Hosting a Baby Shower? We Have 6 Tips to De-Stress Your Menu Planning

Hosting a baby shower can be tons of fun, hugely rewarding, and, depending on what you have in mind, a bit daunting.

As a host, you have so many choices. Should your shower have a theme? Would guests enjoy games or find them embarrassing? It is best to let the guest of honor open her gifts in front of everyone else or wait until later?

Menu planning comes with its own set of challenges. Generally, you’ll need a nice selection of foods that accommodate varied tastes (and dietary restrictions), but at the same time, you’ll want to keep the needs of mom-to-be front and center in your planning.

While we can’t tell you what theme to go with, or whether the Baby Price is Right game is a good fit for your particular event, we can help in the area of food and beverages.

Here are six tips to help with your planning.

1. Ask the mom-to-be for her input.

Keeping the mom-to-be in the loop is key to avoiding disaster. That guideline applies to all of your planning, including food and beverages. The dessert that sounds delicious to you may not sound remotely appealing to her. And, she may be finding that certain foods have started disagreeing with her since she became pregnant. Find out what she would enjoy and which dishes or ingredients should be avoided.

Also, don’t forget some foods are off-limits for pregnant women because of health risks including pate, raw or partially cooked eggs, certain cheeses, and raw or undercooked meat and fish.

2. Offer yummy non-alcoholic beverages.

This goes back to remembering the needs and limitations of the mom-to-be. Alcohol is not an option during pregnancy, and you don’t want your guest of honor to feel left out.

Safe alternatives (depending on the conversation we recommend in Tip No. 1) could include fruit punches, apple cider, limeade or lemonade, and iced tea.

Another fun option is to offer creative mocktails, from Virgin Sangria to alcohol-free Mojitos.

“You can serve them in fancy glassware or play up the baby theme (and kitsch factor) by serving them in little sippy cups,” suggested writer Larkin Clark in an article for Marie Claire.

3. Give your guests variety.

When you’re planning a shower, or any kind of event, your guests will likely have a wide range of tastes. And while you won’t be able to please everyone, guests will appreciate it if you, at least, give them options. We suggest offering at least two choices for each type of food (appetizers, entrees, and desserts).

4. Don’t be afraid to venture away from finger foods.

Don’t get us wrong: Finger food is a helpful choice for events like showers, especially if guests will be mingling and munching at the same time. Still, if you decide to hold the shower at an event venue or enlist the help of a caterer, you may want to capitalize on the availability of tables, and a professional cooking team, and offer a wider variety of entrees, side dishes, and desserts. (If you do decide to book a venue, be sure to make your choice and reservation early.)

If you’re thinking of a morning shower, brunch selections like bagels and cream cheese, biscuits and gravy, waffles, pancakes, French toast, breakfast meats, breakfast casseroles, or mini omelets could be fun. If you’re working with a caterer, ask about brunch food stations.

 Lunch entrees could include sandwiches and wraps, fajitas, or mini pizzas.

 For supper, how about skewers (veggie and/or meat), barbecue sandwiches, or even a carving station?

If you feel finger foods are the best choice for your event, you have a wealth of options available including finger sandwiches, empanadas, sliders, and quiche bites.

Dessert is another area that lends itself to baby shower creativity, from customized cookies and cupcakes to a candy table.

 5. Consider a craving station or table. For many women, food cravings are part of the pregnancy experience. In fact, about 50-90% of American women have a specific food craving during pregnancy, a Healthline article reported. Why not play up that idea and offer foods associated with cravings, from pickles and olives to chocolate and peanut butter? This is another area where input from the mom-to-be will be valuable. If she’s been craving something, you’ll want to include it.

 6. Don’t forget dietary restrictions. Do your best to find out in advance if you’ll need to provide vegan selections or gluten-free menu items.

We recommend adding a line to the shower invitations encouraging guests to alert you to food allergies, intolerances, and dietary preferences in their RSVPs.

As an added precaution, you can always display ingredient labels or cards so guests will know what they’re eating.

A bonus tip: If you need more ideas, please don’t hesitate to ask us. We’d love to help you develop a shower menu that both the guest of honor and your guests will love.