what do you feed kids for lunch on playdates?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nanny here- I make a tapas type of deal for each kid, so they can pick and choose what they like. I make a plate that looks eye catching with little bits of chopped carrots, cucumbers, red peppers, hummus, cheese, turkey or chicken, plus hummus and ranch. I add a few cashews, raisins, dried mango, crackers, fresh apples, grapes, and strawberries. I then make a hummus sandwich and call it a day. It’s literally little bits of each thing on a plate. Whatever they don’t eat (shhhhh) gets recycled and arranged in a cute eye appealing way for their snack plate. I add some more fresh fruit plus whatever they actually ate for lunch on the snack plate and call it a day.

In the pantry and fridge I have a bin labelled ‘playdates’ and all the dried fruit/crackers and then fruit/veg/cheese etc is kept in those bins, so when we have a play date I grab the bins and just put things on plates. It seems time consuming but it’s not. Parents always rave about my play date spreads, but honestly it just makes my life easier serving little bits of this and that, so kids can choose what they want to eat.

You're not seriously reserving food that was out and touched by kids hours later. Please tell me you aren't actually doing something that germy.

Otherwise putting things out sounds fine, but once something is actually on a plate, it doesn't get re-served.

I think she's saying that the kids have their own spread and if they don't eat something on it, it reappears on the same kids plate later. I do that with my kids all the time.

Which is fine for your own kid. It's not how you treat guests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Play dates are not the time to push healthy eating on friends, so I would throw that out the window. Plain cheese pizza (not whole wheat, no veggies), boxed Kraft or Annie’s mac and cheese, and frozen regular chicken nuggets are my go to options that almost all kids like. With fruit and veggies on the side - like slices apples and cucumbers, strawberries or sugar snap peas. Dips are also popular - mashed avocado with chips, hummus and veggies etc. on the side, but not all kids like them so I would serve them along side a meal.

I generally feed my kids more like you do on a regular basis, but playdates are special occasions where I want both kids to have fun and eat so they aren’t cranky. Occasional ‘junk’ food isn’t going to ruin your kids eating habits. If I am eating lunch too, I’ll always offer the kids what I’m having in case they want to try something else. If I have the same kids over repeatedly, I’ll learn what kind of things they like and how open they are to trying new things.

agree with this. My kid would eat pancakes but not Greek yogurt on top of them. Would also eat cheese pizza with veggies on the side but not on top. I wouldn’t serve this at a play date. My usually go to is a sandwich or pizza with fruit cut up.

[Anonymous]

I'm assuming OP is a troll. If not, serve the damn kids some McDonalds, psycho!

[Anonymous]

I do chicken nuggets, cheese quesadillas, or mini meatballs (Trader Joes frozen) with pasta and choice of butter or jarred red sauce. Sometimes corn dogs.

Cut fruit and veg on the side - usually apple slices, grapes or strawberries and carrot sticks or sliced cucumber.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do chicken nuggets, cheese quesadillas, or mini meatballs (Trader Joes frozen) with pasta and choice of butter or jarred red sauce. Sometimes corn dogs.

Cut fruit and veg on the side - usually apple slices, grapes or strawberries and carrot sticks or sliced cucumber.

PP here to add that my kid eats healthfully 95% of the time but on playdates we keep it simple and Lowest Common Denominator.

[Anonymous]

I basically pull together kid-friendly charcuterie-like plates (but obviously not with fancy salami and cheeses, just with pita, lunch meat, cheddar cheese, fruits, veggies) in fun patterns/designs. Lots of variety, pleases the eyes, makes it fun and they eat a lot more than they would if I give them a boring sandwich.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What's wrong with you OP? Heat up a frozen pizza and call it a day. Serve some fruit on the side.

Heat up a NORMAL frozen pizza. Kids like plain cheese pizza.

You can find healthy frozen cheese pizzas.

Other things that I made that were never rejected:
-Cheese quesadillas / chicken quesadillas
-Mac & Cheese
-Grilled Cheese & soup
-Lunch meat sandwiches
-Frozen waffles w/ scrambled eggs
-Corndogs

I always offered all with fruit and veggies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Play dates are not the time to push healthy eating on friends, so I would throw that out the window. Plain cheese pizza (not whole wheat, no veggies), boxed Kraft or Annie’s mac and cheese, and frozen regular chicken nuggets are my go to options that almost all kids like. With fruit and veggies on the side - like slices apples and cucumbers, strawberries or sugar snap peas. Dips are also popular - mashed avocado with chips, hummus and veggies etc. on the side, but not all kids like them so I would serve them along side a meal.

I generally feed my kids more like you do on a regular basis, but playdates are special occasions where I want both kids to have fun and eat so they aren’t cranky. Occasional ‘junk’ food isn’t going to ruin your kids eating habits. If I am eating lunch too, I’ll always offer the kids what I’m having in case they want to try something else. If I have the same kids over repeatedly, I’ll learn what kind of things they like and how open they are to trying new things.

Pretty much +1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stop trying to feed kids weird shi7. Give them cheese pizza, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, turkey & cheese (sandwiches or served separately with crackers, pancakes with whipped cream or maple syrup, ….. My kids aren’t even picky, but they wouldn’t eat yogurt on pancakes.

Op meals sounds like what we eat in our house. People who separate food into "kids food" and "adult food" are bizarre. No wonder there are so many picky eaters!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What's wrong with you OP? Heat up a frozen pizza and call it a day. Serve some fruit on the side.

This. And the bulk size bag of frozen chicken tenders if I’m feeling fancy.

[Anonymous]

chicken nuggets or fish sticks with ketchup
cheerios and banana and milk
box mac and cheese
quesadilla with cheese and/or beans, mild salsa to dip
mini bagel with cream cheese
pb&j or grilled cheese
tomato or chicken noodle soup
scrambled eggs and toast
toaster waffle
hot dog

on the side:
sliced cucumber and carrots with ranch
fruit (usually sliced apple or clementines or banana)

[Anonymous]

We do cheese quesadillas, hummus, cut veg, crackers, fruit options and muffins.

For good friends we know well and eat the same stuff as us its proper lunch with soup, meatballs etc.

[Anonymous]

Fruit, carrots, cucumbers, cheese sticks, plus:

PBJ (or sunbutter or almond butter for nut allergy kids)
Nuggets
Pasta with a choice of marinara or pesto
Pizza
Hot dogs

[Anonymous]

I usually ask first when they arrive - and have grilled cheese, pbj, plain pizza, pesto pasta, nuggets etc on hand so a few easy, simple options. Serve with fruit and some veggies with hummus dip. Sometimes I’ll make a smoothie instead of the fruit.

[Anonymous]

Pepperoni pizza, Mac and cheese, pbj sandwiches, apples, clementines, applesauce, carbs of any kind