Mark table settings with colorful leis.
Host a luau for your child's next party and use healthy, tropical foods to jump start the theme. Hawaii is known for fresh fruit, grilled meat and vegetables. Finger foods are one way to make healthy party food attractive to picky eaters. You can even steer clear of sugary beverages by serving juice in novelty Hawaiian plastic cups with straws. Garnish with a plastic stir stick with a string of fruit chunks.
Kabobs
A display of kabobs makes an impressive party decoration as well as a way to provide healthy finger foods at a children's luau party. Press chunks of pineapple, ham, cheese, cherries or bell pepper on sticks. Look for sticks at a craft store in the candy-making section rather than using the long wooden sticks from a grocery store especially if the children are very young.
Cut slices of melon into flower shapes and then string on a skewer with a grape for the flowers center. A bouquet of these can be placed inside a hollowed-out melon that has been filled with chunks of fruit and balls of melon.
Tropical Pizza Bar
Set up and make your own tropical pizza bar. Guests can start with a small pre-cooked pizza crust and then add sauce, cheese and tropical toppings such as ham, shrimp, red peppers and pineapple. Have traditional toppings available like pepperoni for picky guests.
The pizzas can be heated in the oven, or grilled outdoors by wrapping in a piece of heavy aluminum foil.
Desserts
Hollowed-out oranges can be served with different flavors of sherbet inside such as pineapple, orange or lime. Another option is to make a mock version of the Hawaiian staple, poi. Mix a little red and blue food coloring into a batch of vanilla pudding to turn it light purple. This can also be served in novelty plastic coconut cups. You can also place bananas on a stick and then dip into melted chocolate. Roll in nuts, coconut or chocolate chips and then place in the freezer until ready to serve.
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