Almost any food could work for a baby shower, but keep in mind the party's theme and any food sensitivities of the expectant mother.
A baby shower is a joyous occasion shared with friends and family to help usher in the upcoming arrival of a child. The food served at a baby shower should cater to the preferences of the guest of honor, who may have food sensitivities during this time. Foods popular at baby showers often reflect the themes appropriate to the season, location and formality of the event.
Finger Foods
Convenient for the host to prepare and reminiscent of the delicacies that Victorian women made for expectant mothers during afternoon tea parties, finger foods can run the gamut from cut vegetables and sandwiches to chips and dip and fruit salad. For newer twists on these favorites, make wraps instead of sandwiches and vegetable sushi rather than crudit s. Or in lieu of a fruit salad, create or order an edible basket arrangement make entirely of chocolate-dipped fruits and pastries.
Diaper-Shaped Treats
Diaper themes can make their way into the foods served at a baby shower in subtle and more overt forms. Cookies can be shaped and decorated to look like diapers, and sandwiches can be cut diagonally with their tips squared off and adorned with small gold safety pins. Pot stickers or burritos shaped in the form of a diaper are another option.
Cake
A cake can be the centerpiece of a baby shower, especially if there's a theme. For example, an Arabian Nights-themed baby shower might have a cake shaped like a magic lamp or flying carpet. A luau-themed shower could have a cake with a hula dancer on it. The dessert can complement other foods served at the party, such as the luau cake accompanying fresh tropical fruits and Hawaiian dishes served in coconut shells. The cake can have more traditional decorations as well, featuring baby-related images of a stork, angels, alphabet blocks, baby booties and more.
Punch
The punch at a baby shower typically features a mixture of lemon-lime soda, fruit juices and ginger ale. Serve pink- and blue-colored punches to represent a girl and boy. Or have the color of the punch match the party's theme, such as green punch for a frog-themed shower. Because alcohol consumption isn't recommended for pregnant women, serve punch that's liquor-free. An exception to this rule would be a baby shower for an adopted baby, in which case serving alcohol would be fine. As a decorative accent inside the punch bowel, use fruit-juice ice cubes that were frozen in molded trays.
Tags: baby shower, food sensitivities, foods served, fruit salad, have cake, party theme