Baby shower food ideas for girl on a budget

25 Perfect Baby Shower Food Ideas on a Budget – Instacart

Throwing a fun, memorable party to celebrate the new arrival in your life doesn’t have to break the bank. You can decorate a party or backyard and prepare a tasty menu affordably without compromising on quality—it just takes planning. If you’re stuck and don’t know where to start, these baby shower food ideas on a budget will get the ball rolling.

How to throw a baby shower on a budget

Before we get into baby shower food ideas, these are our cost-cutting tips for throwing a wonderful baby shower on a budget.

1. Don’t host at mealtimes

If you host a baby shower at mealtimes, you’ll have to serve full meals, which can be expensive. Instead, throw your baby shower between meals, so you can serve only appetizers and sweet snacks. 2 p.m. is a popular time for these events.

2. Keep a pared-down guest list

On average, guests eat around 5 pieces of food at baby showers. The more people you invite, the costlier the event will be.

3. Ask guests to bring food or drinks

If you still want a full party but can’t afford to feed everyone, ask your guests to bring over food or drinks. It will be a baby-shower-meets-potluck type of event, which can be a lot of fun.

4. Choose local, seasonal ingredients

The cheapest food for a baby shower is the one that’s local and in season. Research what fresh produce is cheapest, then come up with recipes using those ingredients.

Following a themed menu can help you pinch pennies. For example, if you’re using chicken for 1 appetizer, make sure to include it in another snack. This way, you don’t have to buy as many ingredients and end up saving money.

6. Ditch the fully stocked bar

Choose just 1 or 2 drinks to serve—preferably non-alcoholic for baby showers. No need to keep a handful of spirits and mixers on hand.

7. Make your own decorations

DIY the décor using things you already have at home. Visiting a thrift store can also help you throw a stylish baby shower for cheap.

Affordable appetizers for a baby shower

Plate up these tasty, budget-friendly appetizers for your guests.

1. Ham and cheese sliders

Ham and cheese sliders are simple, easy to make, and affordable.

2. Pulled pork buns

Pulled pork sliders are also a popular snack for baby showers. Don’t skip out on the barbecue sauce.

3. Turkey cheddar hot pinwheels

With pre-made pizza dough, deli turkey slices, and cheddar cheese, you can make this comforting finger food.

4. Tomato and broccoli mini quiches

Quiches are sophisticated but surprisingly cheap to make. For this version, use ripe sliced tomatoes and broccoli florets for the filling.

5. Hummus and roasted veg toast

Spread homemade or storebought hummus on toasted bread and top with an assortment of roasted veggies.

6. Build-your-own chili

If you’re looking for a more filling snack, chili is the way to go. Let your guests add their own toppings.

7.

Potato skins with bacon

Hollowed-out baked potatoes, bacon, and sour cream make the perfect appetizer. It’s easy to eat and packed with flavor.

8. Summer pasta salad

For something lighter, serve individual portions of pasta salad. Toss fusilli and whatever veggies are in season in olive oil and a pinch of salt.

9. Deep-fried pickles

Pickles are a popular satisfying snack among many moms-to-be. Set out a plate of deep-fried pickles with ranch dressing on the side.

10. Babies in a blanket

Give pigs in a blanket a twist. Wrap the dough around the sausage so it looks like a swaddled baby and add chocolate sprinkles for the eyes.

11. Grape jelly wieners

Toss smokies in a grape jelly and ketchup mixture, then serve on toothpicks.

12. Barbecue meatballs

Another hearty appetizer, meatballs doused in barbecue sauce are a crowd-pleaser.

13. Tater tot casserole

Tater tot casserole is pretty inexpensive to make. Use a blend of affordable cheeses to take this comfort food to the next level.

14. Chicken salad sandwiches

Spread chicken salad on soft white sandwich bread and serve with an olive and a toothpick on top.

15. Pesto chicken tea sandwiches

Grilled chicken and basil pesto is another great combination. Cut the sandwiches into quarters so they’re easier to eat.

16. Hamburger meat empanadas

Pie crust and hamburger meat can be turned into delicious empanadas. Salsa makes for a great dipping sauce.

17. Cheese pizza bites

Make finger food pizza bites using a cupcake tin, pizza dough, pizza sauce, and shredded cheese.

Cheap desserts and treats for baby showers

What’s a party without something sweet? These cheap recipes for a baby shower will satisfy your sweet tooth without going over budget.

1. Gendered rice crispy treats

Rice crispy treats are cheap to make. They only call for margarine, marshmallows, and puffed rice. Add red or blue food dye for a gendered twist.

2. Carrot cupcakes

Not into gender-themed desserts? You will probably love carrot cupcakes. Making your own is cheaper than getting it from the store—and surprisingly easy!

3. Fruit on a skewer

Pierce a skewer through pieces of fruit for a healthy snack. Grapes, banana, strawberry, apple—whatever is in season.

4. Caramel apples

In the fall, when apples are abundant, caramel apple slices hit the spot.

5. Waffle bites

Waffle mix is inexpensive, so why not make waffle bites? Cut a waffle into fourths and top with fruits, caramel, or chocolate.

