Healthy party food?

It's easy to switch the birthday menu over to wholesome snacks.

It's often hard to avoid the junk-food trap when planning a child's birthday party. Try placing a few healthy alternatives on the table - especially some disguised as junk - and watch the kids zoom in like a swarm of bees.

The rolls can be made ahead and reheated before serving. They also freeze very well after being cooked. For the fruit skewers you can omit the honey basting sauce if desired and just serve the fruit chilled instead of warm. Kids will love dipping them into the vanilla yoghurt.

Pork and vegetable sausage rolls

250g lean pork mince
1/2 cup fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs
1 egg yolk
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
1/2 stick celery, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely grated
1 small zucchini, finely grated
2 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, picked and chopped
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
1/2 tbsp poppy seeds
1 egg mixed with 1 tbsp cold water
Sweet chilli sauce

Pre-heat oven to 200C. Whiz mince, breadcrumbs and egg yolk in a food processor until well combined. Remove to a bowl, season and add vegetables and parsley. Cut pastry sheets in half and spoon a quarter of the mixture lengthways along centre of each piece. Brush eggwash along long edges of each piece and roll up pressing down lightly to seal. Cut each roll into 3cm pieces and make a small incision in each to prevent splitting. Brush tops with eggwash and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and cooked.

Serve with sweet chilli sauce.Makes about 30.

Colourful fruit skewers

12 wooden skewers
1 large ripe mango, peeled
2 large oranges, peeled
2 large bananas, peeled
250g small strawberries, hulled
1-2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 cup honey
1 cup vanilla yoghurt

Soak skewers in cold water for 20-30 minutes. Cut mango and oranges into 3cm chunks. Cut bananas into 3cm slices. Thread fruit onto skewers, alternating the varieties, and place on an oven tray. Combine butter, lime juice and honey in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until butter has melted and mixture is smooth. Pour mixture over fruit, turning to coat.

Cook skewers on a lightly greased barbecue or grill plate until warm.

Cool and serve with yoghurt.Makes 12.

Chicken and cucumber rice paper rolls

1 lebanese cucumber
1 medium carrot, peeled
24 square (17cm) or small round rice paper sheets
1-2 chicken breast fillets (depending on size), steamed and sliced into sticks
1 cup bean shoots
24 mint leaves
Hoisin sauce, to serve

Cut cucumber and carrot into 6cm sticks. Place one sheet of rice paper in a bowl of warm water until just softened. Remove and place on a tea towel. Place a piece of chicken in the centre of the rice paper, top with a stick each of cucumber and carrot, two or three bean shoots and two mint leaves, fold over and roll rice paper to enclose filling. Repeat with remaining rice paper sheets and fillings.