Wondering what food to serve at a first birthday party? These 25 first birthday party foods make menu planning easy, tasty, and safe for the guest of honor!
The first birthday.
It’s such an awesome milestone, and totally worth celebrating. With our three kids, we’ve done a variety of first birthday parties that ran from big bashes with the whole family all the way to a smaller party decorated almost entirely with supplies we had on hand.
And while I love the freedom to decorate however I want, for our first two kids, I struggled with choosing the best foods to serve at our party. I wanted as much as possible to be safe for the birthday boy or girl, but then again, I also want the adults to enjoy the food too.
The best thing that we did was create an easy framework for first birthday party foods:
- First, identify a main course that is perfect for adults
- Second, fill in with toddler friendly finger foods
- Third, plan the cake smash!
25 Easy First Birthday Party Foods to Serve
Main Course Ideas for a First Birthday Party
The main course is the most difficult to plan. You want options that the adults will love, but you also want to make sure you have foods that are safe for the little ones to grab, too.
I’ve listed below some of our favorite first birthday party foods that are great to serve for everyone as well as foods that are important to avoid due to safety concerns
Adult Friendly Main Course Ideas
- Hamburgers
- Barbecue sandwiches
- Pizza
Toddler Friendly Main Course Ideas
- Mini Pancakes
- Small pasta (eg. pasta salad, Mac n cheese, etc.)
- Crustless sandwiches cut with cookie cutters
Finger Foods to Serve at a First Birthday Party
Once you’ve got the main course picked out, it’s time to fill in with finger foods and appetizers. Here are some tasty ideas that everyone should enjoy:
Fruit Trays and Fruit Salad:
- Blueberries
- Grapes (halved)
- Cut up strawberries
- Cut up watermelon
- Very thinly sliced apples
Birthday Party Snacks:
- Cheerios
- Goldfish crackers
- Small cheese cubes (with supervision)
- String cheese (with supervision)
- Deviled eggs
- Annie’s bunny crackers
- Yogurt melts
- Toddler puffed snacks
- Animal crackers
- Nilla wafers
- Pudding
- Mini muffins
- Sugar wafers
- Thin pretzels
Foods to Avoid
It’s important to make sure that babies and toddlers are supervised while eating. Please don’t walk away without making sure a responsible adult is watching your child during a party.
You can, however, make life a little bit easier on yourself by avoiding some common party foods that are choking hazards for little ones, such as:
- Hot dogs
- Whole nuts
- Popcorn
- Raisins
- Sticky or chewy foods (like most candy)
- Raw vegetables (try serving small cuts of lightly steamed or roasted vegetables instead!)
More Party Tips You’ll Love
- How Much Food for a Party is Just Right (19 Guidelines to Follow)
- It’s Fun to Be One! Birthday Party
- 5 Fun Birthday Traditions for Families
- S’mores Themed First Birthday Party
- The Best Party Games for Toddlers
Now It’s Your Turn
With these 25 first birthday party foods, you can plan out an entire party menu, and know that your birthday boy or girl will be able to enjoy eating as much as everyone else. Next, you’ve just got to get the cake smash planned!
What do you serve at a first birthday party?
Do you avoid choking hazards for toddler parties?
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This Scribbler Mum says
Great ideas! Definitely makes planning children’s party easier. #happynowlinkup