How to prepare for a non vegan kids party
There are plenty of hurdles to deal with being a vegan parent, and one often over-looked subject is ‘What to do when your child is invited to a non-vegan kids party’.
It can easily seem like a daunting experience, with some vegan parents often being too overwhelmed to even let their child attend.
Reality is, we live in a non-vegan society and dealing with social interactions like this are quickly going to happen. Being prepared and communication is something that are key aspects of overcoming your worries.
Here are some of my tips from experience with our vegan children:
PREPARE FOOD TO TAKE
The best tip straight off the bat is to be PREPARED with a snack pack.
Most kids parties are riddled with plenty of junk food, so you generally have a good indication of the types of foods that will be offered - fairy bread, sausage rolls, lollies etc.
Thankfully, these days vegans are quite lucky that many of these items offer suitable vegan alternatives.
Generally for us when being invited to a non-vegan kids party we pack some special treat items that we know that our kids will enjoy (there’s no use making sausage rolls if they hate them at home!). These include:
Fairy bread: If you are in Australia, the brand ‘Dollar Sweets’ offer vegan friendly 100s & 1000s
Vegemite Pinwheels: Infact, any pinwheel option is a great option. It’s an easy snack to prepare beforehand - simply get a sheet of puff pastry, spread some vegemite and grated vegan cheese, then finally in the oven until slightly browned. You can also make pizza or pesto pinwheels
Vegan Nuggets: Nuggets are generally an easy snack at any kids party, and there are plenty of vegan alternatives available
Fruit: Fruit platters are generally available at most kids parties, but I find that it’s still great practice to pack a few of your child’s favourite fruits just in case.
Cupcakes: It’s a birthday party and there’s no doubt going to be some sort of cake available. We generally make our own chocolate cupcakes beforehand with icing. If you aren’t the greatest baker, I do have a VERY simple recipe to follow in my
YouTube video on this actual subject.
You can find the full recipe in the video here:
Vegan Lolly Bags: Also a common party favourite is lolly bags! There are plenty of vegan friendly lollies available these days, but some great ones we keep on hand are: Skittles, Oreos, Chupa Chups (only the fruit and cola flavours are vegan friendly), Wizz Fizz Original, Sour Patch Kids.
COMMUNICATION WITH THE HOST
This is a pretty simple one depending on your relationship with the host. If you know the people hosting the birthday party it can be very easy to communicate with them beforehand to see if they could potentially have some options available for your child - offering suggestions such as fruit platters, vegan friendly snacks etc.
We have found that many of our children’s friends parents understand their dietary needs and often cater for them or message beforehand to get some suggestions of what they can eat.
Most people are quite acceptant of other people’s eating habits these days, so don’t be afraid to start the conversation when you RSVP.
KIDS JUST WANT TO PLAY WITH THEIR FRIENDS
I’ve been to a lot of kids parties now, and the reality is that most kids are way too hyped to be with their friends and participating in the party activities than worrying about eating.
It is great to be prepared with some food beforehand, but don’t be disheartened if your child only eats a little bit before running off with their friends.
TRY NOT TO WORRY
At the end of the day, we live in a non-vegan world and being the ‘PERFECT’ vegan is often hard to achieve.
If your child accidentally tries a dip that isn’t vegan, or a treat that includes dairy, try to communicate to them to be mindful and if someone offers, simply say “No thanks”.
Not many vegans intentionally go out of their way to eat non vegan products, so don’t be hard on your child either.
Also try to remember it’s a party and your child is there to have fun!
*Let me know some of the ways you prepare for a non vegan kids party. Always happy to learn more and teach others