1st Birthday Cake Recipes: Healthy options

1 min readUpdated May 21, 2020

When it comes to celebrating your child's birthday, it might be tempting to serve the most delectable, decadent treat available. But for a growing child who needs lots of nutrients, it might be wise to rethink classic birthday treats. Find out how to create a festive, healthy and delicious birthday menu with these tips:

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Better-for-you Cake Ideas

Here are some swap-out ingredients and suggestions that are better for you and your little one. Keep these in mind if you’re creating your own cake for the party.

Ingredient Swap Ideas

1/3 all-purpose flour can be replaced by wholewheat flour
Apple butter or strong apple sauce can replace about 1/3 of regular butter
Instead of 3 whole eggs, use 2 whole eggs and one egg white
Neufchatel cheese or Brie can be used instead of full-fat cream cheese
Light sour cream can be used to replace regular sour cream

Full Cake Replacement Ideas

Oatmeal cake
Banana bread
Vegetable breads (carrot, pumpkin and courgette)
Cakes including beetroots, potatoes or sweet potatoes

Dips Abound

Dips and sauces are fun for toddlers, but may get a little messy. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing as long as your little one is eating healthily, you’re making progress!

Sweet Dips

Apple Sauce
Sour cream flavoured with all-fruit spread or puréed fruits
Mashed bananas (with or without berries) and ricotta

Savoury

Cream cheese lightened with milk
Guacamole
Small curd cottage cheese
Houmous
Creamy salad dressings
Cooked and puréed vegetables

Healthy Foods to Dip

Cheese
Fruit
Cooked vegetables (carrots, broccoli, green beans, cauliflower)
Cucumbers
Cream Crackers
Wholegrain breads
Small chunks or rolled-up slices of chicken or turkey

Shake It Up

Smoothies have moved beyond just fruit. Many now include vegetables too. These nutrient-packed drinks are a great way to add veggies to a delicious treat. If your little one loves smoothies, add some of these ingredients for a nutrient boost:

Avocado
Spinach
Cooked carrots
Kale
Parsley
Cucumber

If your toddler is using a child's beaker, smoothies can be thinned out with milk or water. (If the smoothie is very thick it can be served in a bowl with a spoon.)

Food 'Face Time'

Make a face with food! Use food as 'paint' and the plate as your canvas. Make the face as basic or elaborate as you want but just eyes and a mouth can speak volumes. You can even dress it up with noodle hair, veggie earrings or an oatmeal moustache!