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Good food ideas for baby shower


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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37 Crowd-Pleasing Baby Shower Food Ideas

Planning a baby shower is lots of fun, especially when it comes to brainstorming food ideas. Whether you’re looking for food ideas that match your chosen baby shower theme or you’re just looking for quick, easy, and flavorful options that everyone will love, you’ve come to the right place. Check out our 37 baby shower food ideas, including savories, sweets, and thirst-quenching drinks.

9 Tips and Ideas for Planning a Baby Shower Menu

When planning a baby shower, you can be as creative as you like with the food ideas, but it’s also important to consider some practical aspects.

As the host, you’ll have a lot to take care of, including decorating the venue, so it’s good to plan food that is quick to make and easy to serve and eat.

Here are some tips to help you think about the types of food to choose, how to serve it, and more:

Savory Baby Shower Food Ideas

Whether you plan on having only finger foods or an entire menu at the baby shower, here are some ideas for the savory food:

Baby Shower Dessert Table Food Ideas

Besides having a baby shower cake as a centerpiece, you may want to have a dessert table with an assortment of other sweet offerings. Here are some ideas for crowd-pleasing sweets and desserts:

Drinks

Beyond serving the usual wine spritzer or sparkling wine at the baby shower, consider some alcohol-free drinks, like mocktails, punch, and homemade sodas:

The Bottom Line

You’ll no doubt have lots of fun planning and serving the food for the mom-to-be’s baby shower.

If you’ve decided to prepare most of the food, round up some of the mom-to-be’s friends and family to help. Make it easier on yourself by using some store-bought elements, too. You could also make some of what’s on offer but ask each guest to bring a small plate to share.

Set up food and dessert tables so that guests can serve themselves buffet style, and stick to foods that aren’t too messy to eat while standing up and mingling.

If you have a set theme, you can tie the food into the theme by using colored frosting, or by piping lettering onto foods like “Oh, Baby!” Cookie cutters are your friend! Cut everything from brownies to sandwiches into shapes that match the theme. You can also connect the food and drinks to the theme based on the colors you choose for the straws, napkins, and cupcake liners.

Having a chocolate fondue fountain or a soda bar can create an interactive element that guests will love.

Have fun with it! Your options are endless, and you might find you really get into it once you get started. And, always remember, no matter what food and drinks you serve, your guests — especially the guest of honor — will really appreciate your efforts and thoughtfulness.

While you’re here, check out our baby shower checklist to double-check that you’ve covered everything for the upcoming event.

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 presentation, and adults will appreciate the ease of cooking. 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:

  1. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and make a shallow cut in each half.
  2. Brush crackers with pâté and cover with lettuce. Excess greens can be removed.
  3. Top the salad with half a cherry and a quarter of an olive.
  4. 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:

  1. Defrost beans and peas.
  2. Pepper and cheese cut into small cubes.
  3. In a clean bowl, mix eggs with sour cream and salt. Gradually add the sifted flour mixed with the baking powder.
  4. Add prepared cuts to batter.
  5. 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:

  1. Mash the cottage cheese with a fork or chop with a blender.
  2. Add grated cheese, whole egg and one egg white.
  3. Add the sifted flour and baking powder and knead into a stiff dough.
  4. On a floured surface, form the dough into a ball and divide it into 6-8 equal pieces.
  5. Roll each piece into a sausage and seal the ends.
  6. Transfer the blanks to a baking sheet lined with baking paper and brush with the remaining yolk.
  7. 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:

  1. 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.
  2. Sift flour into activated yeast, add olive oil and salt. Knead a homogeneous dough that will not stick to your hands.
  3. Transfer the workpiece to a clean dish, greased with olive oil, and leave warm for 1 hour.
  4. Punch down the risen dough and divide into 8 equal parts.
  5. Shape each piece into a 8-10 cm round shape and place on a baking sheet.
  6. Brush base with tomato sauce, top with ham and cherry halves, sprinkle with cheese and place in the oven.
  7. 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:

  1. Divide the chicken fillet into 2-3 cm pieces.
  2. Chop the onion into rings, mince the garlic.
  3. Mix the chicken with chopped onion and garlic, season with salt.
  4. Pour in the kefir and mix well. Leave the blank in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
  5. Thread the pickled 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:

  1. Cut the fillet into strips 1.5–2 cm thick. Season with salt and a little pepper.
  2. Beat the egg with a fork in a flat bowl.
  3. Place the breadcrumbs in another bowl.
  4. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan.
  5. Dip the fish fillets in turn into the egg and breadcrumbs, and then fry in hot oil.
  6. 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:

  1. Grind cookies with butter into crumbs. Spread the mass over the bottom and sides of the form and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  2. Soak gelatine in water.
  3. Beat cottage cheese with sugar and sour cream. The easiest way to do this is with an immersion blender.
  4. Mix swollen gelatin with cream and heat to 60-70°C. The thickener should dissolve, but the liquid should not be allowed to boil.
  5. Add the warm mixture to the curds and beat everything well again with an immersion blender.
  6. Cocoa mix with half of the curd and cream mass.
  7. 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.
  8. 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:

  1. Quarter medium-sized apples.
  2. Remove the center from the skin side of each wedge.
  3. Brush the resulting hole with peanut butter and fill with a strawberry slice.
  4. Peel the sunflower seeds and stick a few into the apple blanks.
  5. Seal eyes with peanut butter and serve.