6. Decorated sugar cookies

Take sugar cookies to the next level by decorating them. All you’ll need is icing, food dye, and a piping bag.

7. Ice cream sundaes

Sundaes are perfect for summer baby showers. Choose 1 ice cream flavor and let your guests pick their toppings—pretzels, caramel drizzle, and chocolate chips are just some of the options.

8. S’mores bar

Set up a s’mores bar for a DIY dessert. You’ll need graham crackers, chocolate bars, and marshmallows. Don’t forget skewers and a few candles.

Save time and money with a little help from a friend

You probably have a clearer picture of what you’ll serve at your budget-friendly baby shower, right? Now comes the fun part: creating invites, making a playlist, and decorating the space. What’s not so fun is doing the grocery runs—but, fortunately, you can leave that to Instacart. Order everything you need with just a few clicks and focus on the party. You may also want to check out current deals from our retailers.

Grab it now on Instacart:

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Simple Baby Shower Food Ideas on a Budget

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Inside: You want to host an amazing baby shower, but you don’t want to spend hours preparing or shell out a small fortune? We’ve got you! Here are tips to save money, plus several super simple baby shower food ideas.

Planning a baby shower? The costs can add up quickly if you aren’t careful. And the category that’s most likely to wreak havoc on your budget is FOOD.

So if you want baby shower food ideas that won’t break the bank, keep reading! We’ve got several tips to help you plan a baby shower menu on a tight budget.

We’ve also rounded up several real examples of simple baby shower food ideas where you can control the costs by preparing them yourself or saving time by buying prepared foods.

Let’s get started.

Related: How to Throw a Perfect Minimalist Baby Shower

9 Tips to Save Money on Food Costs When Planning a Baby Shower

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Here are several ideas you’ll want to use to slash your food costs in half (or more!) when planning your baby shower menu.

(If you just want actual recipe and food ideas, skip to the next section.)

1. Avoid mealtimes for big savings.

The biggest way to cut costs on food when planning a baby shower is to time it right — aka not during a meal time.

A more economical option is to put out a nice selection of snacks and/or desserts for guests to enjoy.

2. Find a co-host and split the cost.

Simple math here: divide the cost in half (or thirds!) and your out-of-pocket expenses shrink. If you and another family member or friend — or even a group of friends! — can co-host a shower, it eases the financial burden on everyone.

There’s no need for a five-course meal or a dozen different desserts, especially if you’re planning a low-key affair. Keep your menu simple and streamlined to save money (and your sanity!).

When you avoid mealtimes, your costs already go down. But don’t make the mistake of then overdoing the appetizers.

You could do a few simple appetizers and 1-2 desserts. Or you could do JUST desserts (I’ve never seen a baby shower without desserts, which is why I didn’t suggest just appetizers).

4. Presentation matters.

This tip goes hand in hand with the above point. A inexpensive and/or simple menu doesn’t have to be boring, and presentation can make even the most basic spread look fabulous.

Pinterest is your BFF here. Get inspired and re-create a beautiful spread on a budget.

Guests will never know you didn’t spend that much!

Related: The Best Baby Shower Verses for a Baby Shower (and how to incorporate them)

5.

Be your own caterer.

Having an event catered is expensive. No question about it. Plan to prepare and serve the food yourself (or recruit family and friends to help!) for a budget-friendly baby shower.

6. Skip the alcohol.

It goes without saying…alcohol ain’t cheap. If you want to plan a baby shower on a tiny budget, skipping the cocktails is one way to go.

If you can’t see yourself nixing alcohol from the menu, do your research and find some festive (yet cost-effective) drink recipes to offer guests.

Stick to water with fruit, an easy punch recipe and of course, coffee.

7. Shop around to find the best price on food and supplies.

Food can be bought for a fraction of the cost at discount stores (like Aldi!) and still tastes every bit as good. You can also shop in bulk — usually at a lower price per unit — at warehouse stores like Costco.

When shopping for supplies (paper plates, napkins, streamers, etc), be sure to check your local dollar stores for huge bargains.

8. Consider making it a potluck (see creative ideas!).

No one says you need to shoulder the burden of baby shower costs alone. You can take it beyond splitting the costs with one or two friends.

Is your crowd a tightknit group of family and friends coming together to celebrate a new baby? If so, it’s totally appropriate to ask everyone to bring along a side dish or dessert.

Don’t want to go this route? That’s okay.

Here’s a fun alternative to try instead: Ask guests to bring classic pregnancy craving foods along. Then, set up a “cravings table” for everyone to sample from.

You can provide a few additional items, but make the cravings table the focus of the event.

Another trendy and easy idea is to do a charcuterie board theme. Get 4+ friends to bring various ingredients. You can divide and conquer, with one person covering 1-2 categories (you don’t need all of these to make it work):

Deli Meats
Cheeses
Spreads &Dips
Fruits
Olives & Pickles
Nuts & Crackers
Chocolate

Make and serve these simple vanilla cupcakes as your one dessert to go with it.

