To think takeaway pizza at a 4 year old’s party is an odd choice?

[HappyTheCroc]

Just that really. I’m not especially neurotic about what my kids eat. I’m happy for them to have the odd happy meal every couple of months or the occasional chocolate biscuit. But a pile of dominoes pizza at a party in a hall just seems a little much.?

I’m fully prepared to accept it if I’m being unreasonable because I can’t quite put my finger on why I wasn’t keen on this. Maybe it’s the salt. Anyway daughter is now asking for the same thing at her party next week and I’m really not sure.

Yes platypus, the grease on the clothes!

Pizza is a perfect party food especially delivered ready to eat. I think we had pizzas delivered to the soft play for DD's 4th birthday. However Dominos is pretty rank pizza.....

Do people really stop to worry about how healthy party food is

yup, there is always one at every party,

You're being very naive. Habits are formed in childhood and encouraging 4 year olds to induldge in salty, fatty food at parties (everyone is saying this is 'normal' and I kids go to several parties throughout the year) doesn't sit right to me.

Okay, and what do you think normal party food is, then? Your typical kids party consists of white bread sandwiches, filled with cheddar, ham or chicken, crisps, sausage rolls or cocktail sausages, mini quiches or similar, maybe a few token carrot batons or cucumber sticks, hairdo or other sweets and birthday cake.

How do you think any of that (except the veggie sticks) is any better than pizza? White bread, processed meat, crisps, sausage rolls and cocktail sausages all contain loads of salt and preservatives. Add it all up and I bet it's worse than a few slices of pizza!

I'd rather my child filled up on pizza than sugary chocolate and cake. Were there cooking facilities at the venue? I suspect that pizza means less wasted food than standard party food.

I don't see a problem. The average 4 year old would probably only eat one slice,if that,so it's not as if they're eating loads of something that's not very healthy.

Ultramic
you are being very naive. Junk food at parties is the exact and only time it should be allowed!

Feed your kids healthy food at home, don't give them unhealthy sandwiches and rubbish when they go to school. Don't give them squash or fizzy drinks, and all the other rubbish food and drink they can get.

If you keep the sweets and junk food to parties, you won't have an obese child. At most, 1 unhealthy "meal" over the 14 meals of that week won't harm them but will make it accessible enough they won't feel the need to gorge on it when they are older.

My 4th birthday was at pizza hut

We ordered pizzas for our sons birthday party. Pretty sure every kid only ate about one slice, if that, then ran off to play. Adults at the party polished off the rest. Really wouldn't get worked up about one slice of pizza at a party . We did put out carrot and cucumber sticks as well as watermelon slices if that makes you feel better about the whole thing. Definitely saved the stress of cooking and I tend to be of the view point that it's a kids party- they don't happen every day so they can eat a bit of junk.

Pizza yummy. Domino's yuck.

I don;t thin it is any different from the food you get when you book a party at one of these party venues - it is oftne pizza and chips, burgers, fast food type things - because most kids will eat that happily.
It isn;t everydayu, it at the odd party - your child's eating habits ar enot laid down at parties - because parties last 2 hours and happen once a month maybe ? - All the rest of the time you control what they eat - I don;t see any four year olds trotting round the supermarket on their own shovelling pizzas into their trolleys. Your child may ask for Domino's pizza after a party where it is served, but if you want to you can say 'no, that's a party treat'

Home made pizzas (or supermarket ones with lots of veggies) aren't a bad way to get some protein and veg into kids who may be a bit fussy at home, it isn't the devils food - there's lots worse things they can eat.

I never had any problem limiting the junk my kids ate - I provided healthy meals and the odd treat which they were happy with. At parties they ate what was provided and they said thank you whent hey left. I didn't judge what other people served at parties, - people provide what suits them best - they are throwing a kids partie not being inspected by the food police.

I think your worry is more that your DD is asking for Domino's at her party (it was obviously a big hit with her) and that she is suddenly hooked on take away pizzas, just tell her 'no, we are having sandwiches and crisps - nothing wrong with that as party food either.

Sounds a great idea.

Although I agree with PlatypusPie.

Dominos are gloopy and greasy- whan cut up slices don't stay rigid, they are floppy and messy floors are inevitable.

So for that reason I would go for cheaper supermarket pizzas- slices are not so loaded and tend to stay rigid.

Just a quick look on Tesco's website.

A serving of cocktail sausages has 0.6 grams of salt.
A mini sausage roll has 0.1 grams of salt.
A packet of Walkers ready salted crisps has 0.35g of salt.
3 slices of cheap ham/chicken has 0.3g of salt.
A slice of white bread (Warburtons) has 0.46g of salt.

So say your average child has two slices of bread worth of sandwiches (four little triangles) with ham in, that's 1.52g of salt already (so, more than a slice of pizza).

Add onto that say, 4-5 cocktail sausages, that's 0.6g (so over 2g already), a bag of crisps (that's 2.47 in total) and you're already on more salt than two medium/large slices of Hawaiian pizza!

With DD1, probably wouldn’t have happened.
DD4? Hell yeah.

It's her birthday and she wants a good time with her friends, let her do what will make her happy and proud of you.

Bluntness. yup,there is always one at every party.

• Don't I just know it! I remember when my DD had a party for her 10th birthday. One of her school friends informed me that she 'wasn't allowed' to eat crisps,snacks of any sort,white bread sandwiches,sausage rolls,cocktail sausages,or pizza fingers. She also wasn't allowed to drink lemonade or orange squash,only water. I ended up making her a marmite sandwich on wholemeal bread. The thing that irritated me though was the fact that her mother had not said a word to me about any of this,despite the fact that I spoke to her at the school most days!

I have literally just walked out a party where Dominos was served. DS has eaten it along with some strawberries and apples slices.

Dinner has been done and I’m happy!

People comparing it to supermarket pizza should look at the nutritional information ... The calories are more than double and it's full of shit. Not to mention expensive ... It won't hurt your DC for this one off but I wouldn't be serving it at a 4 year old's party personally

Standard IME

We sometimes have 'dominoes saturday' where we stay in PJs all day and order a doninoes for lunch!!!

someone call social services

Is dominoes pizza really standard kids party food? Really?! I’ll accept it if that’s what you’re telling me but I’m quite surprised

Yes, if it’s in a soft play kind of place totally. Otherwise those places do the chips / nuggets kind of thing. Pretty sure pizza was the standard party food from reception onwards. Personally I can’t get worked up over it

It’s basically heated up bread, tomato and cheese.

YABU. I've always been fussy about what my children eat at home - no ready meals and takeaways, lots of veg & other healthy stuff. But when they were younger I had a few parties with pizza and also bought pizzas to heat up when friends were visiting. It's something that most children will eat and is simple to organise and easy to clear up, so why not - parties are hard enough work without spending hours making healthy sandwiches which might end up in the bin anyway. Party food is just an occasional treat, it won't set them on the path to a lifetime of unhealthy eating.

Mepsipax maybe that child was just stirring. Would be interesting to know if her mum actually bans her from eating those things at all times or do they just not have them at home.

Pizza is normal party food. Dominoes is convenient and allows parents to enjoy/supervise party rather than make pizzas. Dominoes may be more expensive than doing it yourself,but cheaper than a caterer.

It's a practical thing I would guess and a good treat for the kids.

Am I the only one who's DC eat more than the "occasional biscuit"?