A cupcake with the frosting licked off. A piece of left over pizza crust. Does this sound like your lunch? If you're not a parent, you might call these "Trash." But if you are a parent, this sad lineup may be known to you as lunch. Celebratory occasions can turn into diet killers, birthday parties, post soccer pizza, or, heaven help us, a trip to a certain restaurant presided over by a fun loving rodent or a grinning, redheaded clown get in the way of adults eating right. The reality is, for most parents, the challenge to maintaining a healthy diet isn't sausage tortellini in gorgonzola cream sauce or crème brule it's a sandwich baggy full of Doritos or Goldfish Crackers.

It's not that we desire or even crave our children’s leftovers. It's that putting food, in easy access of the hands of stressed and tired parents is like handing an axe to a lumbering crazy looking guy with a hockey mask named Jason. Probably not the best idea! Now I will avoid getting into the debate on kids and proper nutrition. Having worked in a Middle School and a High School for the last eight years I have seen cool, levelheaded parents and teachers practically come to blows over whether or not refined sugar is the devil's work for children. That aside, here are a few tips to help guide you through the valley of high fructose corn syrup and saturated fats.

1. The pen is mightier than the sorbet. Put a marker in your pocket, not in your purse ladies because you won’t have it when you need it. Stay equipped and ready at all times. Then, as soon as your child gets a plate of pizza, cake, or Mack and Cheese, write his or her name on it (99 percent of kid party food is served on disposable plates). Without doubt, your precious darling will stop mid meal to run off and look at a bug or a toy, and your child will ask you to "watch" his or her food. If the plate has an ID tag, then you can keep track of it without actually holding onto it. This also works for drinks. Keep in mind that your average apple juice box, that kids drink contains the equivalent of six teaspoons of sugar. So mark it, put it down, and point that tiny straw away from you.

2. Talk trash before the food is served! Ask your host or hostess where the trash goes. That garbage can is now your new best friend. The second your thoughtful progeny hands you a plate of half-eaten cake and kindly offers to let you finish it, thank him or her and run to your new best friend, the garbage can! If you're hosting the party, put out recycling and garbage bags where everyone can see them. They're not the most stylish party decorations, but you're not serving cocktails to a Queen of England.

3. The host with the most least. If you lucky enough to be the host, you have control over the healthy-to-junk ratio. This is after all a party for the kids. If you fill the piñata with celery sticks and carrots, you might not be very popular. You can reduce portion sizes without being a killjoy. Smaller servings are a healthier option for everyone kids and parents alike. You can also cut pizza slices in half. Serve smaller servings of ice cream, and push those carrot sticks with the determination of a used car salesman! The cake size can be reduced simply by baking it in a cookie sheet. That way, you have a thinner piece of cake. You'll also wont need as much frosting.

4. Arrive Full! Don’t attend or host any gathering on an empty stomach. (This also goes for food shopping.) The kid party hours tend to be from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Before you put the kids in the car seats, make sure that you have had at least a filling snack from the top tiers of Michi's Ladder. A serving of nonfat yogurt is a delicious alternative to pizza. At the party, ask for a big glass of water. It'll help fill you up, and at the least, you'll have one less hand for snacking and unconscious eating.

5. Fast Food Meal Alert! The soccer coach is taking the kids out for fast food to celebrate their first goal. (Remember to play down the fact that they scored it for the opponents by kicking it into the opposing team's goal, but a goal none the less). If you've been recruited to be a chaperone remember that the best offense is a good defense. The nutritional information for most restaurants is now available online. So be prepared in advance a little research beforehand can help you find a healthy alterative that may be on the menu. Keep in mind add-ons like sauces and salad dressings can contain more fat and calories than an entrée.

 6. You made it, it's over. Not so fast! You made it through the party without falling off the food wagon, but it's not over yet. Is your kid clutching the dreaded goodie bag? It's either full of cheap plastic toys from China that will inevitably stab your bare toe or have lead in them or it's full of candy. Don’t devour your child’s spoils later on that night on the pretense that you're saving them by throwing yourself on an empty calorie grenade. It may sound like a noble cause, but your better off just throwing them away and earning your purple heart in some other more Nobel Battle.

 7. Dress for success or should I say dress for being active. Ladies I know you all want to put on your best for the parental gathering, but resist this and go for the comfortable sneakers instead of the adorable new sandals you just got or some other dressy shoes. If you're dressed casually, it's far more likely you'll get up and run around with the kids its good exercise and it might help you remember why you bought the kids that backyard play set. They're lots of fun.

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