9. If you can’t avoid a meal, consider a self-serve buffet.

Another affordable option could be a buffet-style menu. Here are a few ideas:

Brunch – Include breakfast pastries, a fruit platter, and a coffee bar (see if you can borrow a Keurig!). A waffle bar with toppings could be another fun option.
Tacos – Set out taco meat, hard and soft shells, cheese, sour cream, salsa, lettuce, and tomatoes.
Salad – This might consist of different types of lettuce, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, cheeses, and an assortment of dressings.
Soup – Borrow some slow cookers and make big batches of several types of soups to serve. You can also include soup fixings like shredded cheese and a variety of breads, croutons or crackers.

There are so many options. This crowd-pleasing choice will save both money and time.

Simple Baby Shower Food Ideas on a Budget: From Appetizers to Desserts

The key to keeping these items low budget is to apply the above tips.

Remember you only need 2-3 appetizers (make sure on is vegetarian friendly!), and 1-2 desserts max. Only do more if it truly brings you joy.

You don’t need to go crazy, and you don’t need to please everyone. Although I will recommend asking the mom-to-be what her favorite appetizer is and any diet restrictions, and make sure to include it.

These are grouped by category, with several recipes for each one. Hopefully you can find a few things that work for your event.

1. Crockpot Meatballs

These are SO easy to make! Just dump frozen meatballs in a crockpot, add a sweet or savory sauce of your choice, and boom, done.

Put a bowl of toothpicks next to the crockpot, and call it a day.

If you need specific recipes, here are a few that look delicious (#1 is esp. easy and delicious!):

Crockpot Grape Jelly & BBQ Meatballs
Honey Garlic Crockpot Meatballs
Best Crockpot Meatballs

For more easy crockpot ideas, from meats to dips, THIS post has great ideas.

2. Chips & Dip

This can be a super easy category with both hot and cold dip options, depending on the season and/or your budget.

Pita chips with layered hummus dip (warning: lots of chopping)
Tortilla chips with guacamole, Pico de Gallo, or 7 layer dip
Pita or Tortilla chips with an easy hot dip

3. Fruit & Dip

Sensing a theme yet? Dips can be super easy. You can get them pre-made at Costco or your local grocery store, or you can make them yourself.

Popular pairings for fruit are:

caramel dip with apple slices (bathe these in lemon water)
cream cheese fruit dip with strawberries
melted chocolate with strawberries or pineapple

4. Bread & Dip/Spread

This can be as simple or as complicated as you want. Grab a baguette or pita bread, slice it up and pair it with one of these dips.

Here are some recipe ideas:

Herb & Olive Oil Dip
Slow Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip
Beer Cheese Dip (with bread bowl)

5.

Veggie Tray (with dip, of course!)

Make sure to include a couple different dips, such as hummus and veggie dip.

With this option, go easy on yourself and buy the dips from the grocery store. Your time is valuable, and the savings is negligible.

Of course, if you have a favorite homemade veggie dip that you think kicks the store version’s butt, by all means, go for it!

6. Chicken or Egg Salad Sliders

Chicken salad or egg salad are great options to make in advance that keep well in the fridge. You can also opt to pre-buy these (I’ve seen chicken salad at Costco!).

Pair with Hawaiian sweet rolls.

You can put the sandwiches together in advance, but I recommend keeping them separate and let your guests make their own to eliminate soggy leftover sandwiches.

7. Cold Salads

Another easy to prepare in advance option, OR purchase them from your local prepared food section.

Here are a few ideas:

Easy Creamy Potato Salad
Amish Macaroni Salad
Easy Greek Salad

Although for this one, I highly recommend going with the prepared food options. So easy, and the cost-savings of doing it yourself is probably negligible.

8. Cookies or Bars

Cookies can be super complicated, but they don’t need to be. You don’t need royal frosting, decorated like an artist cookies.

Try simple sugar cookies without frosting, cut into baby shower shapes. Or go with a simple dessert bar for an even easier dessert.

Related: 15 Things to Do at a Baby Shower Besides Games

9. Cupcakes

You don’t get much easier than cupcakes. Go with a simple vanilla cupcake with vanilla frosting for maximum ease (you can dye it pink or blue if you know baby’s gender).

You can even get by without purchasing frosting tips by using a gallon-sized ziplock bag to pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.

10. Candy

Candy is a super simple way to make a dessert table look colorful and pretty. Borrow some glass vases and bowls to put these on display.

Choose colors and candies based on theme. Buy in bulk to save money, but going with candy can save you so much time, too!

You could even offer little favor bags at the candy table for guests to put together a to-go bag. Getting favors and food done in one fell swoop just makes sense. Plus it’s clutter-free!

You Might Also Like: Eco-Friendly Baby Shower Favors for a Sustainable Shower

Don’t Be Afraid to Host a Simple Baby Shower

As you can see, there are so many ways to cut costs when planning the menu for a baby shower.

It doesn’t need to be a super expensive endeavor. Your guest of honor will so appreciate the time and effort you put into celebrating her special day.

She’s probably not going to look back on her baby shower and think, man, I wish the hosts had worked harder on that baby shower food. She’ll look back and remember WHO was there, and maybe what gifts she received.

So don’t be afraid to divide the work if at all possible, and keep it simple.

You’ll save a ton, enjoy the shower itself more, and no one will know the difference.

