Vegetarian Kids Party Food Ideas For Your Next Event
Catering for vegetarian children at a birthday party can feel like a challenge. You need to make sure the food you serve is suitable for their dietary needs, while also keeping everything enjoyable and as interesting as the meat alternatives.
If you’re looking for vegetarian kids party food ideas, you’re in the right place. We’ve helped parents all over the UK to throw the best kids parties imaginable, and have seen our fair share of vegetarian party food ideas that have gone down a treat.
Understanding vegetarianism
It’s first important to note that there are many different types of vegetarian diets, which should be checked with parents before you go ahead and plan your vegetarian kids party food. Some of the most common vegetarian diet options include being a pescatarian, which allows fish but not meat. Around 8.7% of the UK population follow a pescatarian diet.
Other options include being a semi-vegetarian, or ‘flexitarian’ – someone who has this diet will occasionally eat meat (as much as 23% of the UK identify as flexitarian). A normal vegetarian diet, then, involves not eating any meat and some products derived from cow’s milk and cheese, with further approaches including all-vegan and macrobiotic diets.
Don’t feel constrained by vegetarian diets, though! Veggie food can be just as tasty and satisfying as other options, as long as you put some thought into your menu beforehand. Here are some ideas you could consider when prepping vegetarian party food for kids at your next party:
Colourful (and healthy) skewers
One of the best parts about serving up fruit and veg is how colourful it can look. If you’re aiming for vegetarian kids party food that’s as simplistic as it is tasty, you can’t go wrong with colourful skewers of chopped up fruit.
These could feature apple, mango, watermelon – whatever fruits you have to hand will often work well, and provide kids with a healthy, refreshing snack that gets them ready again for the rest of your party.
Mini sandwiches
Since when has meat been needed to make a tasty sandwich? Provided that your guests don’t have a gluten intolerance, you can prep lots of party sandwiches with a regular loaf of bread and vegetarian fillings of your choice.
This could include jams and spreads, slices of cheddar cheese, or delicious cucumber. For an extra serving of fun, cut these up into manageable shapes using a themed cookie cutter.
Mac and cheese cups
Mac and cheese is a familiar favourite, and can be cooked in large batches before condensing it down into smaller, kid-friendly portions. As long as you’re not also catering for vegan guests, you can often use the exact same recipe you would for meat-eaters. The macaroni could then be thickened up with additional vegetables for a healthy kick, such as sweetcorn or diced carrots.
Sweet potato fries and dip
Regular fries are also suitable for vegetarians, but sweet potatoes offer a slightly healthier alternative with a buttery flavour that kids love. It’s really easy to make your own sweet potato fries (especially if you have an air fryer), but there’s nothing wrong with buying a frozen bag of fries and cooking them the morning of your party. Serve up with a pot of garlic dip, and you’re good to go!
Tasty desserts for a vegetarian sweet treat
Alongside the main platter of vegetarian kids party food you’ll serve, it’s a good idea to plan a number of sweet treats that kids can tuck into once they’ve eaten the rest of their food.
The good news is that most sweets and desserts are just as suitable for vegetarian kids as their meat-eating counterparts. The only instances in which this might differ are with gelatin, an ingredient found in many jelly-based sweets, and marshmallows - always check the ingredients, as there are plenty of veggie-friendly options available.
With that in mind, some sweet treats and desserts that you could serve up as part of your vegetarian kids party food selection include:
“Dirt cups”
These are actually much more appealing than their name implies! Simply crush up some Oreos, layer on a helping of chocolate pudding or mousse, and top with gummy worms or similar creepy crawlies. If you’re throwing a Spook-Tacular Monster Party, this themed dessert is the perfect way to add to the fun!
Fruit pizzas
Who said pizza can’t be part of every meal? Fruit pizzas are a great way to make fruit a little more appealing to kids, while still serving up a delicious sweet treat to finish off a meal. Swap out the usual pizza base for a large cookie or pancake, frost with cream cheese or sugar icing (in place of the cheese), and top with colourful fruit like kiwi, strawberries, or grapes. Once done, slice your sweet pizza up into as many portions as you’ll need and serve!
Rainbow jelly cups
Since kids parties began, parents have been serving up some form of jelly thanks to its ease and appeal. All you need is a gelatin-free jelly packet, some boiling water, and a fridge to cool down the mixture and make it ready to eat.
Once cooled, you could decorate your jelly pots to match the theme of your kids party. This might be as simple as adding edible eyes and mouths to each jelly creation, or you might decide to include food colouring to turn the jelly pink for a magical Unicorn Party.
What about the birthday cake?
You’ve spent all this time planning vegetarian kids party food, but you’ve overlooked one of the most important parts: the birthday cake!
Fear not, this is actually more straightforward than you might assume. As long as your vegetarian guests still eat egg, any standard birthday cake will be suitable for everybody who attends your party.
Let’s plan the best birthday ever
If you’re confident about serving up tasty vegetarian kids party food, it’s ready to start planning the other aspects of your big day. Take a look at our popular kids party packages to confirm your entertainment, and reach out to our friendly team if you have any other questions about planning the best kids party ever.
