Good snacks to take for children to eat at a wedding (bonus points for vegan + no need for keeping cold!)

[mummabubs]

We have a family wedding coming up in the UK in a few weeks. All catering is vegan and our children are the only children invited. Bride has reached out to me as it's a morning ceremony and then wedding breakfast isn't until 4pm. She's worried the kids will be very hungry (I agree!) and has suggested I bring some snacks for them. Obviously I'm more than happy to do this, but I just find I'm drawing a blank beyond a couple of ideas. I guess ideally we're looking for meat-free finger foods that aren't too messy given they'll be in smart clothes.

Please feel free to pop your suggestions here as I'm confident Mumsnet will broaden my idea horizons!

Thanks all 😊

It's one meal or some snacks. Small children often eat meals and snacks that are vegan. You probably don't think of them as vegan that's all.

Things like jam sandwich, peanut butter sandwich, hummus and carrots, grapes, some cakes, some crisps, rice cakes/oat cakes, falafels, baked beans and chips, ...

I make some great egg and spinach muffins (small) that can be eaten cold and are really good for snacks. For toddlers but I still make a weekly batch for my teenage boys 🤣 would something like that work?

Btw no idea if Soreen is vegan, I'd go meat free! I'm pescatarian personally but I don't think anyone will pay attention to what your DC are secretly eating, don't worry about it too much. Bride and groom prob just didn't want to contribute to people eating meat with their wedding food, rather than banning meat from the premises altogether

DD’s dance teacher always advised light coloured snacks for show days to avoid staining clothes: bananas, babybel, cheese sandwiches or just buttered bread, vanilla cupcakes, apple juice.
I wouldn’t risk avocado in your situation. And no bride will want to have traces of hummus on her dress after hugging little relative.
you also need something that can’t be eaten discreetly.

@beeble347 , Soreen is vegan. I'd respect bride and groom and take vegan snacks. It's only one day.

If they are grossed out by things like eggs and milk then best to avoid taking such food.

I don't eat fish and fish would gross me out.

For one day I would buy a microwave meal (or cook something so there are leftovers) and pop in a food flask so they can have a proper lunch. Won’t need to be vegan as won’t affect anyone else.

I had similar with my DC at a wedding earlier this year and brought a packed lunch. Not worth the risk of hangry kids.

Some of the vitamins that fortify cereals originate from animals. Shreddies are in the clear however. HTH.

I can't help but want to say that the timing and food planning is surely the groom's responsibility as much as the bride's? (The groom is my relative!) At least the bride has been considerate enough to reach out and say we should bring snacks for the kids. My own wedding was a while ago now but I can still remember the eye-watering amount we were charged for child portions of everything. I genuinely don't feel like they're being crap hosts. They weren't planning to invite children to their wedding at all (which would have meant we weren't able to attend) so I appreciate them offering to make an exception for us. I'm sure the kids will have a great day, it really was just me looking for broader ideas than what my own brain could come up with (breadsticks and vegetables 😅).

@JanefromLondon1

omg, don’t do this… you will look incredibly crass. Certainly not anyone to envy

@JohnnieFedora

They’ll live 😀

I think I must be missing something here.
Crisps
Cake bars
Biscuits
Breadsticks
Fruit
Veg sticks

Surely that will keep them going?

too much sugar, they'll be all over the place

I don’t understand why this is so difficult-I must be missing something. Just pack a school lunch in a lunch box. I would add extra treats because it’s a party. Don’t forget wet wipes.

Ugh sound awful hanging around for 5 hours waiting....

Shit wedding!

Oh yes, they're great hosts.... Making people hang around for 4-5+ hours, not feeding them properly and not even feeding the only child they invited....

Keep a cool box full of ice packs in your car. Have a non-vegan car picnic? Then you are neither 'smuggling' contraband food in, nor compromising anyone's vegan moral, plus your kids will get healthy, filling food at suitable times.

If you are in the middle of nowhere what are people going to be doing after the ceremony and before the reception?

I bet some people will be nipping out to find some food before the meal.

And the whole thing is going to be dull for your DC if they are the only 2 DC.

Don’t think B&G have really thought this through

Why can't the kids eat those?

I'd have a really solid breakfast - full English or omelette or similar. Possibly even 2 breakfasts depending on ceremony timing.

Then I'd have a cool bag with some sandwiches, baked oats fingers, veg sticks.

I never go to a wedding without a couple of flapjacks in my purse. Even if I dont need one, I've always been able to deploy for other guests who are otherwise chewing their own arms off .

@Mulledjuice maybe a couple of canapés won’t exactly fill their stomachs from between breakfast and and 4pm. Although why the B&G haven’t thought the same about the adults too I don’t know

Are you staying over?

A friend of mine asks for a fridge 'for medical reasons' in hotel rooms.

Also what do the venue do if someone is diabetic?

OK snacks -

Veggie sticks (maybe with hummus, depending on how neat they re with dips) carrots, peppers, cucumber (remove the seeds so they don't get mushy).

Sandwiches or crusty bread.

Fruit, take whole and take a knife to cut up when you re there.

Crisps crisp like snacks. I'm not sure which ones are vegan but hula hoops, onion ring etc.

I eat in my car at lunch, even in these temps(car in shade) a insulated lunch bag keeps my food cool for eating
You can use frozen water bottles if you don't have ice packs, just don't rely on them being ready to drink by then 😂
I'd pack a simple lunch, sandwiches/rolls with their favourite filling or cold pasta salad and yogurt/carrot sticks/whatever their usual lunch might be.
Also have baby wipes and tissues for any spillages.

@JohnnieFedora

there’s more to a wedding than food! 😀

@Cherrytree86 most people find the bit between the ceremony and reception a little dull, hanging around waiting for photos etc with only a few nibbles to sustain them. This B&G have surpassed themselves by having a 5-6 hour wait between the 2