch as a way to keep them busy during the play date, and increase the likelihood that they’ll eat. Younger children may enjoy cutting sandwiches into shapes using cookie cutters. Serving garlic bread? Put kids in charge of spreading the bread and sprinkling garlic. Give kids a chance to make their own pizzas using pizza dough, a tortilla, or half an English muffin as a base, topped with sauce, cheese, and an assortment of veggies. They may also enjoy filling their own wrap sandwiches with a choice of fillings, like tuna or chicken salad, thinly sliced cheese, grilled vegetables, shredded lettuce, olive slices, and chopped tomatoes.

Ask in advance about food allergies or reactions.  The most common food allergens are peanuts, other nuts, eggs, milk, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat.  You may want to review your menu in advance with your guest’s parents, who may even suggest that their child brings a snack from home.

Time to eat? Remind kids to wash their hands before preparing or eating foods.