How to Throw a Budget-Friendly Party with a Healthy Twist

I'm Kylee Arnold, your personal nutrition coach, accountability partner and motivator. I'ma busy mom that lives in South Louisiana, so I get the struggles of  restricted time and endless temptations when trying to reach your fat loss goals. I had tried many diets and approaches to achieve my goal body, but   always wondered, was this what I needed? Was this the best way for me? And how can I make this fit into my day-to-day   life! If you have these same questions and want to know if working 1:1 with a coach would be a good fit, schedule a free discovery call today!

For me throwing an easy, budget-friendly party with a healthy twist is always my goal! This year I’ve had to do it while having a baby so I’ve learned how to take a few more shortcuts and I’m here to share them with you. Having a healthy party isn’t just about the food you provide but keeping it low stress so you and everyone else can enjoy themselves! So I’ll go over what I made and what I delegated and how I even like to set up my food table to encourage healthy eating.

What I made

Banza Pasta Mac and Cheese

Boil the pasta as directed.

To make a GF cheese sauce melt a block of cubbed cheese in almond or regular milk, you can do this over the stove or in the  microwave. Add salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder to taste. I made it the day before then heated and kept it warm in a crockpot for the party.

Tyson Blackened Tenders

Sooo many people have fried tenders at a party and honestly I feel like they get soggy anyway :/ So I bought these frozen bags and put them all on a sheet pan in the oven for about 30 min. I did this about an hour before the party started and just put them on a serving tray! A delicious, cheap, healthy and easy alternative. They were all gone!

Harvest Salad

In a big salad bowl, I put spring mix and topped with chopped apples, pecans and shredded parmesan. I paired it with this good and gathered fig balsamic dressing and people loveed it! (I used to make all my own dressing but don’t have time for that anymore)

Mini Snickerdoodle Cookies

I made regular snickerdoodle cookies but in a small portion size. It’s not about skipping the treats, just moderating the amount so I tried to encourage that!

Cupcakes

I saved money by baking my own cupcakes for her party. I used a box organic mix and added pumpkin puree and spice since her party was pumpkin themed but any organic box cake will do! I also made my own cream cheese icing so I could avoid preservatives. Again made these the day before and refrigerated them!

Baby Smash Cake

Making her smash cake also saved money and I was able to use ingredients she typically eats. I knew there would be left overs so what she didn’t dive into I cut into pieces, froze and defrost for breakfast some mornings! Here is a good recipe but you can google healthy baby smash cakes and find a good option!

What I Delegated

Fruit Tray

Veggie Tray

Meatballs

Dips

I always delegate a fruit and veggie tray because it’s simple and people can’t really make those unhealthy. I also had people who offered to help, so I assigned things like dips and meatballs. The dips we had were chicken buffalo (great with crackers or veggies), rotel and spinach. Tip: when people offer help, take them up on it, if they are offering then they want to chip in, so have something specific for them to do!

Drinks

Pumpkin Spice Latte

In a crockpot I mixed coffee, almond milk, stevia and pumpkin spices, the adults loved this!

Electrolyte “Fruit Punch”

I had a water pitcher I mixed an electrolyte powder with, I use the sustain from melaleuca. Again people loved the taste, it’s low sugar and good for you. Especially good fo the kids to have when running around in the sun!

How I set up the table

I like to put the protein, veggies and fruit first to encourage people to fill their plates with the “good stuff” and have less sweets and higher calorie dips. Similar to how I would coach my clients to build their plate.

All in all it was an awesome party, it was low stress and serving foods that we would typically eat was extra important because the leftovers were useful! I froze the rest of the mac and cheese, roasted the veggies from the tray and snacked on the fruit all week! I mean I love sandwich trays but if you have a lot left over they can’t be eaten fast enough and that’s not something i would normally eat anyway! I hope this was helpful and inspires you to add a healthy twist to your next event. People appreciate it more than you’d think! 

I had several people tell me they look forward to my parties because it’s good, healthy food and they don't feel yucky or weighed down once they leave. 

If you’re ready to see how one-on-one coaching can help you reach your nutrition goals then schedule a call here! I can’t wait to chat!