The first birthday party signifies a major milestone for the birthday child and the parents. Planning the first birthday party food requires some thought because of the age of the guest of honor. One year old children are just beginning to explore adult foods. Many food items such as popcorn, nuts and other hard items present choking and allergy hazards. Keep these hazards in mind during the 1st birthday party planning.
Shaped Sandwiches
Shaped sandwiches add a youthful touch to the party food. Cookie cutters make it easy to shape the sandwiches to fit the party theme, whether it's animals, balloons or the number "1." Cutting the sandwiches into shapes also eliminates the crust which younger kids don't normally like anyway.
Choose a variety of fillings that appeal to both kids and adults. For kids, try turkey and cheese or jelly sandwiches. Use caution when serving peanut butter. Make sure no one on the guest list has a peanut allergy if you plan to include peanut butter on the menu. Make some sandwiches with fillings such as chicken salad that appeal more to adults. This gives everyone variety while making an easy main dish for the party.
Kabobs
Kabobs made of soft food offer a creative way to display typical finger foods that a one year old might eat. The kids get a safe baby party food option and the adults get a fun presentation. Use decorative plastic toothpicks to make the kabobs. Make sure the toothpicks are removed before the food is served to the younger kids. Another option is to have bowls of the food without skewers for the one year old kids. This eliminates a potential hazard with the toothpicks.
Nearly any soft food works on the kabobs. Chunks of cheese and cold meats such as turkey or ham work well. Try adding chunks of bread to the kabobs for more substance. Fruit is another good option for kabobs. Cut bite-sized pieces of soft fruit and slide them onto the skewer. For a dessert kabob, alternate chunks of pound cake and strawberries or raspberries. Serve chocolate sauce on the side.
Pasta
Pasta is a soft food that most one-year-old children can eat making it a good baby party food option. One drawback to serving pasta if there are lots of young children is the messy sauce. To help the parents, keep the sauce and pasta separate. Offer alternatives such as butter and Parmesan cheese or Alfredo sauce if the parents prefer not to use a red sauce that can stain clothes.
Pasta also works with other party food favorites. Make homemade macaroni and cheese for the first birthday party food menu. Make a separate pan of macaroni with extra flavor such as jalapenos for the adults. Cold pasta salads are another option that the young kids can eat safely.
Crackers
Crackers of all types generally work well as a baby party food. Offer a variety of cracker-type foods as snacks for the first birthday party food. Animal crackers, saltines, graham crackers and cheese-flavored crackers are all good choices. Even biter biscuits are an option if there are lots of babies at the party.
To make the cracker tray more appealing to adults, include dip or cheese. For a simple party food option, purchase dip at the store. Another option is to make homemade sour cream-based dips or a spinach and artichoke dip.
Cupcakes
Cupcakes work well for a first birthday party because they are already individually sized. The guests can serve themselves and no one has to stand by the cake to cut it. Cupcakes are easy to bake and decorate at home. A simple swirl of icing and some sprinkles is enough to make the cupcakes look pretty for the party.
Cupcakes offer more flavor options over baking one large cake. Bake two or three different cupcake flavors to appeal to all of the guests. Chocolate, vanilla and strawberry cupcakes are good basic party food options. Add different flavors of icing for more variety. Another option is to let the guests ice their own cupcakes with frosting in different flavors.
Feed the Guests Well
The 1st birthday party planning requires many decisions. The first birthday party food is among the most important choices for safety reasons. Keep all of the guests happy with party food the adults and kids will both enjoy.
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Shelley Frost - Shelley Frost pursued a freelance writing career after giving up a traditional job to stay home with her two young children. Shelley ...
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