If you’ve got any experience with teenagers or preteens, and you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t, you know that if it’s in front of them, they eat. And, the longer you have them in your house, the more they will consume. So slumber parties require lots of eats, but you needn’t knock yourself out preparing them or overload the kids with calories.
My thanks to Valerie Holland Hughes for her post about keeping the slumber party kids fed in a healthy yet easy way. When you’ve got them for 6 to 8 to maybe 10 waking hours, you know they’re going to be eating a lot of that time, so keeping the calorie count down is especially important for a slumber party. Keeping the sugar crazies at bay is another good idea.
Rolled up and toothpicked lean deli meats and cheeses, perhaps with some olive or pickle accompaniment, out on a tray where they can help themselves is a great idea, easy to prepare and can easily be made pretty to look at.
I’ll take Ms. Hughes at her word that the veggie tray with the lo-fat ranch dip is always the one that needs to refilled during the party. Again, with a pretty tray and an attractive arrangement of the veggies, plus cute napkins, it will look as good as it is good for them. Perhaps have a second tray of fruits such as strawberries, pineapple, grapes with a different dip on another side of the room.
Trail mix or the homemade version Ms. Hughes describes is another good finger food- although a bit high in calories. Baked tortilla chips with salsa is also a relatively lo cal snack that always gets eaten up.
You can use some of these ideas for children’s party food at any type of party, not just a slumber party. Because it’s always a good idea to keep the sugar and calories under control.
