Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Marks & Spencer. Thanks for these great party-planning ideas! 

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Finding the perfect balance between giving our kids what they want, and keeping things healthy

Doesn’t it feel like parents don’t know when to quit sometimes? The simplest of birthday parties are becoming more extravagant, with studies by GigMasters.com showing that 14% of parents will spend over $1,000 on their kids’ parties. 25% of parents believe that “the more extravagant, the better” is the way to go with their parties and 80% of parents will be providing party favors to their guests. Did you know that they’re even celebrating Half-Birthdays now? I mean, I’m one to talk- half-birthdays ‘round here necessitate a quick trip to our favorite bakery and the half-birthday celebrant gets to choose the afternoon’s movie. (But if anyone’s getting a birthday party worth 1k, it sure as heck isn’t going to be the kiddos- and not for a half-birthday, either!)

But in the midst of all this extravagant party-planning, parents often forget the most important thing: keeping the kids not just happy, but healthy too. At parties, they serve snow cones and cotton candy, greasy burgers, salty chips, and sugary sodas and punch. After all, kids probably won’t be too pleased when they see that their party fare is nothing but salads and clubhouse sandwiches, will they? (Unless you’re Susannah. Extra pickles, please.)

Baby Suzy says “Yaaaaay, pickles!”

But this doesn’t always have to be the case. Recognizing the market for healthier party food alternatives, many bloggers have come up with a range of easy-to-make party food. School-Bites has come up with alternatives to those sugary cupcakes that have been the boon and bane of parents everywhere, and kidspot has also developed a list of alternatives for other sweet treats at parties.

It’s your friend, Watermelon Whale!

Bigger corporations have also taken notice, as part of their commitment to Change for Life, an initiative to change the rising increase of obesity in children, a range of healthy party food has been released on Marks and Spencer’s website. Their nutritionist, Claire Hughes, says that, “It’s too easy sometimes to look at things that they like to eat and give them those snacks,
so we should look at trying to include more fruit and veg, dried fruit, chopped up vegetables with little pots of hummus to dip in. Things like cereal bars, and smaller portions…”

Of course, nobody will blame you for wanting to give your kids (and their Dad, ahem) what they want (sugar- and lots of it) at their parties, and nobody wants to be the annoying mom who gives her kids nothing but carrot and celery sticks. There are loads of party food ideas out there that are still sweet, but still healthy. It’s just a matter of knowing where to look.

And perhaps having a talk with one’s chocoholic husband beforehand.

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