Read Next: 25 Inexpensive Baby Shower Gifts – Both Practical & Affordable

Amy Thetford

Amy is a freelance writer and blogger who homeschools her tribe of tiny humans while pursuing her lifelong dream of becoming a published author. She is fueled by coffee and the desire to do ALL. THE. THINGS. She has the attention span of a squirrel, though somehow manages to make it through each day with everyone fed and happy (well, mostly happy! Ha!) while striving to make every tomorrow better than the last. You can hear more of what she has to say over at Real Talk with Amy, where she blogs about all things motherhood.

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Treat for a child's birthday: ideas for a festive children's menu

The most important date for every person is his birthday. Kids look forward to the next holiday with special impatience, when they give gifts, guests, friends come, mother prepares delicious treats. The birthday of a child for parents is a very troublesome and exciting event, because all mothers and fathers want not only to please their child with various goodies, but also to surprise him with an original menu, bright design of dishes and a solemn atmosphere.

Deciding on a place for the celebration

Before thinking about the menu, you need to think over the plan of the event. There are a lot of options for organizing a children's celebration, and each format requires a different budget.

The most popular option for organizing a holiday is a birthday party at home. Celebrating a celebration in the apartment, it is possible to decorate the room in advance. Children love themed holidays, parties. In this case, you need to decorate the room in the style of the birthday boy's favorite cartoon and prepare holiday paraphernalia for guests.

Some people prefer to have their birthdays in nature. To organize a festive picnic, you will have to think through many details, take care of tablecloths, disposable tableware, napkins, folding furniture, etc. in advance.

Another great choice is a buffet table for children. Here, the space for a flight of fancy is almost limitless. The main part of the buffet table is snacks, sandwiches, canapes, sweets, fruits. This format attracts kids with bright and colorful design, simple presentation. The buffet table does not oblige you to take your seats - for active and restless kids, a holiday is better and difficult to come up with.

Planning a budget

Treats for a child's birthday will cost as much as you are willing to pay for them. Holding any holiday is always reflected in the thickness of the family wallet. To save money, the celebration is organized at home. To do this, it is desirable to include in the menu more salads and snacks from affordable and inexpensive products, without exotics and delicacies.

When organizing a children's party, it is important to understand that the atmosphere of fun and joy is more important for children than salads in plates. In order for the birthday to be remembered by the birthday man and his invited friends for a long time, you need to focus on three points:0003

room decoration;
amusements and games;
sweet table (cake and desserts).

Making the main menu

So, what delicious food can you cook for a child's birthday? Treats can be varied: sweets, fruits, sweets, desserts... Kids are madly in love with all this, but when compiling the menu, it is important to consider that children cannot be fed with any food.

Going to the store for food for a children's feast, you need to think through everything to the smallest detail. The likelihood of an allergic reaction in invited children cannot be discounted. To avoid unforeseen consequences and difficulties, it is advisable to find out from parents in advance about the restrictions in the diet of their children. So it will be possible to plan in advance the optimal menu and the amount of food.

Children's birthday treats should not include overly spicy, hot, smoked or marinated dishes. Even if such products are fresh, they can cause abdominal pain and upset stools in children. However, this does not mean that you need to prepare everyday, familiar dishes for everyone. Soup is not the best culinary idea for a children's party. It is better to give preference to a delicious hot dish, choosing meat by age. Usually children are delighted with chicken and turkey. Children will hardly appreciate chop or goulash. An excellent alternative would be light cutlets, meatballs, kebabs baked in the oven.

Fish dishes on the children's holiday table should be avoided. This is a rather dangerous product for babies, because children can choke on small bones. In addition, fish dishes have a specific flavor and not all kids are delighted with it.

Salads for children should be neutral. Kids may not appreciate the variety of ingredients. It is better to choose dishes that include no more than 2-3 components. For example, a salad of Beijing cabbage, carrots and sweet corn. Low-fat tender cottage cheese and fruits are the perfect combination for a snack with which you can start a children's feast. Care and foresight must be exercised when choosing dressings and sauces. Since children often have intolerance to dairy products, salads with different dressing options should be on the table - with vegetable oil, sour cream, yogurt. But mayonnaise is better not to use.

Drinks for a child's birthday are no less important than the main meals. Children love sweet soda, but it is still better to opt for natural homemade fruit drinks, jelly, compotes from berries and fruits. By the way, fruit drinks can be diluted with mineral water, garnished with a slice of citrus, a cocktail umbrella or a straw.

Sweet table: the main nuances

The choice of desserts cannot be overlooked. A table of sweets for a child's birthday, as already mentioned, is one of the main elements of the holiday. Despite the fact that today you can buy a variety of ready-made confectionery products in stores, it is better to bake a cake yourself for a children's holiday. So you can be calm, because you will be sure of both the expiration date and the composition of your creation. You can buy cakes and children's desserts for children over five years old, but only if you do not doubt the quality of the purchased products in the slightest. To dispel doubts, first read customer reviews.

If the birthday boy is allergic to egg yolk or milk, the mother can choose any other suitable recipe. Home cooking leaves the opportunity to choose the original decoration to your taste. Fruits for a child's birthday must be present on the table, but it is advisable to choose fruits without small seeds.

