Food for a teen party should be nutritious, delicious and easy to prepare. An array of foods that the teens can serve themselves should be first on the list. Finger foods, party trays and other easy to prepare, teen-friendly foods will make the food aspect of hosting the party quite easy.
Main Dish Entree
Teens eat a lot, especially when they are at a party. It is therefore a good idea to provide them with a nutritious and filling entrée. Dishes like spaghetti with meatballs, lasagna, or chili are always popular with teens, and they will appreciate it if you have some rolls or crusty bread on hand as well. You can even keep a crock pot warm on the table so the food will stay warm. Place paper plates and plastic utensils nearby so the kids can serve themselves. The teens are likely to feel satisfied if you have a main dish to help fill them up.
Sandwich Bar
A do-it-yourself sandwich bar is simple to set up. It is also likely to please because everyone can make their own sandwiches according to their personal preferences. Start with a variety of breads, wraps and buns and add different kinds of cold cuts and cheeses. There should also be lettuce and sliced vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, red onion and cucumber. Set out various condiments and your sandwich bar will be complete.
Party Trays
Party trays are suitable for teen parties. One idea is to set out a few different kinds of party trays. For instance, a fruit tray made up of melon, watermelon, orange sections, strawberries, pineapple and grapes would work well. Other good party trays for teens would be cold cuts and cheese with crackers or an assortment of raw vegetables with ranch dip. One thing to remember is that presentation is important with party trays, so make sure that the food is artistically arranged on them.
Finger Foods
It is a good idea to offer an assortment of foods that are uncomplicated to eat. Pizza, tortilla chips and salsa, cheese and crackers and wraps are good choices because they are not too messy and they can all be eaten with the hands. They are also easy to prepare. Cut up pita bread with hummus or other dips such as babaganoush or tzatziki are also generally liked by teens.
Sweets and Desserts
No party is complete without sweets of some kind. For dessert at a teen party, cupcakes are a better choice than cake because they are easier to serve and they tend to make less mess. Other ideas for sweets at a teen party are brownies and ice cream. If you decide to serve ice cream, you can set up a table where the teens can make their own sundaes. All they will need is bowls of sprinkles, whipped cream, crushed oreos and different flavours of ice cream sauce.
Sources
Celebrate with Style: 20 Top Party Foods for Teens
Rockin-teen-parties.com: Party Food Ideas
