Healthy Christmas Party Foods for Kids

• Give children healthier alternatives for their Christmas party treats. James And James/Pixland/Getty Images

  The holiday season is often a time of overindulgence, and children are not immune to the temptation. You can serve healthier party foods that still seem like a treat, if you use some imagination and holiday magic.

Reindeer Food

• Mix dry roasted nuts, dried cranberries, whole-wheat pretzels and a few yogurt-covered raisins for a trail mix even Rudolph would approve. Add just a few red and green candy-coated chocolate pieces for color. For children with nut allergies, substitute unsweetened wheat, corn, or rice square cereals.

Cinna-Stars

• Tortillas cut into stars or other holiday shapes, spritzed lightly with cooking spray and sprinkled with a little cinnamon sugar bake up nicely for a sweet alternative to cookies or cupcakes. Mix two parts cinnamon to one part sugar for the perfect blend.

Nature Bites

• Serve broccoli trees, cauliflower snowballs and grape-tomato reindeer noses with the dip made from equal parts nonfat ranch dressing and mild salsa.

Stained Glass Sundaes

• Layer green and red sugar-free gelatin with plain or vanilla yogurt and a few chopped nuts or dried cranberries for a pretty parfait. You can also layer a mixture of unsweetened applesauce and strawberries with vanilla yogurt and green grapes.

Santa Claus Soup

• Heat tomato-vegetable juice with potato cubes or peas other vegetables to make a quick soup. Cut whole wheat bread with holiday cookie cutters and toast the shapes. Float a toast bit on top of the soup and sprinkle it with a little grated part-skim mozzarella cheese. For vegetable-resistant children, put the juice and vegetables in the blender puree before topping them with toast.