Cake pops

Bright cakes on skewers - why not treat 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:

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

Nut bars

Although a sweet table is an obligatory 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:

  • chocolate - 200 g
  • coconut oil - 1 tbsp. l.

Preparation:

  1. Crush the almonds.
  2. Chop the remaining nuts and dates.
  3. Add crushed almonds, honey and coconut oil to the mixture. Mix the base for the bars.
  4. Line a mold with foil and place the mixture on top. Smooth out.
  5. Melt the chocolate with coconut oil in a bain-marie.
  6. Decorate the blank with the resulting glaze. Sprinkle shredded coconut on top, if desired, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  7. Divide the formed cake into bars, wrap each with parchment and serve.

As you can see, there are many interesting ideas of what to cook for a children's birthday. The original menu will definitely be remembered by both guests and the hero of the occasion.

7 favorite dishes for the children's menu. Cooking articles and life hacks

Sometimes creating a children's menu is more difficult than preparing an exquisite culinary masterpiece. After all, you need to think not only about the benefits, but also about the fact that the child takes all the dishes without objection. AFG National products will help to cope with this task, from which you can cook whatever your child's heart desires.

Fancy millet

Millet porridge is a good dish for a children's menu. But cereals for him need to choose the highest quality and most useful, such as calibrated and polished millet "National". We wash 300 g of cereals under contrast water. Bring to a boil 600 ml of water, salt to taste and lay the millet. When it boils for 20 minutes, drain the water and pour in 200 ml of hot milk. Add 2 tsp. sugar with a pinch of vanilla and cook porridge under the lid for 30 minutes. At the end, put a slice of butter and wrap the pan with a towel. Decorate a plate with millet with banana mugs, berries - the child will appreciate such a tempting dish.

Pea fad

As practice shows, children like chickpeas with vegetables very much. Chickpeas "National" will give this combination delicious nutty notes and fill it with limitless benefits. Soak 100 g of peas in cold water overnight, then cook for 1 hour. Saute a small onion in olive oil. Add to it slices of tomato and yellow sweet pepper, grated carrots and simmer until tender. At the end we put 2 tbsp. l. tomato paste with a generous handful of fresh herbs. It remains to combine the vegetable platter with ready-made chickpeas and serve, decorating with parsley sprigs. Such a colorful dish will certainly interest children.

Buckwheat with a secret

National buckwheat is easy to turn into an extraordinary casserole. Thanks to careful calibration and deep cleaning, it will turn out delicious and incredibly healthy. Mix 200 g of cottage cheese with 2 grated apples. We punch 400 g of boiled buckwheat in a blender and, together with 50 g of butter, mix it into cottage cheese with apples. Separately beat 2 eggs, 3 tbsp. l. sour cream, 3 tsp. lemon juice and 1 tsp. vanilla sugar. We introduce this mixture into the buckwheat mass, pour out 70 g of steamed prunes, knead the dough. After placing it in an oiled form, put 5-6 slices of butter on top and bake for 30 minutes at 200 ° C. Little gourmets will be intrigued!

Barley tenderness

Soup is an indispensable dish in a child's diet. With the "Dutch" pearl barley "National" it will become truly useful, because it contains elements important for the child's body. Cook barley for 20 minutes. Next, put 2 potatoes in cubes in a saucepan, salt and cook until softened. Meanwhile, fry 2 onions in butter and also add to the soup. Next, put the processed cheese in cubes and simmer for another 10 minutes. If desired, you can add slices of boiled chicken fillet. Even the incorrigible fussy will not refuse such a soup.

Semolina surprise

If a child stubbornly ignores semolina, try to pave the way to his heart through semolina. With National semolina, this is much easier to do. Pour 300 ml of kefir into a bowl and gradually add 200 g of semolina, stirring with a whisk. Leave the cereal for at least half an hour. Beat 100 g of sugar with 2 eggs, a pinch of salt and 10 g of baking powder. We introduce the mixture into the swollen semolina and knead the dough. We fill it with an oiled form and put it in the oven for 45 minutes at 180 ° C. Children will eat such mannik more willingly if served with jam or condensed milk.

Rice Delight

Pudding is a dish most children welcome. Take "Krasnodar" rice "National" as a basis, and you will get the most delicate treat for an afternoon snack. First of all, we will cook 4 tbsp. l. rice in 100 ml of water. At the end, add 200 ml of hot milk, 1 tsp. sugar and a pinch of salt. In the cooled porridge, mix in the raw yolk, pounded with 2 tsp. sugar, as well as 1 tsp. butter, grated apple. We also introduce the protein whipped into a lush foam and knead the dough. Now put it in an oiled form, sprinkled with ground breadcrumbs, and bake for 25 minutes at 180 ° C. Is it possible to resist such an airy pudding with a ruddy crust?

Oatmeal fun

Oatmeal cookies are rightfully considered one of the healthiest treats for children. Especially if you bake it from National Hercules. Grind 400 g of dry oatmeal into flour, add 3 tbsp. l. plain flour and a pinch of vanilla.

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