A baby shower is the chance to celebrate a new life with your friends and family before the big day. In the past few years, baby showers, along with gender reveal parties, have become increasingly popular. Most baby showers include some kind of food and beverage menu.
What you choose to serve at your baby shower will depend on a number of things. You want to serve food and drink that the mother loves. This day is about her just as much as it’s about baby! Here are some suggestions to get your party planning started.
Baby Shower Brunch
The first option is to host a brunch for your baby shower. This is a great way to mix breakfast and lunch staples with your party, and it’s perfect for a weekend event. For your baby shower, go all out with the options. From pancakes to waffles to an omelet bar, all of these things are brunch staples.
You’ll need to decide if you’re going to serve alcohol at this event. A lot of brunch celebrations include wine or mimosas, but the mother might opt not to serve alcohol at all. In that case, prepare with a lot of fruit juices, coffee, and other breakfast staples.
Brunch Menu Ideas
- Fruit salad
- Omelet bar
- Muffins or biscuits
- Waffles and pancakes
- Juices
- Mimosa
Afternoon Snack Baby Shower
A lot of baby showers are hosted in the afternoon, effectively avoiding meal times. If that’s the case, you can still bring food in the form of light snacks. You can choose to just stick with snacks, or you can serve a dinner once meal times come along.
Afternoon Menu Ideas
- Fruit salad
- Vegetable tray
- Mini sandwiches
- Cake
- Tea
- Beer & wine
- Hors d’oeuvres
Lunch Baby Shower
Another common baby shower is to host a lunchtime babyshower. Because you’re working with a meal in the middle of the day, you have a lot of flexibility. You can go simple or step things up a bit depending on the budget and your wants and needs.
Most lunch baby showers serve a variety of hot and cold foods. Don’t forget about dessert! It’s much easier Think of some fun things you can serve that work great for noon into mid-afternoon.
Lunch Baby Shower Menu Ideas
- FInger sandwiches (chicken salad, ham, turkey, pimento, etc.)
- Fresh veggies with dip
- Soup
- Casserole
- Salad
- Pizza
- Cupcakes
Dinner Baby Shower
Next, let’s talk about what to serve for a dinner baby shower. Dinner baby showers feel a bit more complicated mainly because they feel very formal compared to the other options on this list. Because there are more things to consider, dinner baby showers are the least common.
That being said, a dinner baby shower can be a great celebration for the whole family. They can be hosted at home to save money or they can be held in a restaurant. To make the planning process easier if you’re throwing a party at home, choose a theme to help decide what to eat and serve.
Dinner Baby Shower Menu Theme Ideas
- BBQ (chicken, pork, wings, mac & cheese, potato salad, etc.)
- Italian (pizza, pasta, etc.)
- Mexican (Tacos, rice and beans, nachos, etc.)
- American (Burgers, fries, hot dogs, etc.)
Baby Shower Desserts
Finally, it wouldn’t be a baby shower without some desserts. Desserts are one of the best parts of a baby shower, so you’ll want to make sure you choose a crowd pleaser. They can even be a form of personalized baby gifts if you personalize them to the event. Photos of these sweets will be a lasting memory.
Make sure your baby shower treat is enough for everyone, or even enough for people to take home with them as a party favor. Beware of any food allergies when making your choice.
Baby Shower Dessert Ideas
- Cake
- Cupcakes
- Fruit cake
- Brownies
- Cookies
- Pie
- Candy
Find more baby shower dessert ideas here. You can never go wrong with bringing sweet treats to your event. They’re always a hit!
Prepare for Your Baby Shower
It doesn’t matter when you plan to host your baby shower, it’s sure to be a fun time to remember. Having food at your party will make everyone more relaxed and comfortable, and it’s a great way to say “thank you” to everyone who showed up to this special occasion.
Whether you’re throwing a fine-dining party or sticking with the basics, it’s all about celebrating together. There’s no “right way” to celebrate so decide on the menu that’s right for you.