Whether it’s a playgroup get-together, your antenatal reunion picnic (“I can’t believe how much they’ve grown!”) or a family function, the easy and acceptable way to feed a crowd is to ask everyone to bring a plate of goodies.

Now that you’re catering for both grown-ups and children, often ranging from babies to big kids, it puts a whole new perspective on the old ‘bring a plate’ do. Before you roll up your sleeves in the kitchen remember to check if any child in the group has food allergies as you may need to avoid certain ingredients. So if you’re scratching your head for ideas, these easy, no-fuss suggestions could be just the thing:

Savoury

• Top slices of toasted ciabatta bread with slices of mozzarella cheese, tomato and fresh basil leaves or slices of ham and edam cheese.
• Make your own pita crisps by slicing pita pockets into wedges and baking in the oven until crisp. Serve with your favourite dip, salsa or hummus along with carrot, cucumber and celery sticks.
• Bake a batch of mini muffins – either savoury or sweet.
• Make up a platter with dried apricots, fresh dates, semi dried tomatoes, olives and sliced salami with thin slices of French stick bread.
• If you make sandwiches cut them into fun shapes using cookie cutters . It’s surprising how the most boring fillings can be so appealing when a different shape is used!
• Make miniature Vegemite and cheese pinwheels either using scone dough or puff pastry. 
• Prepare bread cases and fill with creamed corn, cheese and pineapple or canned spaghetti and cheese.
• Buy mini bagels or make mini pikelets (blinis) and top with cream cheese and salami or salmon. Garnishes like chopped parsley or a basil leaf adds a bit of colour (just make sure you rinse in water before adding). 
• Prepare pizzas using pita bread as the base and an assortment of toppings.
• You can’t go past sushi. It’s low in fat, high in carbohydrate and can cater for vegetarians plus an amazing number of kids love it! 
• Bake baby potatoes in the oven until tender. Cut a cross in the top and spoon in a mixture of sour cream, blue cheese and chives for adults or tuna, sweetcorn and mayonnaise for children. 
• Stuff celery sticks with peanut butter or cream cheese. 
• Make mini quiches in a Texas muffin tin. 
• Thread cubes of cheese and pineapple pieces on toothpicks and stick into an orange. Collect the empty toothpicks to prevent injuries. 
• Rice crackers and dips are popular and you can try many different flavours.

Sweet

• Chocolate dip strawberries and pieces of pineapple. Try white chocolate for a change.
• Assemble a fruit platter with slices of seasonal fruit. Summer’s great as there’s rock melon, watermelon, hulled strawberries, seedless grapes and orange wedges. 
• Make shortbread with a combination of wholemeal and white flour and oat bran – this gives it a nutty texture. You can roll it out and cut out festive shapes and even drizzle with melted chocolate.
• Pick up a pack or two of pikelets and spread with jam or honey. 
• Although fairy bread has nothing good going for it nutritionally (sugar on fat and carbs) children love it. Plus it’s easy to cut into shapes with cookie cutters. 
• Bake a batch of cupcakes. Children can help decorate them with icing and sprinkles. 
• Fruit set in jelly is still a winner – try a combination of canned and fresh fruit and make in small plastic cups.

Drinks

Instead of relying on coke and lemonade, put out jugs of fruit juice diluted 50/50 with tap water or mixed with sparkling water for fizz. Jugs of fruit based cordials like blackcurrant or lemon and barley are another alternative. If you want to get really flash make up a fruit punch and add unusual ice cubes (for example, blend two cans of drained mango slices and spoon into ice-cube trays; drop 2-3 blueberries into each shape; cover and freeze).

Remember to stay with your child when they’re eating at the party and make sure they’re sitting down to avoid the risk of choking.

Endorsed by our New World Nutritionist  ||   Proudly Partnering with Parents Centre

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