I just read about a school where selling snack foods during the lunch period set off a parental brouhaha, since the practice conflicted with rules about healthful eating that the school had previously adopted. The school did not allow for these types of snacks to be sold, or even to be eaten in classrooms for celebrations. The rules also prohibited teachers from giving students candy.
Times have changed a lot since I was in elementary school. Back then we routinely celebrated everyone’s birthdays with cupcakes or brownies. Every holiday was marked with a celebration with food. Since my birthday is in August, I never really had the chance to celebrate the day at school. So, my mom would make certain that I could contribute a baked good to a class party, usually a Valentine’s party. I remember my mom baking cookie cakes that were decorated like pizzas (they were even packed in pizza boxes). They were a big hit, and I remember feeling so proud about it. Valentine’s Day yielded an awesome haul of goodies at school, since many others brought in treats and Valentine cards often had lollipops or candy bars taped to them.
While the restrictions on snacks and treats in schools today seem strict to me, I can understand the logic in them. My parents were very permissive when it came to sweets, but others’ probably were not. I recognize now as an adult that treats were so common in my house that they became the normal experience and really no longer a “treat,” by the proper definition of the word. If your child's school only allows healthier foods, be creative. Skewers of kiwi and starfruit are unique. Baby bananas are fun (and great to dip in lowfat chocolate syrup). Airpopped popcorn in printed cellophane bags is always a hit. 100% juice frozen fruit bars are unexpected and delicious.
If you can't send treats to school, this Valentine’s Day your family can work together to make a treat at home to celebrate the day. Spend time together searching for a great recipe that would delight your whole family, and then make it together, being sure to take pictures as a memento of your cooking and baking fun. Use this as a teachable moment for helping kids understand that treats are for "sometimes" (like the famous furry blue cookie-munching puppet says).
And, by the way, healthier doesn’t mean less delicious. There are many great recipes which seem like indulgences:
“Healthified” Chocolate Frosted Cupcakes have 46% fewer calories and 67% less fat than the original recipe upon which they are based.
"Healthified" Brownie Cookies have 44% less fat and 55% less saturated fat than the original recipe.
Strawberry Chocolate Meringues have no cholesterol and are much lower in fat than most desserts.
How does your child's class celebrate Valentine's Day? Are you sending in any treats this year?