Has afternoon tea food for a child changed significantly?

[DeepBalonz]

I’ve just moved back to the UK. DS (4) has a play date with the neighbour’s son. As a 90s kid I was given fish fingers and beans, dinosaurs and peas etc as tea at friends’ houses.

Is that kind of food still the done thing or has it all gone a bit posh along with most other things?

Too early for dinner but still a decent time since lunch so fruit and peanut butter probably won’t be enough.

Yeah that sounds good!

A lot kids can be fussy (or my child has ARFID but I sort that out) So that tea sounds spot on…. Their parents can feed them organic steaks if they want but cook something they’re guaranteed to eat.

That sounds perfect

Tbh i would recommend playing it safe, chicken dippers, potato smiles, pizza, tomato pasta etc unless you know the child.
when my DD had friends over we used to make pizza which was always a hit. You can buy pizza bases if you don’t want to make the dough and then just little bowls so they can put on what they like. Peppers, mushroom, pineapple, ham, sweet corn etc

Yes, play date teas round here are all chicken nuggets, pizza, possibly spaghetti with optional bolognese!

I ask the parents what their child likes and give that

Are you talking about feeding a neighbours kid their evening meal? If so my go to was bolognese.

i guess the question is what time is dinner. we eat dinner as a family between 5 and 6pm.
if my child went on a playdate at 2 and was fed fish fingers and fries supper would be ruined and i'd be wasting food (not a happy camper).
mid day snack is a few veggie sticks, fruit, drink (milk) and maybe a cookie or muffin.

It won’t be the evening meal. The boys go to a half day nursery. This will just be something to hold them over until dinner.

Mine were 90s born, 00's play date ready.

I tended to serve things like cottage pie, fishcakes with fresh veg and potato wedges, macaroni cheese, occasionally pizza, sometimes a roast chicken. Pud was usually fruit and ice cream.

Usually served at about 5.30/6 for a 6/6.30 pick up.

DS's grown up friends, now 30ish still sometimes come for dinner.

Cheese and tomato pizza with cut up cucumber, red pepper and carrot sticks was a win for everyone even the fussiest eaters we knew.

If it’s not dinner, a jam sandwich, slices of apple and a biscuit.

I've never heard of "afternoon tea" that doesn't constitute dinner.

I wouldn't want my child to eat a meal there if I'm still expecting them to eat dinner at home.

A snack would be fruit here; banana, grapes etc. maybe a biscuit alongside it for a bit of fun, but not beans and nuggets etc.

Sausages, new pots, and veg is my go to. Or spaghetti and meatballs

Nothing wrong with that all. Always best to keep it simple for that age group in case they are fussy eaters and dont want anything that's more time consuming to make.

I’d ask the parents

Hang on, are you suggesting a ‘tea’ of fish fingers, chips and peas and THEN serving a dinner later on?

So just an afternoon snack rather than a meal? I wouldn't worry about a meal as such. Some fruit, (bananas are good and filling) some cubes of cheese, maybe a jam sandwich. Little bits they can pick from would be good. If you happen to have some leftover pizza or sausages they could be one of the options.

You should definitely try to find out likes and dislikes - and more importantly allergies or things they are not allowed to eat for whatever reason - beforehand though.

Round here it would be crackers and cheese and salads sticks or fruit at that time.

Definitely ask the parents, they might not want you to give much if child is having dinner at home afterwards. Also this way you will find out what the child will actually eat. I had a child last week who has recently turned veggie, would have been nice to have had a heads up from their parent!

No wonder 25% of kids are obese if they’re getting lunch, then fish finger and chips for snack to tide them over until a proper dinner an hour or two later. Have you been living in the US?! 🇺🇸

I would give a snack plate in this scenario- cheese, crackers, fruit veg sticks etc

So what will they have had for lunch and what sort of food will you be serving for evening meal and when? This sounds like a substantial amount for a put you on if the main meal is still to come.

Afternoon tea implies sandwich and cake to me

That wouldn't be acceptable around here. Frozen food type stuff is pretty looked down on. My kids wouldn't eat nuggets or fish fingers but would eat chicken thighs/ an actual piece of fish.

Something like cheese and crackers or pitta and houmous with veggie sticks or crumpets or savory muffin with fruit would be more common.

I did a plate with naan, hummus, spinach dip, cheese, grapes and added a small cup of miso soup yesterday around 4pm. 🤷‍♀️

The boys will have their lunch at nursery at 11:30. I’m picking them up pretty much straight after. Play date ends at 6. I’ve asked neighbour if I should give her son dinner but she politely declined as I believe they have plans with grandparents.

I thought it was best to give the boys who will be running around something slightly more substantial than fruit and cheese. We live in a colder part of the UK so my preference is something warm.

I was thinking 2/3 fishfingers and a few table spoons of beans at 3pm ish. Nothing massive.