What Kind of Food Should I Serve at the School Carnival?

Serve healthier versions of popular fair food at your school's carnival.

Serving food at a school carnival requires walking a careful balance. You must find foods which the children will enjoy but that have some redeeming nutritional value. Check with the school's administrator for any particular nutritional guidelines you must adhere to, and adjust the food servings as needed.

Pizza

Tweak a pizza recipe to make it healthier for school children.

Children and adults alike enjoy pizza. Pizza can be made into a healthy food which still tastes good. Use store-bought whole wheat pizza crusts, and cover with a jar of pizza sauce and reduced fat mozzarella cheese. Opt for turkey pepperoni, chicken breast or vegetable toppings instead of sausage, beef or real pepperoni. Those at the school carnival will likely not be able to tell the difference between your healthier pizza and the unhealthy version. If you have access to ovens at the event, keep the pizzas warm in that. Otherwise, store them under heat lamps to keep them hot for serving.

Corn on the Cob

Corn on the cob is fun to eat and delicious.

Carnivals frequently feature foods on a stick. Instead of deep-fried candy bars on a stick, opt for a healthier vegetable: corn on the cob. All you need for serving corn on the cob at a carnival is a large turkey fryer filled with water instead of oil. Boil the corn and insert a stick into the center after cooking. Provide reduced-fat margarine spread instead of butter and salt as well as black pepper and chili pepper for seasoning the corn.

Caramel Apples

Caramel-coated apples provide a serving of fruit, which slightly justifies the caramel.

Caramel apples fulfill many criteria for traditional fair foods: they are on a stick and they are sticky. Before the fair, insert a stick into the stem end of a green apple. Dip the apple into melted caramel candies and let cool on wax paper. Wrap the apples in clear plastic bags, secured with a twist tie or ribbon around the stick. If desired, roll some of the dipped apples in chopped peanuts, chocolate chips or candy sprinkles. While this is not the healthiest possible food to serve, the apple is a serving of fruit, and caramel candies are lower in fat than chocolate.

Soft Pretzels

Serve large, soft pretzels at your school carnival.

Pretzels are a low-fat alternative to deep-fried concoctions. Purchase boxes of frozen soft pretzels and heat them before the carnival. Keep the pretzels warm under heat lamps at the carnival. Have mustard, ketchup and salt available for topping the pretzels. Look for salt-free pretzels if your administrator requires that you only offer low-sodium foods at the carnival.

References

• Volunteer Spot: School Carnival Ideas
• Amazing Moms: Fall Party