My kids will have their cake, and eat it too

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Healthy Kids Birthday Cakes

My healthy kids will have their birthday cake, and eat it too.  Not only that, but they will enjoy it, cherish it and remember it.  Essentially my children will be reliving some of my greatest food memories from the eighties. 'The Australian Women's Weekly Children's Birthday Cake Book'.

This week my little blog has grown in popularity. To say I am chuffed is an understatement. I am chuffed, thrilled and absolutely blown away with the support my sugar gallery has received. While this is happening I also want to make sure people have a clear understanding on my thoughts when it comes to kids and sugar.  I 110% believe kiwi kids are eating too much sugar. The last national nutrition survey found New Zealand Children were having approximately 15-16 teaspoons of sucrose each day. I am sure we can all agree that is too much.

I 110% believe that as parents we need to be label readers and we need to know how much added sugar is in the foods that we are purchasing for, and feeding our kids on a daily basis.

But I also believe

"In some instances food is literally the stuff memories are made of, and we shouldn't go messing with it"

I am now going to take you back in time now to one of the first articles I ever wrote on this blog. An article that I still stand behind, and still believe in, despite my other firm belief that we need to reduce the sugar New Zealand Kids are eating on a daily basis

My Healthy Kids Will Have Their Birthday Cake And Eat It Too..

A flash back to an article written 18 months ago

I was at a play group a few months ago, and a mum asked me for a recipe for a healthy birthday cake. To me this type of recipe is somewhat unnecessary. I am not saying that we should not be striving to provide our kids with healthy foods, but I don't believe birthday cake is the time or  place to do it.  Now if the mum had an allergy child, and was trying to track down a recipe for a cake that was 'egg, dairy, or everything free' then I would have done my utmost to help her. As all kids, no matter what their dietary needs, should get to enjoy birthday cake. But I honestly believe that when we are making a birthday cake we don't need to add vegetables, boost fibre, lower carbs or reduce fat. We just need to fill it with love, and fun.

If you want to add veggies, boost fibre reduce carbs, well that is all good too. But if you want to just make a fun cake for your kids on their birthday then I support that too.

This week I have the chance to make my third Women's Weekly Birthday Cake and I can't wait. It will be for my daughter who will be turning one. And yes, I completely agree, that she will probably not remember this cake.  So why bother?. Well, birthdays are family occasions, her 2 year old brother is all about birthdays. He has already helped me peruse the birthday cake bible and choose a cake for his little sister missy moo. I am sure he will also 'help' me make and ice it too.  So I am creating lovely food experiences and memories for him as well.

I remember spending hours poring over the pictures in the birthday cake book when I was little, choosing and re-choosing  (much to my mum's frustration) which cake I should have for my birthday.  My kids will do the same.

So go on, raid your mums recipe books, find that old gem (Women's weekly birthday cake book, or similar), or go and buy a new or perhaps second hand one. Hard copy only though, no e-books please.  There is something magical about looking at a book of birthday cakes.  The pages should have traces of birthday cakes past, sticky smudges and butter splatters.

I wish you all the best on your future birthday cake making endeavours.  Give a homemade cake a go, your kids will love you for it.

Back to present day

I wrote this 18 months ago and I still firmly stand by it. I believe I can raise healthy kids who eat well on a day to day basis but still get to enjoy and create amazing food memories. Not all their food memories will revolve around sugar. But I am quite happy for their birthday cakes to be sugary.

Below are the birthday cakes I have made for my kids. You can pretty much see when I started posting to instagram 😉 ....The last two images get much better

Healthy Kids Birthday Cakes

So there you have my thoughts on healthy kids birthday cakes. It may not be the opinion that everyone holds. But it is mine

Do you have a favourite birthday cake memory? I would love to hear what it was.

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