Menu for a 1-2 year old birthday boy

At this age, there are serious dietary restrictions for children. You can serve only those dishes that are prepared from neutral products familiar to kids. Any potential allergens should be banned. These include seafood, honey, peanuts, strawberries, chocolate, various spices, etc.

The festive table does not need to be reloaded with salads and heavy meat dishes. Children of this age will like miniature tartlet or cracker sandwiches with chicken pate, light chicken meatballs and mashed potatoes. From drinks, apple compote or diluted juice is perfect.

For babies of this age, instead of a cake with rich cream, it is better to choose a healthy and light dessert that is quickly absorbed and does not cause digestive problems. It can be sweet soufflé, creamy jelly or baby formula candies. There are a lot of recipes for making dessert from "Baby" or "Baby". Such sweets are completely safe, as they can be treated to the smallest guests. Sweets from baby formula, unlike regular chocolate ones, do not contain preservatives, chemical additives, flavors and flavor enhancers.

What to cook for a 3-4 year old child

At this age, babies become more demanding. For guests in this age group, more birthday treats should be prepared at home. Children especially love snacks, so you can start with basic sandwiches. For example, canapes with tomatoes and lean meat, skewers with grapes and cheese. To make appetizers have an attractive appetizing look, they can be decorated with half a boiled egg, making a boat, or a cherry tomato, turning a sandwich into a ladybug or a bright mushroom. A variety of ingredients and culinary decor will not leave guests indifferent.

Turkey or chicken is more suitable for hot dishes. And it is better to pay attention to serving portions. For example, skewers baked in sour cream sauce can be garnished with pineapple or apple slices. In the summer season, a meat dish must be served with a salad of fresh vegetables seasoned with vegetable oil.

Of all the sweets for a birthday, a child who turns three or four years old will look forward to cake. Returning to the topic of home cooking, it is worth noting that home-made confectionery usually does not turn out as bright and colorful as factory-made ones. In the confectionery shop, you can order a cake with any figures and images of cartoon characters. The main thing is that the cream in the cake should be airy and not greasy (cottage cheese, yogurt, sour cream).

Festive table at a birthday party for a child aged 5-7

At this age, children can eat everything, which means that the list of allowed dishes and ingredients becomes much wider. For the festive table, you can serve several vegetable salads from vegetables and boiled chicken, turkey. As an appetizer, canapes with fruits, melted cheese, vegetables, lightly salted salmon, salmon are perfect.

For hot children, it is better to cook beef meat rolls with champignons or prunes, and for a side dish - rustic potatoes baked in the oven, croquettes or multi-colored mashed potatoes, which are actually easy to prepare. The recipe is simple: divide the mashed potatoes into three parts, add boiled beet juice to one of them, spinach juice to the other, and leave the third as it is. You can beautifully arrange a portion on a plate with the help of cherry tomatoes, dill sprigs, cranberries, etc. None of the children will remain indifferent to such a side dish.

Sweet treats for a child's birthday should also be considered in advance. The most banal option is a beautiful cream cake. If you want something more dietary, you can cook a honey cake for a child. At a birthday party, even those children who are diabetic or obese can eat it. Honey, unlike beet or cane sugar, contains more fructose than sucrose, so it requires less insulin to digest. You can also serve pudding, fruit jelly, milk soufflé with vanilla and other options for a light children's dessert.

Birthday party for schoolchildren

When organizing a birthday party for a child over seven years old, it is necessary to consult with him/her. Let the birthday boy tell you what plot for the party he likes. As for the holiday menu, it should be based on a variety of salads and snacks. A hot dish can be baked veal medallions with a vegetable side dish, rice or spaghetti with a homemade aromatic sauce.

Today's schoolchildren are crazy about pizza, burgers, hot dogs, a variety of nuggets and other fast food that can be easily prepared at home. For example, pizza with a variety of toppings will appeal to all guests. For decoration, you can use olives, herbs, cherry tomatoes.

For dessert, of course, you can bake or buy a cake. The second option is ice cream with fruits and sweets. For a child's birthday, a sweet table can be supplemented with a variety of cakes, eclairs, cookies, chocolate.

How to celebrate a holiday in kindergarten

When a child's birthday comes, you have to think about what treats to bring to the kindergarten. A child's birthday at home will be significantly different from a festive event in a preschool institution. The choice of treats for preschoolers is an extremely sensitive issue, so its decision must be approached responsibly.

For example, you cannot bring cakes to kindergarten. All products with cream are banned, so the option with a cake can be immediately thrown aside. In some kindergartens, the administration also prohibits bringing homemade cakes, compotes, juices. Therefore, when planning a celebration, you must first consult with the teacher and find out what you can treat the children to and what not.

The group may include allergy sufferers and children suffering from diseases of the digestive system. In addition, children under the age of 5-6 do not yet know how to brush their teeth well, so you need to select sweets based on their safety for teeth. As treats, you can not use chocolates, caramel, lollipops, jam cookies, chewing gum.

Kindergarten can give children the following types of sweets:

cookies marked on the package “from 5 months”;
biscuit cookies, "Baked milk", "Jubilee";
donuts and croutons;
muesli bars;
fruits and dried fruits, pitted;
hematogen.

