Healthy Kids' Birthday Party Snacks

The best way time to offer up healthy kids' birthday party snacks is before the birthday cake. Kids also tend to show up to a birthday party hungry. It seems like the normal "always hungry" syndrome kids experience doubles when they attend a birthday party. Here are some healthy snacks to serve children at a birthday party.

Birthday Party Snacks and Allergies

When serving healthy birthday party snacks it's best to avoid serving any snacks that contain common allergens. There should be no peanut, peanut butter products or tree nut products. Also avoid serving strawberries or strawberry toppings.

It is more difficult to address soy, wheat and dairy allergies. Offer a variety of birthday party snacks, including those that do not contain any bread products or dairy products.

Healthy Kids' Birthday Party Snacks

Fruit-Kabobs

For older children, homemade fruit kabobs make a healthy birthday party snack. Use regular wooden skewers and add fresh fruit. Go tropical and add some fresh pineapple, or even canned chunks of pineapple. Kids love pineapple, it seems like such an exotic treat.

Other fun and unexpected fruits you can add to this birthday party snack include Maraschino cherries, grapes, and any type of melon. Use a variety of colored melons like honey dew melon or cantaloupe. Watermelon is usually not firm enough to stay on the kabob.

Cut off the pointy tip and smooth the edge down a bit with a knife after making these birthday party snacks. For small children, forgo the kabobs altogether and simply put the fruit into little cups. Or, hollow out some oranges and serve the fruit in the orange cups. It's easier if you make the birthday party snack fruit cups ahead of time.

It may look nice, but shredded coconut on the fruit should be avoided because it is a potential allergen. Also, avoid using strawberries, which is a common allergen.

Kids love fresh fruit when it is offered to them.

Ham and Cheese Circles

Ham and Cheese Circles are a fun birthday snack and finger food. Wrap a piece of lean ham (or turkey) around a cheese stick. Then cut the ham-wrapped cheese stick into little bite-sized pieces. This will give kids a healthy snack with protein and calcium. Kids like these because they are small and easy to eat.

Pita Bread Pizza Pyramids

Instead of ordering up a not-so healthy pizza for a birthday party snack, made some healthier Pita Bread Pizza Pyramids. Sprinkle the pita breads with halved cherry tomatoes, shredded cheese, and a little Italian seasoning.

They only take minutes to heat up in the oven at 350 degrees. Cut the cooked Pita Bread Pizza Pyramids into triangles, or pyramids. Make a couple of these healthy birthday snacks with green or red peppers. Some kids really do like and eat their vegetables.

Tip: For school-aged children, have the ingredients out on the table including cheese, tomatoes, sliced peppers, olives, pineapple, and even cut-up and already cooked turkey breakfast sausage. Let each child make their own Pita Bread Pizza Pyramids toppings for this healthy birthday party snack.

DIY Popcorn Cones

One healthy and fun birthday party snack that you can make is popcorn. Not plain popcorn, and not microwave popcorn, but popcorn that the kids can flavor themselves. First, make a couple of batches of real stove-top popcorn.

Then make some popcorn cones using cut up brown paper bags, or clean construction paper. Roll the paper into a cone shape and then tape it together, making sure the bottom is closed. Stack the cones together on the table.

Set the table with the big bowls of popcorn, serving spoons, the cones, and some spice mixes so the kids can flavor their own birthday party snacks.

Pre-mix some cinnamon and sugar in a spice shaker. (Note: cinnamon can be an allergen, although it is not common). Another flavor mix you can make is with low-sodium dry taco mix for taco popcorn.

Also have a shaker of Parmesan cheese available. Another flavor you can make is Kettle corn: mix sugar and salt into a shaker.

Let kids make up their own concoctions. Don't be afraid to let them experiment with the garlic powder (not garlic salt) or onion powder (not onion salt). These can turn popcorn into a tasty and healthy birthday party snack.

Tip: The main ingredient here is the popcorn, the added flavors, including the sugar and salt, are only added for flavor.

Vegetable Stick Forest

Even tween boys like hummus. Kids can surprise you sometimes.

On a flat tray with edges, spread a layer of hummus across the bottom. Make it thick enough so you can stand the carrots and the celery into it, like little trees. Also use some long, thin breadsticks to put in the hummus to complete this healthy birthday party snack.

The hummus gives kids a dairy-free option. You could do the same with low-fat cream cheese.

Animal Shape Sandwiches

Turn any sandwich into ha healthy and fun birthday party snack. Use your favorite whole wheat bread to make turkey sandwiches, lean ham sandwiches, or egg salad or chicken salad sandwiches. Avoid tuna fish because of potential and serious seafood allergies.

These birthday party snacks can also be made with soft pita bread, or even English muffins. Assemble the sandwich, and then use a cookie cutter to make a fun shape. The extra pieces can be served with hummus or any type of dip.