Party food for under 3s - what to serve

[JoshandJamie]

Inspired by the party bag discussion, it's got me thinking about party food for littlies. My son turns 1 soon and we're having a very small low key party, mainly for his 2.5 year old brother's friends (because my little one sadly doesn't have any of his own so he just watches the older ones race about ) Truth be told, the party is really an excuse to enjoy our new garden before the summer really disappears.

Anyway, so I was thinking about party food (and I'll need ideas for the older one when he turns 3).

I don't give my boys sweets - well the occasional smartie for the older one when he pees on the potty. But they do have biscuits and cake occasionally. I'm not a food nazi depriving them of yummy things, but equally, i don't want them eating a bunch of unneccessary rubbish.

I sometimes give them those organix crisps - which i think would be fine instead of other crisps. Maybe give them each some chocolate buttons or something, but then just have other real food - like little sandwiches, hummus and breadsticks/carrots sticks for dipping, mini home made sausages etc. And then a cake or actually probably some fairy cakes that I'll make and maybe get the older kids to ice/decorate.

My boys eat all of that stuff normally but is it to mean and boring for a birthday party? At what age will kids start saying: excuse me, but where's the haribo mix?

Should there be more sweeties and things?

For dd's first birthday, I'd invited all her friends from nursery so had an idea about dietary requirements, because I worked there! We had things like chicken nuggets, sausages, brown bread sandwhiches, breadsticks, biscuits, obligatory birthday cake, chocolate buttons etc. I'm very strict on my dd having sweets and junk foods because of the effect on my weight they have had on me, I don't want the same for her. But my thinking was that it was only one day in the year and the parents of the other children, were obviously there so could control what their children we're eating.

I did also provide goodies for the little ones, baby juice, cooled boiled water, milk, rusks and teething biscuits, bought a selection of jars (but only because they were 5 for £2 or something silly, and because I didn't want the little ones to feel left out!!)

The bigger ones got sweets and cake in their party bags, the smaller ones didn't. But they all got colouring books, pencils, bubbles or whistles (all from the pound shop).

Hope this helps!!