You don't have to worry about drinks: the kitchen of this preschool institution always has compote, jelly, and tea. A limited list of sweets that can be treated to kids in kindergarten is one of the measures to ensure the safety of children's health, and it cannot be ignored.

What to treat classmates

School is the place with which the childhood memories of each of us are connected. She occupies an important place in the lives of children, so you should not forget about your child's classmates on his birthday. Most children bring treats to school - everyone knows about this tradition. To effectively and originally celebrate the holiday in the classroom, you can use one of the proposed ideas for serving and decorating sweets.

To make the treat not only tasty, but also beautiful, it is not enough just to hand out a few sweets to each hand. It's boring and not at all festive. But if the same sweets (Rot Front, Akkond, Babaevskie, Krasny Oktyabr, Yashkino, Kommunarka, etc.) are packed, for example, in a waffle cone, you can surprise all the friends of the birthday boy. It is not difficult to make such a composition:

Pour dragees or various candies, marmalade, gelatins, etc. into ready-made wafer cones.
Grind the seam with coconut flakes or multicolored Easter cake sprinkles.
Pack the finished treat in festive cellophane with a ribbon.

Instead of waffle cones, you can use transparent plastic cups, jars that are easy to decorate or decorate with cotton candy.

Secrets of culinary decor for a child's birthday

Decorating a children's festive table is an important condition that cannot be ignored if you want your child to remember the celebration for a long time. Both boys and girls are fond of cartoons, serials, movies, they have their own idols.

For example, a child is crazy about a Spiderman cartoon. What can be done in this case? For example, decorate snacks with long thin strips of cheese, imitating a web. On sandwiches, olives resembling spiders will look good. Girls usually like dishes decorated in the form of animals, flowers, fruits (for example, salad "Hedgehog", "Turtle", "Pineapple"). Such dishes look appetizing on the table and delight children.

All kinds of fruit and vegetable canapés are a great way to decorate a festive table and add bright colors. To do this, you will need multi-colored skewers, colored plates and canapes. The main principle is the harmonious combination of several colors. The brighter the plate, the more appetizing all the dishes on the table will look.

Hot dishes can be beautifully decorated with figures carved from vegetables. It can be hares, kittens, dogs from carrots or cucumbers. To get a clearer shape of the figures, you need to choose dense and sluggish fruits.

Desserts can be decorated with anything - fruits, berries, dragees, whipped cream and chocolates. Rot Front, for example, produces some of the most delicious Russian bars with chocolate and cream flavor. As part of praline, grated peanuts and crispy crushed waffles. Sweets are sweet, but not at all cloying, for which adults and children love them.

Tips on the eve of the children's party

First of all, you need to carefully plan the menu in advance. Sometimes it takes several weeks to prepare for a birthday. This will allow you to choose dishes for the table without haste and fuss, stock up on all the necessary ingredients and think over the details of the design of the room, serving. Do not focus on complex multi-component dishes. The menu should be based on familiar products, but prepared in an unusual way (for example, chicken rolls, kebabs, potato croquettes, etc. ).

Decoration of dishes should not go against the theme of the holiday. Posters and posters with congratulations for the birthday man can be hung on the curtains and walls, cover the table with a multi-colored juicy tablecloth. It is desirable that its material be easy to clean, since children at the table often knock over plates and spill drinks. If there are very young children among the guests, you should pick up themed napkins to tie around your neck and protect your festive outfit from accidental stains.

For decoration, you can choose vegetables and fruits of different colors. The main thing is to decorate the table in colorful and bright colors. At the same time, there is no need to overload the feast with an abundance of various dishes - this is useless for children.

All dishes on the table must be fresh and of good quality. The use of frozen and semi-finished products should be avoided, preference should be given to chilled products, especially meat. It is better to refuse food that can provoke an allergy and protect not only your child, but also the kids invited to the holiday from unforeseen situations.

If you do not prepare confectionery products yourself, then you need to buy them only in trusted places. When preparing a dessert for children, try not to use margarine and put a minimum of butter. More high-calorie sweets can lead to a malfunction of the gastrointestinal tract.

If there are no restrictions on dairy products, then milkshakes are a great option for babies. As a topping, you can use strawberry, peach or banana puree. For children, a fruit cocktail can be diluted with sparkling water. You can also offer homemade lemonade to the kids. Regardless of the time of year, drinks should not be too cold.

If the holiday will be held at home, everything will have to be prepared on the eve of the celebration. If you start cooking even earlier, by your birthday, the dishes will become stale and may spoil. It should be borne in mind that cold snacks are considered fit for consumption within 12 hours from the moment of preparation. Salads dressed with yogurt or sour cream have a shelf life of no more than 8 hours.

Children should definitely put a fruit plate on the table. Most children simply love fruits, so you can cut them beautifully - then the fruit plate will not only be useful, but also decorate the festive table.

Birthday is a favorite celebration for every child. All children look forward to the holiday. A well-organized feast will be the best addition to gifts, it will cause sincere joy and fun.

