Page 34 - HFHB - Magazine
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Simple swaps for healthier parties































     Whether you are planning a child’s birthday party or a   Swap soft drinks for:
     BBQ with friends here are some healthy swaps you can
     make to provide healthier food options for your next    •     Water
     gathering.                                              •     100% juice mixed in with sparkling water
                                                             •     Homemade lemonade
     Some common foods and drinks you will find at a party  •      Homemade Cordial
     include:                                                •     Herbal Tea, brewed and then cooled and mixed
     •     Soft drinks                                             with sparkling water
     •     Coloured popcorn
     •     Twisties, Burger Rings, Flavoured Potato Chips    •     Swap Coloured Popcorn for:
     •     Jelly Cups                                              Freshly popped corn with sea salt
     •     Packaged/Frozen sausage rolls
                                                             •     Swap Flavoured Chips for:
     You may be wondering what the big problem is with             Organic corn chips served with a dip
     these products; besides the cost there is also the sugar      Sweet Potato chips
     content and nasty additives that are often found in           Organic vegetable chips
     these ‘foods’.  In fact if you read the ingredients list for
     some of the above you could struggle to find the food   •     Make your own jelly using gelatine or agar agar
     part.
                                                             Swap packaged/frozen sausage rolls for:
     The additives included in these products can cause
     some nasty side effects for many people attending your  •     Home made sausage rolls; all you need is puff
     event; especially children as their little bodies can’t       pastry, mince, herbs and you can even grate
     handle the overload.  Some of these side effects could        some veggies in there for extra nutrition.
     include:                                                •     mini pizzas
                                                             •     chicken nuggets/marinated chicken drumsticks
     •     behavioural problems
     •     difficulty concentrating                          Other healthy swaps for a party include:
     •     headaches / migraines
     •     insomnia                                          •     Shaped sandwiches (I always buy bakery bread)
     •     learning difficulties                             •     Shortbread biscuits
     •     asthma                                            •     Custard Tarts
     •     aggressive behaviour
     •     nausea / vomiting
     •     tantrums                                          All of these healthy swaps can be made at home using
     •     rashes / hives                                    minimal and easy to come by      ingredients.  They
     •     heart palpitations                                won’t break your budget and will provide a much
     •     Irritability                                      healthier and enjoyable experience for all you guests.

     Here are some simple swaps you can make to avoid        Article by Katrina Gee—Healthy Family Healthy Budget
     the nasty side effects and the tantrums that can
     accompany them and still have a fun party:
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