Party food help...

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Troodon QLD • Posts: 1

1 13 May 2017

Hi all,

So here[s where I admit something that will probably get me a little bit shunned - I'm not vegan or vegetarian. I do however respect those that are, which is what's brought me here.

I am in the process of planning for my sons birthday party - we'll be inviting a few friends to come celebrate with us and this includes a vegan family (2 kids under 5) and a child with celiac disease. The age ranges of all kids involved goes from about 1 to 7ish.

I managed to do the last party vegetarian and gluten free, but this time we're going a little further and trying to cover the vegan aspect as well. I like being all inclusive and making sure there's no worries for anyone and all the kids can just eat everything.

As I'm not vegan I have no idea what sweets are ok and what aren't. I've tried googling but don't really get any firm answers. Ideally I would like easy / fun / prepackaged foods.

It's only a small party so doesn't need to be too much - I'm thinking carrot and cucumber sticks - and a dip that i'll get the vegan to recommend, as well as watermelon and grapes. That covers the healthy stuff.

Rice cakes and spread but not sure what is both gf and v? that'll be the more substantial part of things (this is just a picnic in the park so not wanting anything that needs to be cooked)

Also need some kind of small sweet (M&M's or skittles kinda thing) for the party favours. Is popcorn vegan or does it depend on the brand? I know the MACRO mini bag ones at woollies are GF but not sure if they are v as well. And are PEZ vegan? google seems REALLY varied on that one.

And are Smiths chips vegan? I know they now do a range of gluten free (which absolutely saved me at the last party!) but not sure if they'd be vegan as well.

I want the party food to be as 'normal' as possible but really want to respect my friends views (and medical issues) and be all inclusive.

Many thanks for all your help

Troo

robert99 Sweden • Posts: 1360

2 14 May 2017

Vegan alternatives to "normal food" are pretty widespread now.

ideas at http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/collections/vegan-recipes

and http://allrecipes.com.au/recipes/vegan-recipes.aspx

http://www.smiths.com.au/subpages/faqs - "We have a number of products that are suitable for vegans - these include Smith's Classic Crinkle Cut Original, Smith's Thinly Cut Original, Doritos Original corn chips and Doritos salsa dips."

Popcorn with butter/dairy is not vegan.

Vegan food at Woolies here http://www.veggieful.com/2012/07/vegan-groceries-at-woolworths-australia.html

Choco No No's see https://www.crueltyfreeshop.com.au/products/choco-no-nos.html are vegan (ie no dairy) M&Ms.

http://veganfoodlover.com/are-skittles-vegan/
Skittles are vegan because they don’t contain any ingredients derived from animal products; however, some vegans may not want to consume Skittles because of the other controversial ingredients they contain.

Skittles Ingredients

Contrary to what many people think, Skittles do not contain gelatin or any other animal based ingredients. However, Skittles sold in the U.S. did contain gelatin up until 2009, which is why many people still think they do today.

The ingredients in Skittles as of 2009 are:

Sugar, Corn Syrup, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil, Apple Juice from Concentrate, Less than 2% Citric Acid, Dextrin, Modified Corn Starch, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Coloring (Includes Yellow 6 Lake, Red 40 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Blue 2 Lake, Yellow 5, Red 40, Yellow 6, Blue 1 Lake, Blue 1), Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C).

Controversial Food Colorings

The chemicals used in Skittles to add coloring, including Red 40, Yellow 6, and Yellow 5 have been the subject of much controversy surrounding their alleged adverse health effects. While no conclusive evidence has been produced, many professional and independent researchers suspect their may be a link between these chemicals and certain illnesses, such as cancer.