Birthday parties are often opportunities to indulge in foods with too much sugar or salt. We often brush aside the health concerns because you only celebrate your birthday (or your child’s) once a year. But we know better – it’s an excuse to be lazy and not watch what we consume during the party.
But you can host a fun and healthy birthday party and encourage your friends to do the same.
Are you wondering, how do you make a birthday party fun for everyone and keep it healthy? Here are ideas to help you keep the menu sumptuous and good for the body, and a couple of activity suggestions to make it fun and memorable.
Healthy menus for healthy birthday parties
Whenever we have a kid’s birthday coming, we often think about all the unhealthy foods – frosting, candies, gummies, crisps, cookies, and plenty of sugar-packed drinks to wash it all down. Adult birthday party menus are not so different. That’s when all the “juicy” barbecues, pizzas, chips and alcoholic drinks will flow.
But you can have a healthy menu and a fun-filled birthday party. There are plenty of healthy alternatives out there and even if you look around your home, you will not miss them. For example, you can consider serving snacks like healthy popcorn varieties instead of traditional sugar-packed snacks. They are just as tasty but not so calorie-packed.
Here are some more ideas on healthy menus for birthday parties.
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- For sweet bitings and drinks, substitute gummies and candies with fruity options like berries and dried fruit. Put aside sugar-packed soft drinks and serve healthier alternatives like freshly squeezed fruit juice, infused water, or smoothies. For the adults, you can provide different teas.
- For the main course, instead of depending on fast foods like chips and pizza, prepare healthy sandwiches for your guests. Pack them with veggies, lean protein, and nuts. You could also offer vegan pizza.
- For the birthday cake, skip traditional options (often packed with sweet frosting) and explore healthy alternatives like birthday cake flavored popcorn. Or you can skip the baked wheat products and go for cake-shaped fruit servings (watermelons are the most popular due to their size). You can also take other options like chocolate-dipped fruit slices or dairy-free ice cream.
Now that the menu is packed, you can explore the following fun activity ideas.
Ideas to keep the birthday party rocking
Backyard Olympics
Both kids and adults love to bond over the friendly competition. You can set up a few games (about three to five) in your backyard, divide the guests into teams, and make a DIY scoreboard. Fun games like bucket ball, and lawn bowling will help guests burn off some calories and create opportunities for healthy bonding. After a sweat-breaking session, you can have a makeshift awards ceremony and give more healthy stuff to the winners!
Have a karaoke party
Music is good for the heart and soul. When guests sing their lungs out it’s good for the mind and body. It doesn’t matter whether you are a great singer or tone-deaf. Music is magical. Plan to have a karaoke experience at the birthday party. Just prepare your guests, ask them to come with some song ideas, and have your karaoke machine ready. Everyone will have lots of fun when they have a go.
Prepare a cool pool party
If the birthday party falls on a hot summer day, a cool pool party will make it memorable and fun. You don’t need to have a pool in your yard, you can rent one. Then bring in plenty of colorful floats and plenty of healthy tropical foods, fruits, and drinks.
Lego birthday party
Lego intrigues both kids and adults alike. It is excellent brain food and keeps your faculties sharp. So, set up a giant workstation, and as the guests come in, help them to settle in the lego space, and create an entire world from the building blocks.
Don’t forget the fun photos
Let everyone take a piece of the party home with a session at a DIY photo booth. If they created something, let them take a pose with their creation. If they were singing, set up props and capture the moment.
Don’t forget to capture the tasty moments and memoirs of how much the guests loved the healthy alternatives and share them abroad. That way, your friends will also crave to host healthy birthday parties.
A final word
Fun birthday parties need not be packed with unhealthy foods and snacks. Your, or your child’s, birthday party can be different. These tips will help you prepare for a happy and healthy birthday party that is memorable and contagious. All you need is a bit of creativity, plenty of open-minded guests, and excellent resources that will inspire you to stay healthy.