What to feed other peoples kids!?

[coles85]

Hello everyone - this is my first time posting, although I regularly turn to mumsnet for advice :) . My partner and I don't have kids, but many of our friends and family do. My question is probably a simple one to those of you with kids, but for me it's tough!

We've recently moved into a big family home from a little flat (yey) which has encouraged friends and family to come stay more often. I LOVE playing hostess, but am much more well versed in cheese and wine nights than I am in catering for kids.

I've been caught out before when I've asked mum-friends in advance what I can get in for their little ones when they come to visit, and they respond with 'Oh don't worry, I'll cater for the kids', so I go ahead and buy sweets and all the other "fun" stuff they're not really allowed. But then they arrive and are horrified that you have nothing suitable for kids in your house...

It seems like there is an expected selection of food that you're 'meant' to have available, that my hubby and I just do not eat. e.g. bread, breakfast cereal, plain biscuits...

Therefore, (sorry I'm rambling) I wanted to ask for your go-to foods to have in the house when you have kids coming to stay. Let's make the rough age of the kids between 2-5 for simplicity.

Thanks in advance!

Bread sticks. Plain crackers (water biscuits), cheese sticks, squeezy yogurts. This sort of thing? Fruit. Croissants. I'm not a fussy person at all so I don't mind if my kids eat some rubbishy foods !

How old are the kids?

Most children will eat plain carb-type foods, so bread, pasta, noodles, cereal, biscuits etc. If you are talking about meals, then pasta with tomato sauce or grated cheese is the meal that fewest small children will refuse to eat, in my experience. A close second would be pizza or fish fingers. Fruit is also good.

But toddlers can be tricky, and really you need to ask their parents more specifics in advance of the visit if you want to make sure that you have something suitable in - remind them that you don't have children yourself so your idea of staples may be a bit different.

There are always breadsticks in the cupboard, crackers (come in small separate mini packs so don't go stale), fruit in the fruit bowl, plain yoghurt and I'll make sure there are some cheese and tomato mini pizzas in the freezer.
That covers most things if the parents have forgotten.

Even as toddlers, my kids would eat things at other people's houses that they would reject at mine, so I wouldn't worry too much. Bread, cheese, perhaps some ham, crackers, grapes should all be fine. Most young kids seem to like picnic-type food.
What people think is okay for kids to eat varies hugely and I have had at various times both a toddler who would only eat brie on oatcakes and one who thought that frubes were the only food worth eating. Also, if people say they will cater for their kids when asked about it, then they really can't moan when they have to do exactly that!

Thanks for the advice everyone - it all seems so basic and straightforward, but I always end up having a brain meltdown and buy silly things like harribo when there is no bread in the house!

Also sounds like most of your suggestions are things that will keep, which is good :)