Children's birthday menu: photos, recipes, dish ideas

How to make a child's birthday truly unforgettable? Gather his friends, come up with entertainment and, of course, treat everyone to something delicious. But pleasing little guests is sometimes more difficult than adult gourmets. Our article will come to the rescue. In it, we have collected 10 dishes that will enchant even the most capricious persons. Serve these treats for a kid's birthday party and no one will leave hungry.

Original canapés

Kids will appreciate the unusual serving, and adults will appreciate the ease of preparing the dish. Indeed, among the recipes for a children's birthday, it is important to have at least one option for a quick snack. For canapes in the form of ladybugs, it is better to take unsalted crackers with the addition of whole grain flour. You can grease the products with both pate and hummus or curd cheese.

Ingredients:

crackers - 10 pcs.
cherry tomatoes - 5 pcs.
leaf lettuce - 3-4 leaves
olives - 3 pcs.
pate - to taste

Preparation:

Cut cherry tomatoes in half and make a shallow cut in each half.
Brush crackers with pâté and cover with lettuce. Excess greens can be removed.
Top the salad with half a cherry and a quarter of an olive.
Decorate the finished ladybug with a pattern of white dots. To do this, dip a toothpick in Greek yogurt or mayonnaise and gently color the workpiece.

Snack muffins

Children are rarely fans of vegetables. But thanks to such muffins, they will even eat the hated green beans or green peas. It's nice that you can change the toppings to your liking. For example, take corn, ham or some broccoli and cauliflower. It is also better not to forget about the vegetable slices on the table. Serve carrot, pepper and cucumber sticks with yoghurt sauce.

Ingredients:

green beans - 100 g
green peas - 100 g
cheese - 100 g
chicken eggs - 2 pcs.
sour cream - 3 tbsp. l.
flour - 3 tbsp. l.
Bulgarian pepper - 1 pc.
baking powder - 0.5 tsp.
salt - to taste

Preparation:

Defrost beans and peas.
Pepper and cheese cut into small cubes.
In a clean bowl, mix eggs with sour cream and salt. Gradually add the sifted flour mixed with the baking powder.
Add prepared cuts to batter.
Divide the pastry between molds and bake for 15 minutes at 180°C. Then lower the heat to 160°C and bake the muffins for another 15-20 minutes in the oven.

Cheese donuts

If you don't know what to cook, try these donuts. At a children's birthday party, they will definitely become a popular treat. The main thing is to find a good crumbly cottage cheese with a fat content of 5-9%. It is desirable that there is not too much moisture in the mass, gluing the grains together. Otherwise, wrap the cottage cheese with gauze and put it under pressure for 2-3 hours to remove excess moisture.

Ingredients:

cottage cheese - 200 g
cheese - 80 g
flour - 70 g
chicken eggs - 2 pcs.
baking powder - 0.5 tsp.
sesame - to taste

Preparation:

Mash the cottage cheese with a fork or chop with a blender.
Add grated cheese, whole egg and one egg white.
Add the sifted flour with baking powder and knead into a stiff dough.
On a floured surface, shape the dough into a ball and divide it into 6-8 equal pieces.
Roll each piece into a sausage and seal the ends.
Transfer the blanks to a baking sheet lined with baking paper and brush with the remaining yolk.
Garnish with sesame seeds and bake for 30 minutes at 180°C.

Mini pizzas

Who would say no to a popular treat? For a children's holiday, it makes sense to make portioned pizzas. It will be easier for kids to hold them in their hands. As a sauce, ordinary ketchup or a mixture of pureed tomatoes boiled with spices is suitable. In addition to cherry tomatoes, you can use bell peppers or broccoli for the filling, and put boiled chicken or turkey instead of ham. When serving, garnish pizzas with fresh herbs, if desired.

Ingredients:

For the dough:

flour - 200 g
water - 90 ml
olive oil - 30 ml
sugar - 1 tsp.
dry yeast - 4 g
salt - pinch

Basic:

ham - 200 g
cherry tomatoes - 8 pcs.
tomato sauce - 3 tbsp. l.
cheese - 50 g

Preparation:

Mix yeast, sugar and water. Cover the bowl with a towel and put it in a warm place for 15-20 minutes. After the specified time, a foam cap should appear on the surface of the mixture.
Sift the flour into the activated yeast, pour in the olive oil and add the salt. Knead a homogeneous dough that will not stick to your hands.
Transfer the workpiece to a clean dish, greased with olive oil, and leave warm for 1 hour.
Punch down the risen dough and divide into 8 equal parts.
Shape each piece into a 8-10 cm round shape and place on a baking sheet.
Brush base with tomato sauce, top with ham and cherry halves, sprinkle with cheese and place in the oven.
Bake the mini pizzas for 15 minutes at 210°C.

Chicken skewers

Homemade skewers continue the selection of recipes for children's birthdays. When preparing a marinade, remember that the child likes simple and understandable tastes more. A large set of seasonings, especially spicy, he will not appreciate. But vegetables will add benefits and make the meat juicier. For variety, place sliced bell pepper or zucchini between the chicken pieces. Don't forget to prepare wooden skewers. Before stuffing the meat, it is advisable to soak them in boiling water, otherwise the wood may burn in the oven.

