|
Healthy Ideas for Post SOL and End-of-Year Parties
Nourishing Alternatives to Share with Teachers
Real Food For Kids was asked by one of our wonderful FCPS faculty members for some healthy party ideas to celebrate the completion of SOLs. "We currently reward with pizza, ice cream and the like...any ideas for healthy alternatives would be welcome!"
There are many ways you can celebrate in the classroom without resorting to a default of fast foods or foods that have high levels of sugar, fat and salt. No doubt during SOL testing teachers have been encouraging students to eat well (especially "eat a healthy breakfast!" on test mornings) because they understand keenly the impact of nourishing foods on concentration, comprehension and performance. When tests are over, that encouragement doesn't have to stop and a healthy party sends a strong message that celebrations can still be about making good choices. Here are a few ideas and a couple of recipes to get started.
POT LUCK - ask students to bring their best family dish along with a copy of the recipe (which you can make into a recipe book for all). You'll end up with some amazing home-cooked food with great cultural diversity - an education in itself.
 TACO BAR - Bring in cooked meat (use ground turkey as a lower fat option and keep warm in a crock pot), shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, different salsas and taco shells and have kids create their own. Avoid using packaged taco seasoning (an original recipe is provide below) because it is high in salt and preservatives.
DELI BAR - Loaves of sliced whole grain breads, sliced meats like turkey breast or low-sodium ham, low fat sliced cheeses and condiments, lettuce, tomatoes and pickles. Serve with a side of fresh fruit salad or slices of watermelon. Leave the chips at home.
 SALAD BAR - With a large bowl of mixed greens you can get creative with toppings, everything from traditional carrots, tomatoes and cucumbers to nuts and raisins, rice or other grains, fruits like strawberries with feta cheese. Check out your favorite salad bar (like the ones at Whole Foods) for inspiration.
CHILI - Crock Pots full of different style chilis served with low-fat shredded cheese and sour cream, chopped scallions and additional hot sauce if your students are adventurous. Serve with a side of cornbread.
 BREAKFAST OR BRUNCH - start your celebration first thing in the morning with whole-grain bagels and low-fat cream cheese (you can get multiple flavors), low-fat muffins (you can even try a chocolate chip banana bread!), fruit and juice. You can even add in breakfast casseroles for a hot dish.
Teachers are going to depend on parents to help make these celebrations successful, but that doesn't have to mean a lot of work. Divide up the ingredients and the work - and get your kids involved in the preparation.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Easy Taco Filling: Mix together 2t chili powder, 1-1/2 t paprika, 1t onion powder, 1/2t sea salt, 1/2t garlic powder, 1/2t ground cumin, 1/2t oregano, 1/4t freshly ground black pepper, pinch cayenne (or to taste). Brown 1 medium chopped onion in 1T canola oil until brown. Add 1lb ground turkey and cook until done. Add seasoning mix and 1-14oz can tomato sauce. Mix thoroughly, spoon into taco shells and top as desired with lettuce, tomatoes and salsa.
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread: Mash 3 small bananas in a bowl and add 1/4c applesauce, 1/4c canola oil, 1/2c sugar, 2T molasses and 1/2c mini chocolate chips. In a separate bowl sift together 2c all-purpose flour, 3/4t baking soda, 1t cinnamon, 1/4t nutmeg and 1/2t salt. Mix wet and dry ingredients together, spoon into a greased 9x5 loaf pan and bake 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool before removing from pan. NOTE: This recipe can be made completely vegan if you use a vegan mini chocolate chip like Enjoy Life brand).
| 
