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.

Takeaway pizza is what children eat at 99% of parties in North America (the other 1% is hot dogs). It's no worse than a beige buffet, which is what I tend to see in the UK.

Since DS was five, his birthday parties gave always been take him and his best mates to the bowling alley (book two lanes, turn on disco lights, no decorations allowed ).
We have take out pizza, cake made by local bakery and giant bag of cheesy puffs. Oh and maybe some sliced melon. Two hours later it’s the end of the party and I throw the crusts and crumbs into a bin bag and swan off. Kids are knackered from staggering about with heavy bowling balls, parents have eaten all the leftovers. It’s great and everyone loves it. I’m going to do it until he’s 21.

There's probably just as much salt in ham or cheese sandwiches as there is in pizza, but weirdly, the food police almost never worry about those.

I almost certainly encountered one of the Mumsnet food police in the Yorkshire Sculpture Park cafe today (tables almost touching so impossible not to overhear).

She was explaining in detail protein and vitamins and minerals and how her DC should make sure they ate the burger salad and cheese but leave the bread and chips as there was no nutrition in them just empty carbs.

I'm amazed people think pizza from Domino's is remotely comparable to a supermarket bought version

What's the difference? Genuine question.

I think the most important factor in raising kids who make good dietary choices is making good delicious alternatives available.

Food is an adventure.

Open up that exciting world and children come to realise pretty quickly the second rate alternatives of junk food.
Pad Thai for a two year old, mussels at 18 months,
Watching a 3 year old get to grips with a giant prawn.
Tom Yam, Bok Choi, tagine, couscous, home made bread, home made tsadziki, venison in red wine.
Having a 5 year old help gut a sea bass, clean a squid.

I have never restricted junk food, it has its place. It has never been a "treat" in our home.

My teen kids will eat Dominos, but at a push.

DS would've (and still will) hoover up Dominoes pizza . As long as they're not hot enough to give that horrible Pizza Burn on the roof of your mouth (which they won't be by the time they're served up)

DD would be the child eating the carrot sticks, cucumber and cherry tomatoes

Good idea, better than sandwiches.

Most party venues we have been to offer some sort of franchise pizza as an option so I am not surprised.
People don't always have the time to prepare lavish party spreads, and bake biscuits.

Unless you're going to a couple of parties a week every week all serving Dominos I think your being absolutely ridiculous.

@BarbaraofSevillle

A dominos pizza will have alot more grease and salt and trans fat than a supermarket pizza. It's definitely less healthy. I wouldn't want my kids eating everyday for school lunch but as an occasional thing at a party I couldn't get upset about it. (Mine normally just eat crisps and cupcakes with a token gesture carrot stick thrown in so I doubt it could be much worse).

There are alternatives, that's all I'm saying.

You can make healthier, home made versions of pizza for example. I think it's a shame that often convenience is prioritised. I'm not the pizza police, everything in moderation but it's the fact crap food is the norm.

Children with healthy minded parents will learn a balanced diet of moderation, of course. But often families keep repeating negative patterns of eating and I think the 'normal' food at kids parties enforce this, in a small but not insignificant way.

I suppose my opinion is rooted in the ideology of eating in our current society, it's be great if some changes took place.

Reception is often whole class parties but in my experience, it quickly moves on to smaller parties.

How old were the other children? If there were three year olds, for example, if the children were from a nursery group who will start school in September, then I think it's too young for the age group. I did takeaway pizza for my DS's 5th birthday, but he was the youngest child there, all the other children were five or six.

You can make healthier, home made versions of pizza for example. I think it's a shame that often convenience is prioritised.

But not many parents have the oven space to cook that many pizzas, do they? And even if they did, they'd be cold by the time it was time for food at the party. So that's that ruled out. Or you could prep in advance and cook it on-site, but lots of venues don't allow you to cook on the premises. So that's that out.

So then there's the bring-your-own options of sandwiches, sausage rolls, crisps, maybe some sliced fruit or veg and cake, which really isn't any healthier than the two slices of pizza most 4-5 year olds will manage in a party-setting. Most pizza places do offers (two large pizza for £15 or so) so do that, split each pizza 50/50 and you have eight options of pizza for £30, which will feed 30 children and some parents, plus maybe £10 on drinks and a cake? Pretty cheap and certainly much cheaper and easier than most other options.

Why is takeaway pizza appallingly bad but white-bread sandwiches, cake, sausage rolls and crisps seen as perfectly okay?

*I mean I think the age group is too young

Why is takeaway pizza appallingly bad but white-bread sandwiches, cake, sausage rolls and crisps seen as perfectly okay?

I didn't.

It's no worse than the usual sea of beige.

adaline it's because a woman hasn't spent ages planning the food, bought the food, prepped the food, transported the food, served the food and cleared away the food. You are not allowed to give your child a party if you are, god forbid, 'lazy'.

There will be others who agree with you, so I would do what you feel happier with.

I did find it was the more relaxed - on their third child - parents who trailblazed the ‘plan the party mid afternoon and give everyone a Krispy Kreme’ approach and showed all us try too hard first timers the error of our ways.

Homemade pizzas are great but not practical for parties when you’re away from home. Convenience is more important than a healthy snack. My DC’s have grown up on a healthy diet but takeaway pizzas are a part of life and on an occasional basis,won’t harm anyone.

I dunno. I guess I just feel like they have their whole lives ahead of them to binge on takeaway food. Why start them now? And DDs party is next week so if I was to serve dominos at that that’s twice in a week for these kids isn’t it?

YABU

My DC went to a five year old's party once. The mum cooked a pasta dish for all the kids. It was a whole class party....

DS wanted to know where the chocolate and sweets were

Had to have a little laugh at the ' was going to do sandwiches and crisps' sounds like lots of salt and fat in that.
Also it's a wonderful world we live in where people choose to do different things.
Some children look forward to parties because it their chance to have things their parents won't usually allow

We did it (ordered in pizzas) but also offered fruit salad, cut veges and sandwiches. Everything was eaten and so it was a good mix of things to offer. Also had some drinks and a few things for the parents to nibble on while the kids played. Parents then got to eat what the kids didn’t want to eat of the pizza etc

FFS their not binging their eating. Do you speak like this to your child?