Ingredients:

chicken fillet - 800 g
kefir 3.2% - 180 ml
onion - 1 pc.
garlic - 1-2 cloves
salt - to taste

Preparation:

Divide the chicken fillet into 2-3 cm pieces.
Chop the onion into rings, mince the garlic.
Mix the chicken with chopped onion and garlic, season with salt.
Pour in the kefir and mix well. Leave the blank in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
Thread the marinated pieces onto skewers and bake for 15-20 minutes at 200°C.

Fish fingers

Children love variety. Give the kids a choice between several dishes. For example, serve chicken skewers and crispy fish fingers. The appetizer is made from white fish: pollock, cod or haddock. If desired, breading can be supplemented with sesame seeds. Ready-made sticks go well with tartar sauce.

Ingredients:

white fish fillet - 600 g
vegetable oil - 150 ml
breadcrumbs - 3 tbsp. l.
chicken eggs - 1 pc.
salt - to taste
pepper - to taste

Preparation:

Cut the fillet into strips 1.5–2 cm thick. Season with salt and a little pepper.
Beat the egg with a fork in a flat bowl.
Place the breadcrumbs in another bowl.
Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan.
Dip the fish fillets in turn into the egg and breadcrumbs, and then fry in hot oil.
Wipe finished sticks with a paper towel to remove excess oil.

No Bake Cake

When planning what to cook for a child's birthday, don't forget about sweets. What's a holiday without cake? This recipe can be made the day before. Any gelatin is useful, but the rules for working with sheets and powder are different. The layers are randomly poured with cold water, and then squeezed out. For crystals, it is desirable to observe a ratio of 1: 6 (take 6 parts of water for 1 part of gelatin).

Ingredients:

For the cake:

cookies - 300 g
butter - 100 g

Basic:

cottage cheese - 800 g
cream 20% - 200 ml
sugar - 100 g
sour cream - 100 g
cocoa - 2 tbsp. l.
gelatin - 40 g

Preparation:

Grind cookies with butter into crumbs. Spread the mass over the bottom and sides of the form and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Soak gelatine in water.
Beat cottage cheese with sugar and sour cream. The easiest way to do this is with an immersion blender.
Mix swollen gelatin with cream and heat to 60-70°C. The thickener should dissolve, but the liquid should not be allowed to boil.
Add the warm mixture to the curd and blend well again with an immersion blender.
Cocoa mix with half of the curd and cream mass.
Spread the filling as follows: 1 tablespoon cream mixture, then 1 spoon chocolate mixture. It is advisable to finish the cake with a colored layer.
Using a skewer, make patterns on the top of the workpiece and send it to the refrigerator until completely solidified.

Funny Apple Slices

Even ordinary fruits can be served in an original way. For example, make funny monsters out of apple slices. Sweet sprinkles in the form of eyes can be found on the Internet. If there is no unusual decoration, then make it yourself. Melt the chocolate and use a toothpick or skewer to drizzle over the marshmallows. The same melted chocolate or peanut butter will help to fix the marshmallows on the slices.

Ingredients:

apples - 2 pcs.
strawberries - 100 g
peanut butter - 8 tsp
sunflower seeds - 2 handfuls
confectionery topping in the shape of eyes - 8 pcs.

Method:

Divide medium-sized apples into quarters.
Remove the center from the peel side of each wedge.
Brush the resulting hole with peanut butter and fill with a strawberry slice.
Peel the sunflower seeds and stick a few into the apple blanks.
Seal eyes with peanut butter and serve.

Cake pops

Brightly colored cakes on skewers - why not a treat for a child's birthday? It is easy to attract even the birthday man himself to their preparation. Or you can make blanks in advance and invite guests to decorate them with sprinkles and icing. For the latter, it is better to choose white chocolate, since dyes can be added to the resulting mass. Let the little chefs cover the balls on their own and show imagination in decorating.

Ingredients:

For the biscuit:

chicken eggs - 3 pcs.
sugar - 90 g
flour - 90 g

For cream:

curd cheese - 90 g
powdered sugar - 30 g

For glaze:

chocolate - 200 g
butter - 20 g

Preparation:

Whisk eggs with sugar until fluffy white foam.
Carefully add the sifted flour and knead the dough.
Bake the biscuit for 30 minutes at 180°C.
Cool the finished cake and grind into crumbs.
In a clean bowl, beat the cream cheese with the powdered sugar.
Add biscuit crumbs to the cream and mix. Form into balls 4–5 cm in diameter and refrigerate for 1–2 hours.
Melt chocolate in a water bath and mix with butter. Thread the balls onto wooden skewers.
Dip the balls in the frosting one by one. Let the mass take over.
Decorate each cake pop as you like.

Nut bars

Although a sweet table is an indispensable part of a children's holiday, it is not worth pampering children with a lot of sugar. Instead of store-bought bars or candies, make an alternative treat of nuts and dried fruits. Don't be afraid to change the filling to your liking. For example, make a treat only from almonds or add walnuts.

Ingredients:

pitted dates - 200 g
almonds - 60 g
cashews - 50 g
peanuts - 50 g
hazelnuts - 50 g
honey - 50 g
coconut oil - 1 tbsp. l.

For glaze: