First Birthday Party Food

Hosting a first birthday party is an exciting time and deciding on party food can be a tricky task. Do I feed the adults and children, just the children or just the adults? UK-Entertainers has produced this easy to follow guide to first birthday party food, to help you plan your party.

The timing of your party will determine the amount of food required. If you have a party at 12 noon then your guests may expect lunch and likewise around 4.30pm, some people may think that a meal could be involved. If these timings suit your family then you could provide a meal for the adults and the children. In this case it is probably best to specify what your catering intentions are on the invitations.

A mid morning or mid afternoon party (after a nap time) will allow you to provide snacks for all your guests. Finger food is best as it can be grabbed by the adults whilst monitoring their children and also for the children as it is easy to hold and eat.
It would be advisable to check with parents to see if their child has a food allergy or intolerance, and ask parents to bring their own child's beaker or cup to the party, along with a booster seat if you would prefer the children to all be sitting down to eat.

Savoury Finger Foods for Children
Bread sticks
Cheese cubes
Rice cakes
Small sandwiches
Plain pizza fingers

Sweet Finger Foods for Children
Melon fingers
Plain biscuits (chocolate if you have wipes to hand)
Small baby yoghurts

Drinks
Have plenty of water and milk available with diluted weak fruit juice as an option too.

Birthday Cake
A slice of birthday cake either to eat at the party or take home will be appreciated by both adults and children.

For the adults a plate of vegetable sticks, crisps and a selection of dips will be sufficient to snack on as they play with their child(ren). Keep adult snacks out of reach of the children to avoid any choking hazards.

Choosing the time of the party will help you decide on whether a full meal is required for all guests. If you are trying to plan a part on a budget then you may find our article First Birthday Party on a Budget helpful. UK-Entertainers hope that whether you have snacks or a full sit down meal that your first birthday party is a great success and a memorable day.