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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

I think I'm being irrationally annoyed about this...

46 replies

Admiralclingus · 15/01/2017 22:44

DD went to a birthday party this weekend. One of the children in her class is vegetarian.
Speaking to the host family about the food as I'm planning dds birthday and wasn't sure what to offer the kids.
The host parent made a massive point about how difficult it had been to choose food for the vegetarian child. Apparently the only sandwich filling they could provide was jam.

Aibu in thinking that it's really not that difficult to provide vegetarian options other than jam? Surely there's plenty of "vegetarian" options that non vegetarian kids will eat too?

OP posts:
BonnyScotland · 15/01/2017 22:46

is the child vegetarian or vegan... ?

NavyandWhite · 15/01/2017 22:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Slimmingsnake · 15/01/2017 22:46

We would be their nightmare then....vegans....oh no...I always offer to send them with a packed lunch so not to cause extra stress on anyone

Mrsglitterfairy · 15/01/2017 22:48

Really? Most of the food I do at DC parties would suit a veggie.. cheese or egg butties, pizza, breadsticks, veggie sticks, fruit... Maybe they meant vegan

WorraLiberty · 15/01/2017 22:48

I've yet to meet a kids who cares about bloody sandwiches at a party.

They're all about the cake and crisps Grin

Original poster
Admiralclingus · 15/01/2017 22:50

Vegetarian not vegan. Party was in a hall but catered by the family.

I'm not vegetarian myself but it's just really irritated me that it seems to be so problematic to think of something more imaginative than jam!

OP posts:
Original poster
Admiralclingus · 15/01/2017 22:51

The poor child couldn't even have the stuff in the party bag as it was all haribo/jelly sweet type stuff

OP posts:
BravoPanda · 15/01/2017 22:51

Didn't they think of cheese butties? Hmm

ItsyBitsyBikini · 15/01/2017 22:51

bonny thought that myself as surely cheese or cheese and tomato would have worked. Cucumber would have been fine too, if you belonged to my family, we often had cucumber sandwiches (my mum read a lot of Enid Blyton)

My bil is veggie, hates mushrooms, onions and tomatoes. He's a pita at parties but he knows he is and we often have fun coming up with alternative meals.
Maybe ask the child's mum what would be best for child to eat?

goose1964 · 15/01/2017 22:53

Careful with cheese as a lot of it isn't veggie as it's made with rennet, an animal product,

ItsyBitsyBikini · 15/01/2017 22:54

Haha worra my 6yo niece is all about the sandwiches. At her last party, the sandwiches got left in favour for everything else and she made people take them home in their party bags! Luckily all out family and her friends know what she's like so no one even raised an eyebrow

Ethylred · 15/01/2017 22:54

Hell, my DD was raised on jam sandwiches.

And porridge.

Nocabbageinmyeye · 15/01/2017 22:54

Why the hell are you annoyed at all??? It wasn't your party, it wasn't your dd, the child got a sandwich, why are you even giving this a second thought? Yabu to be irrationally angry, talk about being ott

WorraLiberty · 15/01/2017 22:54

I'm not sure why you're irrationally annoyed and irritated by it though?

I genuinely don't think I'd even remember it after the event, even if the vegetarian kid was my own Confused

It's just a jam sarnie. I'm sure many kids would be happy with that.

Birdsgottafly · 15/01/2017 22:55

I can't believe that she didn't think of cheese.

There's also cheese 'sausage' rolls.

Put some hummus out and drizzle chocolate over strawberries and bananas, as well as the other suggestions on here, it's simple.

YouTheCat · 15/01/2017 22:57

How many kids are coming to your dd's party? Would it be practical to ask each child for one favourite party food and try and cater to that? Many of them might like pizza so that's an easy one to do for a vegetarian.

A jam sandwich is a pretty poor effort. However, I remember going to a friend's 6th birthday party and me being the fussiest child ever wouldn't eat anything other than marmite or jam in a sandwich, so the mam made me a jam sandwich. Funnily enough, I didn't get an invitation to her 7th birthday. Hmm Grin

Original poster
Admiralclingus · 15/01/2017 22:57

It's more the fact that host family seemed so put out by the fact they had to even offer an alternative i suppose

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 15/01/2017 22:57

I know party food can be a bit of an obsession on Mumsnet. I mean some threads about wedding/christening/adult party buffets can run into the 100s within half an hour.

But even so, most kids are not particularly obsessed by the sandwiches provided at a party.

They're generally too busy having fun Confused

Ameliablue · 15/01/2017 22:59

Was jam the only thing they could think to prepare or had the parents/ child said the only sandwich filling she'd eat was jam. It occurs to me it might have been a sore point with the ghost they had offered to provide other options only to be told, oh no she wouldn't eat that.

YouTheCat · 15/01/2017 23:00

I was always all about the food at parties. It was the 70s and we didn't really have cakes and stuff because we couldn't afford them.

steppemum · 15/01/2017 23:01

Oh I remember one party dd2 had.
One child with dairy allergy
One child muslim, so only halal food
One child who is not allowed to eat any sweets biscuits or cakes.

That was a fun one to cater for!
But we did it, and with absolutely no comments to kids, other than - THIS plate is the stuff safe for you to eat.

Nocabbageinmyeye · 15/01/2017 23:03

I know this will shock mumsnet to the very core but i have never ever been to a child's party where I have seen a sandwich, not one, ever!! It was only till I joined mumsnet I heard sandwiches at a child's party were a thing, I'm in Ireland so maybe it's different here but we are all about the sweets and the e numbers here, we love a goujon and a cocktail sausage but i am yet to see a sandwich l and as for fruit at a child party? That only happens on mumsnet.

I bet the child didn't bat an eyelid and to be fair op you asked as you weren't sure what to serve either

WorraLiberty · 15/01/2017 23:04

I grew up in the 70s and all most party food seemed to consist of was cakes/crisps/sweets and a few sandwiches that always went curly because the kids didn't really want them Grin

WorraLiberty · 15/01/2017 23:05

Oh and Jammie Dodgers and chocolate fingers.

BreakfastAtSquiffanys · 15/01/2017 23:06

I really fancy a jam sandwich now